8 Key Elements for Authentic Catechesis

The Association of Catechumenal Ministry, an organization that focuses its work on catechizing adults who are preparing to come into the Catholic Church through the RCIA, articulates 8 key elements for authentic catechesis.  They are worth taking a look at for all in the ministry of passing on the Faith.

Key #1: Centered on Christ – (1 Cor 2:2)

“We must therefore say that in catechesis it is Christ, the Incarnate Word and Son of God, who is taught.  Everything else is taught with reference to him and it is Christ along who teaches.  Anyone else teaches to the extent that he is Christ’s spokesman, enabling Christ to teach with his lips.” (Pope John Paul II, On Catechesis in Our Time, #6)

Key #2: Systematic and Organic – (Acts 20:26-28)

“Authentic catechesis is always an orderly and systematic initiation into the revelation that God has given of himself to humanity in Christ Jesus, a revelation stored in the depths of the Church’s memory and in sacred Scripture, and constantly communicated from one generation to the next by a living active traditio.” (Pope John Paul II, On Catechesis in Our Time, #22)

Key #3: Associated with Life Experience – (1 John 1:1-4)

“No one can arrive at the whole truth on the basis solely of some simple private experience.  That is, to say without an adequate explanation of the message of Christ who is ‘the way and the truth and the life’ (John 14:6).  Nor is any opposition to be set up between a catechesis taking life as its point of departure and a traditional, doctrinal and systematic catechesis.” (Pope John Paul II, On Catechesis in Our Time, #22)

Key #4: Promotes the Sacramental Life – (John 6:56-57)

Catechesis always has reference to the sacraments.  Sacramental life is impoverished and very soon turns to hollow ritualism if it is not based on serious knowledge of the meaning of the sacraments, and catechesis becomes intellectualized if it fails to come alive in the sacramental practice. (Pope John Paul II, On Catechesis in Our Time, #23)

Key #5: Driven by Scripture – (2 Tim 3:16-17)

“The Ministry of the Word – pastoral preaching, catechetics, and all form of Christian instruction… is healtlhily nourished and thrives in holiness through the Word of Scripture.”  (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #132)

“The Church desires that in the Ministry of the Word, sacred Scripture should have a pre-eminent position.” (General Directory for Catechesis, #127)

Key #6: Fosters the Moral Life – (1 Tim 6:18-19)

“Conversion to Jesus Christ implies walking in his footsteps.  Catechesis must, therefore, transmit to the disciples the attitudes of the Master himself… This moral testimony, which is prepared for by catechesis, must always demonstrate the social consequences of the demands of the Gospel.” (General Directory for Catechesis, #85)

Key #7: Connected to the Ecclesial Community –(Phil 2:1-4)

“Catechesis runs the risk of becoming barren if no community of faith and Christian life takes the catechumen in at a certain stage of his catechesis.  That is why the ecclesial community at all levels has a twofold responsibility with regard to catechesis: it has the responsibility of providing for the training of its members, but it also has the responsibility of welcoming them into an environment where they can live as fully as possible what they have learned.” (Pope John Paul II, On Catechesis in Our Time, #24)

Key #8: Directed to the Life of Prayer – (1 Tim 2:1-4)

“When catechesis is permeated by a climate of prayer, the assimilation of the entire Christian life reaches its summit.  This climate is especially necessary when the catechumen and those to be catechized are confronted with the more demanding aspects of the Gospel and when they feel weak or when they discover the mysterious action of God in their lives.” (General Directory for Catechesis, #85)

Source: rciablog.com

 

Involving Mom & Dad

Our program is like many others where we share with parents how they are the primary educators of their child’s faith.  The challenge, however, is what are we doing in our programs to actually foster this.  Over the last few decades parents have played less of a role in teaching their children the faith and more of a role of brining their child to the “volunteer experts” (i.e. catechists) to teach our children the foundations of the faith.  Granted I’m generalizing, but I’m hope you get the point.  We who lead Religious Education Programs have not intentionally taken anything away from the parents regarding them being the primary educators, nor are parents disinterested at making sure their children grow in their knowledge and love of the Faith.  Nevertheless, it seems true that parents are struggling themselves to know enough about the Faith to be able to teach their children why as Catholic we believe what we believe or how to connect everyday life with what we believe as Catholic Christians.  It is key in todays busy world to find ways to equip and facilitate parent involvement regarding the most important matter – faith and eternal life.  Here are a few things our program is doing this year for foster parent involvement beyond the classroom:

1) We had parent meeting at the beginning of the year sharing with parents how important their involvement is this year as their child grow in their knowledge and love of the Faith.  We also asked them after that 25 minute meeting to go to their child’s class to meet the catechists and get an idea about what they would be doing this year.

2) In our 1st – 6th grade program we use Faith First and they have a “With My Family” page that we make sure we send home each week for parents and their child to discuss.

2) In 2nd Grade we are giving homework for parents and children to complete at home and turn in.  Also, we are having two days during the year called “Bring Your Parent To Class” giving parents the opportunity to interact with their child as they grow in faith.

3) When children are absent, we are providing syllabus’ on our parish website for parents see what chapter they need to make-up at home.

There are just a few ways we are trying to involve parents in the faith formation of their child(ren).  If we do not find ways to involve the parents then the brief time we have them once a week means little for the overall faith development of the children we serve.  We must collaborate and team up with parents if future generations are to be grounded in their Catholic Faith.

