ABOVE: Deacon Craig Rheaume speaks at the May 31 DPC assembly about the dos and don’ts of evangelization.
By Tami S. Scott, editor
Deacon Craig Rheaume, of Immaculate Conception Church in Fayetteville, gave a presentation at the May 31 Diocesan Pastoral Council meeting about the dos and don’ts of evangelization. Ordained in May 2024, Deacon converted to Catholicism from an evangelical Protestant background. He shared his journey with both insight and humor during a captivating talk, where he emphasized the importance of listening to individuals who want to share their stories, whether they’re fallen-away Catholics, Protestants, or are non-religious.
“We have to listen. If we’re not listening, we don’t know how to respond, first of all, and we don’t hear what I just shared with you,” Deacon said. “If we don’t hear their story, we don’t know what they’re looking for, we don’t understand where they’re at, so it’s critical that we listen to people, that we listen to their stories if our goal is to guide them closer and closer to truth.
“Closing ourselves off to their story will turn them away,” he said.
He encouraged sharing your own story, too, as well as praying, fasting, and living your faith with joy.
“If we are not joyful about our faith, that’s not very attractive,” he said. “People are attracted to happiness, people are attracted to pleasure, but people are more attracted to joy because it’s something that’s deeper, it’s something that’s real.”
Deacon advised against debating, belittling, and forcing conversations. He cautioned not to expect quick results, but also not to give up — or nag.
“You need to be good friends to people and recognize that they’re on their own journey,” Deacon said.
Summary report
DPC chairperson Mary Beth McCall addressed strategies for increasing outreach services in parishes, based on the results of March’s vicariate sessions on outreach efforts. The question asked during that session was “What is your parish doing for the poor, the disadvantaged, or the stranger in your parish?”
A large number of parish-sponsored programs already exist, including food pantries, food collections, clothing distribution, and Christmas sharing. McCall outlined additional ways to increase services through community engagement, developing programs tailored to local needs, and fostering a welcoming environment. This could involve parishes partnering with local organizations, organizing community-oriented events, and ensuring that parishioners feel valued and encouraged to participate in service initiatives.
Lead safety
The meeting seamlessly transitioned to a presentation by a group from St. Augustine’s in Baldwinsville, which sponsors a program focused on lead safety. Parishioner Luanne DeFelice introduced Oceanna Fair, a local advocate and chairperson for Families for Lead Freedom Now, Inc., a volunteer organization run by families affected by lead poisoning.
“Lead poisoning is still a serious issue in our communities …,” DeFelice said. “I had wrongly assumed it was no longer a concern. How could I — and we — still be allowing innocent children to be poisoned by lead? This issue hit my heart and my mind strongly, and I saw it as a social injustice we could actually solve. … Lead poisoning can be prevented and eradicated.”
Fair emphasized that 9.3% of children in Syracuse tested positive for lead in 2023, with Black children disproportionately affected. She added that the ongoing crisis isn’t limited to Syracuse — many communities in counties throughout the Diocese face similar challenges.
“Lead is a heavy metal and it’s found naturally in our environment,” Fair said. “We find it in air, soil, and water, and even in our homes, but where lead doesn’t belong is in our bodies.
“Key points to know about lead,” she added, “there’s no safe level of lead in the blood, and even very small doses over prolonged exposure can [cause] lifelong effects in our children,” since children absorb lead at a much higher rate than adults.
For more information, contact Luanne DeFelice, Maureen Murphy, or Lucretia Hudzinski at St. Augustine’s. Fair can also be reached at 315-464-0734 or via email at [email protected].
Elected officers
DPC Executive Secretary Tina Dyer announced that the elected officers who were voted in at the March meeting had resigned. A proposed list of candidates and their bios was included in folders distributed to attendees. The council voted and unanimously approved the new slate of officers.
Serving a nonrenewable three-year term that begins July 1, 2025, and ends May 31, 2028, are Chris Gorman, chairperson; Kevin McKeown, vice chairperson; John Sweeney, membership chairperson; and Ed Wilcox, secretary. Marybeth McCall automatically becomes immediate past DPC Chairperson.
Bishop Douglas J. Lucia also appointed Marliee Beyer, a parishioner of St. Vincent/Blessed Sacrament Parish in Vestal who holds a master’s degree in pastoral leadership, to the Steering Committee. Other members of the Steering Committee include the five DPC officers plus Joe Stanton, Marilyn Madison and Kathy Poupart.
The next DPC meeting will be held on Saturday, Sept. 6 at Holy Cross in DeWitt.
