Content Evangelist caugut up with Sharmane Adams, director of communications for the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee and editor of The Catholic Compass magazine, to learn how her publication fulfills the mission of evangelization.

CE: How does The Catholic Compass evangelize in your diocese?

SA: For the past 10 years, The Catholic Compass has been an important component of our diocesan evangelization plan. The publication is delivered to more than 22,000 locations, including homes, parishes, schools, prisons and hospitals. The magazine is a beautiful and enriching way to spread the good news of Christ.

"Our hope is that the magazine continues to empower not only Catholics but also all people to become disciples of Christ and share their faith with others."

CE: How does it inspire people?

SA: The Catholic Compass contains inspiring stories of Catholics in our diocese who have made a difference in the lives of others. Recent stories feature a college student who donated her kidney to a stranger, a husband and wife who felt called to adopt and a seminarian who embarked on a journey to the priesthood. People are drawn to the publication to read about the lives of ordinary people who make extraordinary sacrifices in their daily lives.

CE: What would you like readers to take away from each issue?

SA: I want Compass readers to experience the joy of the Lord by encountering him in a new way that draws them closer to the Church. I love the words of Pope Francis in his 2013 apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium. “I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day. No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her, since ‘no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord.’”

CE: What feedback do you receive?

SA: Frequently, we receive mail from readers expressing how grateful they are that the publication is delivered to their homes. Recently, I received a letter from a prisoner at a correctional facility who said he never had a relationship with the Lord until the stories from the Compass inspired him to join a Catholic group at the prison. It’s nice to know that we are evangelizing and impacting those who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to know Christ.

CE: How does the magazine fit into the overall plan of the diocese to evangelize and engage non-practicing Catholics?

SA: The magazine reaches beyond the people in the pews. Although many Catholics have become disheartened and discouraged with the Church, the Compass has been an inspirational tool to help them reconnect with the Catholic community. Our hope is that the magazine continues to empower not only Catholics but also all people to become disciples of Christ and share their faith with others.