The call of Pope Benedict XVI to a “Year of Faith” is timely, and Catholics around the world have responded in many ways. The Holy Father was motivated, in part, by what many view as a crisis of faith with its origins in secularization.

The Office of Evangelization for the Diocese of Salina, under the direction of Father Steven Heina, began our response by struggling to identify those features of secularization that wound the spiritual life.

With time these reflections resulted in what we term the “Five Wounds of Secularization.” While we do not presume our list to be complete, we do believe that much of the world’s suffering, and much of what wounds the spiritual life, can be identified through:

• Busyness

• Materialism and consumerism

• Violence and revenge

• Individualism and relativism

• Entitlement.

Each of these produces a wounding of the soul. It is our belief that struggling against these cultural tendencies is one way to help bring about the life of grace within us, as well as build up the kingdom of God.