Mission: Evangelise–The Office for the New Evangelisation
The ONE logo shows God's light, in the form of a shooting star, which, coupled to the vibrant orange colour, points to Christ's light forth, sparking a fiery movement of evangelisation and faith.
Throughout their papacies, Popes Saint John Paul II and Benedict XVI championed the universal Church’s call for a “New Evangelisation”, calling all Catholics to go beyond a vague religiosity where faith is merely inherited habit, toward a renewed and personal encounter with Christ. This New Evangelisation invites the faithful to meet people where they are, speak their language, and show how the Gospel transforms lives. In response to this call, Archbishop William Goh inaugurated the Office for the New Evangelisation (ONE) in September 2013 to realise its vision of being a vibrant, evangelising, and missionary Church.
A Journey of Refinement: Pivot and Current Mandate
Under the leadership of the Episcopal Vicar for the New Evangelisation, ONE focuses on the broader cultural and mindset renewal needed for evangelisation in Singapore. Its early mission was to help baptised Catholics become active disciples, guided by the four tenets of Word, Worship, Communion, and Witness.
In 2024, ONE sharpened its mission to guide and navigate New Evangelisation efforts in the Archdiocese to ignite an evangelising movement, expressed in three key goals:
- Ignite an evangelising movement in the Archdiocese of Singapore
- Transform parishes in Singapore to be intentionally evangelising and disciple-making.
- Cultivate communion among Catholic organisations, especially those in the archdiocesan ecosystem.
“ONE is here to help move baptised Catholics to become missionary disciples, parishes to become missionary parishes, equipped to go forth and share Jesus’ Good News,” said Ms Valerie Siew, ONE’s Engagement and Communications Senior Manager.
To achieve these goals, ONE works with Catholics at the individual level, the parish level, and within the archdiocese’s landscape, anchoring its work on every Christian’s baptismal calling toward a life of holiness, communion, and mission.
For ONE, success is seeing the baptised rediscover the fire of their faith and step forth as missionary disciples after Christ’s own heart, answering His call to “Go, and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19–20), said Ms Cassilda Lim, ONE’s Executive Director.
“Go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
“Over the years, ONE has pivoted, not in its core mission, but in its strategic focus to ensure greater efficacy and communion across the Archdiocese,” said Ms Lim. “We put our core value of being Kingdom-minded into action by paying special attention to nurturing relationships as we engage with people, so that we hold true to realising Christ’s mission.”
Praying, playing, and growing together
At ONE, the team begins and ends each day praying the Word of God. This rhythm reminds them that evangelisation is, above all, God’s mission — and that their efforts must always flow from communion with Him.
Alongside prayer and work, ONE also makes time to play. The office holds “play days” every year where the team bonds over meals, games, and activities such as hiking. These bonds formed in prayer and play sustain the team’s shared mission to bring Christ’s love to others, said Ms Lim.
Fruits of the Mission and Forward Focus
ONE is known by many Catholics for its seasonal liturgical booklets for Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter, but it also produces a variety of other resources. These include themed faith formation and reflection booklets such as Communion and Mission, Pope Francis Singapore, and video series such as Rise Above; Church Interrupted – produced during COVID and shared on social media; and Sacred Spaces: Our Homes, its latest addition for 2025.
Produced by both staff and volunteers, these resources help groups such as Small Christian Communities (SCCs) and individuals reflect on Scripture, share faith, and grow in discipleship.
After the Congregation for the Clergy released its instruction “The pastoral conversion of the parish community in the service of the evangelising mission of the Church” in July 2020, ONE has been actively involved in the pastoral conversion of parishes, helping reorientate their communities towards the service of the evangelising mission of the Church. “The Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan calls on parishes to enhance their missionary focus. ONE develops and offers frameworks, processes, and structures for them to reorient, revitalise, and restructure themselves,” said Mr Leonard Koh, Senior Formation Manager. “Working alongside these parishes has given us a first-hand view of the realities and challenges they face, allowing us to provide targeted solutions.”
To this end, ONE regularly offers workshops, days of recollection, and retreats for parish communities. It also runs a bi-monthly Parish Leaders Network where parish lay leaders gather to exchange pastoral experiences and best practices.
The next decade will see ONE acting as the energetic heart of this mission, said Ms Grace Yee, Assistant Manager, Administration and Finance.
“We will be working hard as a team to invite every Catholic to step out and become one with the Lord and one another, for the glory of God and the renewal of our Church,” said Ms Yee. “Whether working at the forefront or in the background, it is still the same one mission – to evangelise.”
ONE in action
