Vatican City: On the feast of the Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, Pope Leo XIV delivered a heartfelt message reminding believer that proclaiming Jesus Christ is not a task reserved for a few but the mission of every Christian. Addressing members of the St. Andrew School of Evangelization, a Catholic initiative that brings together both clergy and laity, the Pope underlined the importance of witness and personal encounter with God as the foundation of true evangelization.
Drawing inspiration from the ministry of St. John the Baptist, the Pope noted that John’s role was not to seek recognition for himself but to point unwaveringly toward Christ. Quoting the Gospel of John, he recalled how the Baptist testified that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” This, he explained, remains the essence of Christian mission announcing to the world the reality of God who became man.
Pope Leo stressed that evangelization begins with experience. “If we carefully reread the opening chapters of the Gospel of John,” he said, “we discover the essence of every school of evangelization: to bear witness to what we ourselves have contemplated, to the encounter we have had with the God of life.” He further invoked the First Letter of St. John, emphasizing the Church’s call to share what has been “seen and heard” so that all may enter into fellowship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Turning to the gathered missionaries, the Pope invited them to live their baptismal vocation with renewed zeal. “During these days of pilgrimage,” he said, “I encourage you to look at the saints who, like John the Baptist, faithfully proclaimed Jesus through both words and works. Their lives remind us that evangelization is not theory but a living testimony of goodness.”
In his concluding words, Pope Leo entrusted the members of the St. Andrew School of Evangelization to the protection of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, praying that she may guide their efforts and strengthen their hope as they continue spreading the Gospel.
The St. Andrew School of Evangelization, founded in response to Christ’s command to preach to the ends of the earth, seeks to raise up everyday witnesses who share their faith within their communities. Inspired by the Apostle Andrew who first introduced his brother Peter to Jesus the School’s mission is to “find people like Peter who can love, serve, and proclaim the Lord even better than ourselves.”
With the Pope’s encouragement, the movement is reminded that evangelization is not about strategies or numbers but about the power of personal encounter—announcing Christ by living a life transformed in Him.