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New Da Vinci Outreach Initiative

My co-worker Lisa sat with her husband, Tim, at the theatre. They were out on one of their “date nights” to see the new film, Firewall. As the spots for upcoming movie releases began to roll, they were about to be stunned. The preview for The Da Vinci Code came on, and moviegoers were treated to a fast-paced, heart-pumping two minutes of excitement and suspense. The preview, which included scenes of a murder and an Opus Dei "monk" whipping and cutting himself, ended with the phrase, “Seek the Truth.”

But what came next was totally unexpected: A rousing applause from perhaps 200 people in the audience. A few people even stood up. I’m not sure about you, but I’ve never seen anyone stand up and applaud a movie preview.

This is not good news.

An estimated one in three adult Americans have read The Da Vinci Code, according to Outreach Magazine (March/April, 2006). More than 40 million copies have sold in 44 languages. It’s been on the New York Times Best Seller List for nearly three years. Untold damage has been done to the faith of millions.

Lindy Lowry, editor of Outreach, conducted “man on the street” interviews outside of a local Barnes & Noble store. Sarah, a 21-year-old college student, responded that she was now confirmed in her belief that Jesus was just a man and that Christians were “full of it.” Sarah is not alone. Not long ago, two family members spoke to me within a few weeks of each other about serious concerns and questions they had about the book’s claims.

These corrosive seeds have been planted in the minds of millions.

Catholics Must Respond

As always, evangelical Protestants have taken serious steps to respond to the May 19th release of The Da Vinci Code movie. They’re running national video conferences, conducting massive mailings to churches, and they've written a dozen books (compared to just a few from Catholics). Yet, The Da Vinci Code is about the Catholic Church! We Catholics need to respond.

This is why I’m writing you about the Da Vinci Outreach initiative (www.DaVinciOutreach.com). A growing coalition of Catholic groups, including Catholic Exchange, Ascension Press, the Catholic League, Human Life International, and others have joined together to respond.

We have prepared free materials to equip you and/or your parish to respond to this major cultural event that is going to slam us in full force in the months ahead. The Da Vinci Code will be the cultural conversation in April, May, and June of this year. You can help your family, friends, and parishioners get prepared—with relative ease.

The DaVinciOutreach.com website features FREE, ready-made resources, including:

Parish Action Plan
“Homily Helps”
Parish Discussion Guides
Youth Group Guide
Posters, flyers, bulletin announcements
Speakers Bureau
A Da Vinci “Blog” where you can read comments from leading Catholic commentators.
...and more!
The Perfect “Give-away” Book

As with A Guide to the Passion, we’ve created another invaluable resource that is perfect for “giving away” to family, friends, and parishioners.

As seen on the Today Show, Inside Edition, CNN, and MSNBC, The Da Vinci Deception features 100 questions and answers on all the major themes, issues, and errors in The Da Vinci Code. And, best of all, you can get them for as little as $2 each, a super-low price for this 130-page book.

To order The Da Vinci Deception, please click here, or call 800-376-0520. Steep bulk discounts are available.

Be sure to visit http://www.davincioutreach.com/ today to see the many resources available to you, your family, and your parish. We have everything you need to effectively respond to The Da Vinci Code, and defend Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church.

Sincerely,


Matthew Pinto
Program Director, Da Vinci Outreach
President, Ascension Press


This version: 10th March 2006

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