The Year of Faith
The Year of Faith is a special year announced by the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI as a “summons to an authentic and renewed conversion to the Lord, the One Savior of the world”. The Year of Faith beings October 11, 2012 (the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican council, as well the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church) and concludes on November 24, 2013. Catholics all over the world are encouraged to participate in and celebrate the Year of Faith.
The Holy Father’s encyclical on the Year of Faith, Porta Fidei, means “door of faith” (Acts 14:27). According to the Holy Father, “To enter through that door is to set out on a journey that lasts a lifetime”. Once this door is opened for us at our baptism, we should never cease to grow deeper in our relationship with Christ and his Church. During this Year of Faith the Holy Father asks us to focus in a special way on renewing our Christian Faith, by knowing it better, living it more fully, and sharing it more generously. We at The Catholic Company have put together a selection of our best Catholic products to help you respond to the Holy Father's call. We've even designed special Year of Faith personalized gifts that are a great way to mark this Year of Faith milestone.
Know Your Faith
What Parishes Are Doing
Archdiocese of MilwaukeeDiocese of Alexandria
Diocese of Leeds
Archdiocese of St. Louis
Diocese of Fargo
Diocese of Joliet
Diocese of Green Bay Diocese of Toledo Archdiocese of Indianapolis
The first step of the Year of Faith is for us to deepen our knowledge of our Christian Faith. The better we know and understand our Faith, the less likely we are to stray from it or grow cold in it, and the more likely we are to share it with others. According to the Holy Father, “We must rediscover a taste for feeding ourselves on the word of God, faithfully handed down by the Church, and on the bread of life, offered as sustenance for his disciples" (cf. Jn 6:51). Catechizing ourselves is an important task.
The Holy Father has encouraged us to do this by studying and reflecting on the documents of Vatican II and the Catechism of the Catholic Church so that we may deepen our knowledge of the Faith. He also encourages us to dive deeper into the Word of God, the Catholic Bible. We have collected in one spot some of the best tools to help you know your Faith better, such as Catholic Bibles and Bible studies, Catholic DVDs, papal encyclicals, and many Catholic books to help you dive deeper into your Faith.
Live Your Faith
Latest Articles & News
Pontifical Council Official Website- The New Evangelization
Vatican Official Website
- Indiction Letter from Benedict XVI
USCCB Official Website
- Year Of Faith Q&A
The second step of the Year of Faith is for us to live our faith. This is part of the New Evangelization, a call for each Catholic to not only know our Faith better, but to have our Faith inform all our actions. According to the Holy Father, we must “rediscover the journey of faith so as to shed ever clearer light on the joy and renewed enthusiasm of the encounter with Christ.” Once we encounter Christ, we cannot help but to have this encounter transform us and affect all of our interactions with others.
The Year of Faith, just like the New Evangelization, calls Catholics to deeper conversion in their relationship with Christ, which includes receiving the Sacraments frequently. Catholics believe that just as Sacraments give us grace to live as Christians, sacramentals help to keep our senses, and therefore our souls, focused on the Divine. We have several products to help you live your Faith each day such as rosaries and scapulars, prayer books, and other sacramentals such as saint statues, and crucifixes.
Share Your Faith
The third step of the Year of Faith is for us to share our Faith. Once we know and live our Faith more fully, we will naturally develop in ourselves a willingness to share our Faith with those God brings into our lives. According to the Holy Father, “The renewal of the Church is also achieved through the witness offered by the lives of believers: by their very existence in the world, Christians are called to radiate the word of truth that the Lord Jesus has left us . . . Every baptized Catholic is called through baptism to be a disciple of Christ and proclaim the Gospel.”
The Year of Faith is an opportunity for each and every Catholic to renew their baptismal call, and to radiate the theological virtues that evidence the Holy Spirit working in their lives: faith, hope and love. This everyday witness is necessary for proclaiming the Gospel to our family, friends, neighbors, and all of society. We have collected several resources all in one place to help you do this, such as Catholic apologetics guides, family catechesis tools, prayer cards, and Catholic books focused on evangelization.
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