Divine Renovation Beyond the Parish

by James Mallon

The world is hungering for the fruit of a dynamic Church that has embraced her missionary identity, but what does it really mean to be a missionary Church? Grounded in Scripture and Sacred Tradition, Fr. Mallon offers an analysis of the challenges the Church is facing, along with practical tools that will support parish and diocesan leaders in bringing about significant renewal. Most importantly, he addresses the critical interface between a missionary parish and its diocese, essential to bearing lasting fruit.

313 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 19, 2020

Reviews

[Peter]

The birth of the Church did not happen at Christmas. It did not happen on Holy Thursday, when Christ gave us the Eucharist. It did not happen on Good Friday, when blood and water flowed from the broken, lifeless body of Jesus. It did not happen on Easter, when he rose from the dead. The birth of the Church occurred at Pentecost, when the Spirit came in power and poured himself out to dwell within believers.

This is not the Church's teaching. Here are exemplary quotes that say the Church was born from the side of Christ:

Leo XIII: "The Church which, already conceived, came forth from the side of the second Adam in His sleep on the Cross, first showed herself before the eyes of men on the great day of Pentecost." (Divinum illud munus, 5)

Pius XII: "The Church which He founded by His Blood, He strengthened on the Day of Pentecost" (Mystici Corporis, 33).

John Paul II: "She was born on the cross on Good Friday—as the Fathers teach; she revealed this birth of hers to the world on the day of Pentecost" (General Audience May 30, 1979).

Catechism of the Catholic Church, 766 [referencing St. Ambrose]: "As Eve was formed from the sleeping Adam's side, so the Church was born from the pierced heart of Christ hanging dead on the cross."

Benedict XVI: "The Church, born from Christ’s side, became the messenger of a new and solid hope" (General Audience Oct 17,2012).

Francis: "Brothers and sisters, let us always remember this: the Church was born there, born from the pierced side of Christ" (Address in Baihran, Nov 6, 2022).

It is frustrating to see, in an otherwise carefully researched book, a mistake that could have been avoided by cracking open the catechism.