GOING THE DISTANCE - PATRICK MADRID

"This Magic Moment"
The day we've all been waiting for is finally here.
Welcome to Envoy!

I've waited a long time for this. For nearly a year now, our staff has been working hard getting Envoy ready for you. And now, well, here's the very first one!

It's taken a lot of hard work and countless hours of brainstorming and careful planning by everyone involved, but I think (and I hope you think) our efforts have paid off. I believe that in Envoy we're bringing you the "next generation" in Catholic apologetics and evangelization - a fresh, new approach to a timeless subject: Catholic Truth.

Over the last nine years that I've spent in the full-time apostolate of apologetics and evangelization, if there's one thing I've learned it's that Catholics need all the tools they can lay their hands on to help them explain, defend, and share the Faith. As we say in our Mission Statement (see page 2), Envoy is a tool placed in the service of the local and universal Church. Specifically, it's a tool placed in your hands. We've designed Envoy to be user-friendly, fun to read, challenging, inspiring, confidence-building, charitable, and useful - in short, a practical resource you can use and share with confidence as you heed Christ's exhortation: "As the Father has sent me, so I send you" (John 20:21).

So let me take you on a brief tour of Envoy. I'll share the thinking that went into our departments, what we hope they'll accomplish, and even why we named them what we did.

Our first stop is the department we're in right now: "Going the Distance." This is my little corner of the magazine, where I can point out key elements of each issue, and, to be frank, where I can blabber away about pretty much whatever's on my mind (hey, being Editor has its privileges, okay?).

"Nuts & Bolts" is apologetics at full throttle. It's designed to give you a step-by-step "how to" method of answering specific anti-Catholic claims. Tim Staples, a well-known Catholic apologist, is the contributing editor who writes this piece. Tim's a former Fundamentalist who knows the Bible inside and out.

We're committed to highlighting the positive things going on in the Church, and that's why we have "Friends in the Field." In each issue (this issue on page 10), nationally-known Catholic journalist, Tracy Moran, profiles three apostolates on the front lines of apologetics and evangelization.

Tracy also edits "Diplomatic Corps" - so named because Envoy is dedicated to equipping you to become an ambassador for Christ, and the men and women profiled in this department are His world-class diplomats. You'll enjoy the insightful and inspiring glimpses of these Catholic leaders.

"What Would You Do?" is one of our "interactive" departments. In each issue we pose a dilemma that you are asked to solve. You can e-mail, fax, or write us your (150 word or less) solution and mull over those offered by other readers. Our thinking is that 10,000 heads are better than one, so all of us stand to learn from the possibilities suggested by our readers. This issue's scenario is "Should She, or Shouldn't She?" Sound provocative? Good. Turn to page 24 and see how you'd handle the situation.

Our "Op-Ed" section features the opinions of prominent Catholics we've invited to comment on topics of importance. In this issue you'll hear from Most Rev. Edward Slattery, bishop of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Mr. Bill Beckman, director of the Office of Catechetics for the Archdiocese of Denver. Their subject: "How can we wake the sleeping giant?"

"Faith of Our Fathers" is edited by Fr. Hugh Barbour, a brilliant young Norbertine priest who has forgotten more about the early Church Fathers than most of us will ever learn. He's a pro on the subject of patristic writings; that's why I invited him to edit this column. In each issue, he'll explain what the Church Fathers taught on a key doctrine. Sure, other magzines have quotes from the Fathers, but none bring you the never-before-seen-in-English quotes that Envoy will. Fr. Barbour is fluent in Greek and Latin, and he gives you translations of the Fathers that don't appear in any other magazine.

"I Have a Question" is also edited by Fr. Barbour. Besides being a fine scholar, he has spent many hours in the confessional and in pastoral counseling. This makes him uniquely qualified to answer our readers' questions. Turn to page 47 and see if you agree.

"Random Access" is another "interactive" department. Readers share their experiences of random encounters where they had brief access to a person's attention. Were they successful in sharing the Faith, or did they do the Mother of all belly flops? You'll find out on page 52.

