Among the runners lining up to participate in Hoboken’s 16th Annual 5K Run/Walk Against Crime and Drugs on Monday, August 6 will be a Bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark and a group of runners dedicated not only to training, but serious prayer and evangelization as well. The group of runners, consisting of various parishioners as well as a priest of the archdiocese, has made it a mission to turn their training and running into prayer, which they have called “Soles for Souls.”

“‘Soles for Souls’ is a new way to evangelize to Catholics who love to run and be active,” says Liliana Soto-Cabrera, coordinator of the Office of Evangelization for the archdiocese and a co-founder of Soles for Souls. “Not only are we able to share our faith with other runners, we also use our training as a means of offering up the sacrifice for conversions and other special intentions. The group started last month with just 6 members and we are looking to grow. So far, we have seen the fruit of our prayers and training.”

The Most Reverend Edgar M. da Cunha, Auxiliary Bishop of Newark, and a member of Soles for Souls who will be participating in Monday’s race, agrees. “We can offer anything we do as a prayer,” he says. “Running can also be offered as a prayer. Physical activity, although good for the mind and body, can also be good for the soul, and it can also bring good fruits for others, if it is offered as a prayer”.

Soles for Souls is a product of the late Pope John Paul II’s call for “new evangelization,” which challenged members of the faithful to find new ways of reigniting the flame of Catholicism in those around them using tools found in the routine of everyday life. Soles for Souls invites those who are active in their Catholic faith to join them in the fusion of passion for both running and evangelization. Qualifications for membership include faithfulness to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church, as well as the willingness to offer to God prayer and sacrifice through running for special intentions.

For more information about the Soles for Souls program, contact Liliana Soto-Cabrera at the Office of Evangelization for the Archdiocese of Newark at 973-497-4353.