October 2025 Newsletter

strive to embody it among ourselves as we accompany one another on the journey of life and faith.

At the same time, I have come face to face with the daunting challenges confronting the Church in our country and the small Christian community movement itself. When I first worked at RENEW in the late 1990s, we partnered with dioceses across the United States, Canada, Latin America, and Africa. Together we helped parishes form and sustain thousands of small Christian communities—many of which continue to flourish today. These communities gathered to pray, break open the Word of God, share their faith and encounters with Christ, support one another, and live out that faith in action. Those were heady days—full of hope, renewal, and vibrancy.

Today, I often encounter a different spirit when I meet bishops, diocesan staff, pastors, and parish leaders. Too often I sense fear, caution, scarcity, and—dare I say it—even hopelessness. People speak of loneliness, division, and lack of resources.

But this is not who we are called to be! We are people of the Resurrection. For us, hope is not merely an idea—it is a Person: Jesus Christ. And we have met him!

We know the remedy for loneliness. We know the One who tells us again and again, “Do not be afraid.” And we know the Church lacks nothing essential to keep the faith alive and vibrant. The Holy Spirit has already poured out every gift needed for the Church to flourish and for us to bring Christ’s light into the world.

These past months have rekindled my resolve to ensure that RENEW stands ready to walk with bishops, pastors, and leaders—helping them move beyond malaise into hope-filled action. Now, more than ever, we need to invite and encourage our people to gather once again in small Christian communities where faith, hope, and love can be renewed. We need this as individuals. We need this as the Church. And the world desperately needs us to be the salt and light Christ has called us to be.

In every generation, the Church has what it needs to be leaven in the world. Those gifts simply need to be uncovered and unleashed. But this does not happen in isolation—it happens in community.

To those who have faithfully sustained your small Christian communities through the years: spread the word! You know the impact they have. To those who once belonged to a community: consider starting again. And to our Church leaders: imagine the power of reigniting the movement of small Christian communities for your people today.

It is time for us to come together again.

-Joe

Saint of the Month

St. Francis of Assisi

Many great saints whose lives continue to inspire the Church today are celebrated in October. We remember two remarkable women 

Doctors of the Church — St. Teresa of Ávila and St. Thérèse of Lisieux — who each, in her own way, taught the world about the power of prayer and the beauty of intimacy with God. We also remember a modern reformer, Pope St. John XXIII, whose vision opened the doors of the Church at the Second Vatican Council, renewing Catholic life for our times.

But perhaps the most beloved October saint is St. Francis of Assisi, whose feast we celebrate on October 4. Francis is remembered for his love of creation and his radical simplicity of life, but above all, he was a man of the Gospel. As a layperson, Francis was not a scholar or a cleric. Yet he was given special permission by the pope to preach — and he did so in a way that touched hearts. Instead of speaking in Latin, which most ordinary people could not understand, Francis preached in the language of the people. He was even the first person to write in the vernacular. He wrote the "Canticle of the Creatures" in his Umbrian dialect – a precursor to modern Italian. His message was simple, clear, and full of joy: turn back to God, live the Gospel, and embrace peace.

Francis brought the Gospel out of the churches and monasteries and into the streets, marketplaces, and fields where everyday people lived. His preaching was not lofty or distant — he met people and spoke to them where they were, in their own struggles, in words they could understand. This is why so many were drawn to him and why his movement spread so quickly.

Today, Francis remains a model for us. We too are called to encounter Christ in the Gospel, to hear that message spoken in a way that makes sense in our lives, and to live it out in the ordinary places of our world. Like Francis, we are invited to bring the Good News into daily life — to let it shape our relationships, our care for creation, and our commitment to peace. In doing so, we honor not only the memory of the saints we celebrate in October, but also the living Gospel they proclaimed with their lives.

Litany of the Saints of October

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, Pray for us.

St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus (of Lisieux), Doctor of the Church, Pray for us.

Holy Guardian Angels, Pray for us.

St. Francis of Assisi, lover of creation and preacher of peace, Pray for us.

St. Bruno, founder of the Carthusians, Pray for us.

Our Lady of the Rosary, Pray for us.

St. John Leonardi and St. Denis, holy martyrs of Christ, Pray for us.

St. John XXIII, reformer and shepherd of the Church, Pray for us.

St. Callistus I, pope and martyr, Pray for us.

St. Teresa of Jesus (of Ávila), Doctor of the Church, Pray for us.

St. Hedwig, holy duchess, and St. Margaret Mary Alacoque of the Sacred Heart, Pray for us.

St. Ignatius of Antioch, courageous bishop and martyr, Pray for us.

St. Luke, evangelist and physician, Pray for us.

St. John de Brébeuf, St. Isaac Jogues, and Companions, North American Martyrs, Pray for us.

St. Paul of the Cross, preacher of Christ crucified, Pray for us.

St. John of Capistrano, defender of the faith, Pray for us.

St. Anthony Mary Claret, missionary bishop, Pray for us.

Sts. Simon and Jude, apostles of the Lord, Pray for us.

All you holy men and women of October, Pray for us.

That we may live the Gospel as Francis taught, in simplicity and peace, Lord, hear our prayer.

That we may deepen our prayer like Teresa of Ávila and Thérèse of Lisieux, Lord, hear our prayer.

That we may embrace renewal in the spirit of St. John XXIII, Lord, hear our prayer.

That we may preach Christ in word and deed, as the Apostles and martyrs did, Lord, hear our prayer.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Let us pray: O God, in every age you raise up saints to bear witness to your Gospel. In this month of October, may the example of Francis, Teresa, Thérèse, John XXIII, and all your holy ones inspire us to live with faith, hope, and love. Grant that we, like them, may hear your Word in our own lives and bring it to others with joy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Tip for Small Christian Communities to Thrive

How to proclaim the scriptures in your small Christian communities...

The Word of God is most often the center of the prayer and reflection in our small Christian communities, and rightfully so. Since the early 20th century the lay Catholics have been called to engage more with the Scriptures and make it part of our spiritual life. Yet some groups simply read the scripture and move quickly to the reflection or directly to the sharing questions. Try to be creative and really making this part of your gathering an engagement with the Word of God.

If the reading is short, read it twice or even three times. In between each reading give a pause and maybe simply ask people to silently notice what word, phrase or image jumps out at them. Then have another person proclaim it a second time. Try to chose different voices: male and female, young and older, etc. Then give people a chance to read it a third time silently to themselves.

If the reading is long, it might not be practical to read it three times. You could try allowing different members of the group to read a paragraph each or have two alternating voices read the text. Yet, even with long texts, give people time to review it silently before moving to the reflection or the questions.

In other words, give people time to savor the Word of God.

As St. Jerome said in the 4th century: “Read the divine Scriptures constantly; never let the sacred volume be out of your hand. Learn what you must teach. Hold fast to that which you can say with your heart, chew over it, and let it pass into your blood.” (Letter 53 to Paulinus)

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