Okay, okay, so I gave myself another chance to spout off in "Personal Picks." But I think you'll like it. It's our book-review column, though these brief reviews are more like hors d'oeuvres than entrees. I hope to whet your appetite so you'll add these important works to your personal collection. I like 'em, and I think you will too. Go ahead, check out page 55 and see what you think.

"InQUIZition" is one of those departments that doesn't need much explaining. The redoubtable Charles Harvey edits this quirky quiz department.

The last page in each issue is where you'll find "At Ease" - our attempt at humor. We have a lot of laughs in that part of the magazine, and we hope you will too.

In upcoming issues we'll roll out several new departments that don't appear in this first issue: "As Received" (comments, praise, criticism, and invective from our readers); "Bridge Builders" (edited by our very own expert communicator and "young adult" guru, Matthew Pinto; he outlines step-by-step methods for sharing the Faith); "Gray Matters" (edited by noted moral theologian Dr. Mark Lowery, whose article on the Natural Law reasons against legalizing homosexual marriage appears on page 38. In "Gray Matters," he will tackle a vexing moral question of our day); and, finally, "Satellite Snapshot" (our calendar of events).

Let me add a special and heartfelt word of thanks to Kinsey Caruth, our Creative Director, and our graphic arts staff, Suzy Caruth, Donna Cressy, Rita Guillen, and Ben Snell. They're the ones who make Envoy look great. We all hope you have as much fun reading Envoy as we've had putting it together.

I don't care when the End of the World comes, as long as it's after the Super Bowl.

The End Times fever swamp is expanding. An increasing number of folks are getting caught up in the thrall of all the "impending cosmic disaster" talk going around, and Catholics are no exception. I was in a bookstore just the other day and was amazed at the sheer numbers of apocalyptic books for sale. And the weird thing is that it's not just Fundamentalists anymore who are beating the End Is Near drum. Even New Agers and secularists are getting into the act.

You'll recall that at the height of the Gulf War, a spate of books came out warning that Saddam Hussein was the Antichrist. Didn't he, after all, have in the works a nefarious scheme to rebuild ancient Babylon, restoring it to its former pagan glory? And before those books came books insisting that Mikhail Gorbachev was the Man of Sin. Well, Paul Thigpen is here to help you make sense of all the whooping and hollering about The End. In "Apocalypse Again" he puts the whole thing into its proper perspective.

They came, they saw, they were conquered.

Award-winning author Kristine Franklin takes you on a rollicking ride through the Evangelical mission field of Guatemala, the final stop being . . . conversion! We think you'll be moved by her testimony. We certainly were. Also, check out Curtis Martin's timely commentary on the need for joy in "You'd Better Not Pout" (page 34). He's factory repping the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Don't miss out.

Three weeks of debates and seminars in Australia and New Zealand

June was a busy month for me. I spent 18 days on a speaking and debating tour in Australia and New Zealand (17, if you count the day I lost by crossing the International Date Line). While down under, I conducted 25 seminars and engaged in three formal debates with Protestant ministers.

My fatigue upon returning home had as much to do with the pace of the schedule as it did with the jet lag. Even so, I had a great time and met many wonderful Catholics. This was my second speaking visit to Australia, so it was good to renew old friendships and kindle new ones. In particular, I'm grateful to Kevin and Marie-Louise Bennett of Auckland, Arlette and Terry Bowan of Sydney, and especially Brian and Maureen Schaefer, who run the John XXIII Fellowship Co-op in Melbourne.

The best part was having my 11-year old son, Timothy, with me on the trip. He made the homesickness bearable, and he managed to teach the Aussies and Kiwis a thing or two about "real" football.

Regarding the debates, the first was with Rev. Rowland Ward, pastor of a large Evangelical Presbyterian church in Melbourne. Rowland and I squared off over two Protestant claims: sola scriptura (the Bible alone) and sola fide (justification by faith alone). It was a long debate (about 6 hours), but well worth the time. Next I had a short debate on sola scriptura with Martin Andrews, an articulate young Reformed apologist in Sydney. When I got to Auckland the following week, I debated Rev. Fred Needham, a Pentecostal pastor who heads a church made up mainly of former Catholics. We debated biblical authority and the Eucharist before a packed house, mostly his congregation. Audio tapes of these debates and seminars will be available soon from Envoy, so stay tuned.

G'day, mate.