“For if I preach the Gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!” (1 Cor 9: 16)

When you think of evangelization and mission work, usually what comes to mind is old school missionaries in far away lands, bringing the Gospel to those who never heard of it. Or maybe, it calls to mind preachers who come to street corners and college campuses preaching the condemnation of basically anyone who walks by.

Whatever image “mission work” conjures in your mind, it probably doesn’t seem like it applies to the modern world. A world where all someone has to do is Google “How do I become Catholic?” to get an answer. A world where the breviary, daily Mass readings, and every prayer imaginable is immediately accessible through the Internet, apps, and the like.

St. John Paul II coined the phrase “New Evangelization” to highlight the necessity of reproposing Christ to fallen away Catholics. He identified three types of missionary outreach in Redemptoris Missio, an encyclical on evangelization,