Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio has announced the formation of the new Secretariat for Evangelization and Catechesis and named Theodore Musco as the Secretary of the Office.

Musco will report to Auxiliary Bishop James Massa,Vicar for Evangelization and Moderator of the Curia.

“This new structure will give greater prominence to major areas of parish life: adult faith formation, the mission and support of the family, marriage, respect life education, youth and young adult formation, and children’s catechesis,” said Bishop DiMarzio in a letter to pastors, administrators and catechetical leaders.

The bishop also appointed Joann Roa as the director of the new Office of Adult Faith Formation. She will be responsible for coordinating the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA), RCIA Adapted for Children, the Living and Leading by Faith Catechist Formation Program, and the new Holy Spirit Institute for Service and Leadership.

The bishop said he was making the changes in response to the annual increase of families in parish programs of religious education, the thousands of catechists participating in Living and Leading by Faith, the thousands of participants in ARISE: Together in Faith small group initiative, and the 70 or more parishes that are participating in the Catholic Youth Ministry Initiative.

“These are just some of the results of hard work and great collaboration and give us reason for hope,” said Bishop DiMarzio. “Now is the time for us to begin to witness the fruits of our labor in Brooklyn and Queens.”

2018 will mark the final year of the diocese’s Evangelization and Renewal Plan, The Joy of Encountering Christ – the Family’s Hope. Immediate goals for the new Secretariat include planning and coordinating the Diocesan Assembly on Evangelization to be held April 27, 2018 at St. John’s University, Jamaica, and the second annual Catechetical Summit planned for Sept. 14, 2017 at Immaculate Conception Pastoral Center, Douglaston.

Musco had been serving the diocese as the executive director of the diocesan Office of the School of Evangelization. Roa was directing the diocesan-wide RCIA program.