Come Holy Spirit!

 

Family Life…Busy, Hectic…No Time

Brenda Estill (I think she’s a DRE) wrote from an email group I belong some good insights about parents and faith formation that I’d like to share.  She wrote:

“It amazes me everytime I here a parent say that their children won’t be able to attend class or they can’t attend a parent meeting because of another committment which usually has to do with sports.
Now I love sports and I believe that physical fitness is very important but I also think our culture has taken it a little too far. We now have flag football for 3 year olds, traveling teams for kindergarteners, practices and games on Sundays (even our Catholic Schools are scheduling these) and how many kids not even out of high school have had knee surgeries. I had one mom tell me that her niece who is a junior in HS has already had 3 surgeries on her ACL.And how about the kid that is so stressed out by the abuse he is receiving from his football coach that his parents have spent 100’s of dollars trying to figure out why the lining of his stomach and esophagus are raw.
How much time, energy, resources and mental anguish are we going to continue spending trying to make sure our kids “succeed”.
When will we teach them to be still, quite and to enter into silence so that they may find the true direction for their lives. When will we teach them to follow the path that God has planned for them and not what the culture says is the only way to happiness.
We make so many excuses for why our families are stressed and can’t find time to spend together, maybe none of us want to admit that we to have bought into the lie of our culture– The more busy you are the less time for trouble.
But in the midst of this noise and comotion when do we here the voice of God–not often enough–not when practicing on Sunday leads us to miss mass or when we begin to believe as faith formation leaders that maybe we are pushing too hard–are we really? Our teaching isn’t about making the grade, making money, becoming the star athlete or even Rhoades scholar–it is about our eternal salvation. When we as parents say that our children’s salvation is important to us do we back that up with actions or do we fall into the category of “fitting in” with todays culture.
I will continue to strive for families to come and engage in Christian relationships and dialogue– and I will pray that they will not settle for what the culture has planned for them.”

Amen!  I think we need to continue to be strong in our ministry.  We need to help parents see the overarching value of faith formation as foundational to their children’s lives – more than anything else.  Parish programs have a very important role.  It is important to note that parish religious education programs are collaborating with parents, not taking the place of parents who are primarily called to lay the foundation of faith and morals in the lives of their children.  May the Holy Spirit guide busy families to slow down and grow together and in their relationship with God.

 

Alternative Religious Education Program – Part 2

Before summer gets away I wanted to follow up upon my first entry with the same title.  Our 2 week intensive Religious Education or as we call it “School of Religion” Program is the only one of its kind in our metro area.  Many parishes loathe the fact that we offer such a program.  Many even at our own parish believe it is merely a way to “get a year done” quickly.  But there are a few things that need to be pointed out about this kind of program.  First, no program is perfect.  Yes, there is the potential for parents to sign their busy child up for two weeks in the summer so they don’t have to take religious formation classes during the year, but that does not mean they are not learning during the year.  Granted, it is possible that they are not doing anything during the year (other than hopefully going to Mass every Sunday).   Our program now requires students and parents to come twice in the Fall and twice in the Spring for “Enrichment Sessions” where they build community and continue to grow in faith.  Another key advantage of this program (which is from 9:00am to 12:30pm) is that for most of the students this is the only form of “education” they are getting during those two weeks.  During the year students who go to religious formation during the year have been in school all day and then have to come to our parish for another hour and 15 minutes.  This presents challenges of its own that are not a factor in our summer program.  Also, students seem to process and retain the information and formation they are receiving  because they have it day after day instead of only once a week.  Many parents share how they believe their child gets more out of the summer because they are finding it easier for their child to connect the dots about their faith. 

Although I was unsure when I first began working at the parish, I now am an advocate of the summer program.  Feel free to contact me about it and I’d be happy to share more.

 

New Models and Systems in Catechesis

In a previous post I had spoken of the National Directory for Catechesis articulating that in the modern world there is a need to “investigate new possibilities offered by the existence of the new technologies and imagine whole new models and systems if the Gospel message is to penetrate the culture, make sense to the next generation of Catholics, and bring about a response of faith” (from the Introduction under “challenges in the Ministry of Catechesis).

What will this look like in Religious Education?  How can we bring this New Evangelization into the classroom and engage the next generation of Catholics and most importantly “bring about a response of faith”?

I’ll share three things I think we as catechetical leaders must do:

1) These new models and systems must involve parents.   We must give back what education has often taken away – their role as the primary educators.  We cannot have the success we desire if the parents are mostly on the outside looking in.  We must find better ways to involve them and empower them as the one who is primary in the faith formation of their child.  

2) These models must involve a greater engagement of those being taught through what I would call “movement”  in a classroom setting.  Presentations from the Catechist that last most of the class will no longer reach the children and youth of today.  Classrooms must move around, go to the church or some location that one can teach from but our method of teaching must go beyond staying in the classroom and merely presenting the topic to the students present.    

3) We need to use more of the tools at our disposal – technology.  Media, movies, power-point, video clips, art, and other props to help engage the attention of students.  

These three means are not exhaustive or intended to limit the other possibilities, but are to begin to move toward models of teaching and passing on the Faith that will help bring about a response of faith from those we are teaching.  May the Holy Spirit lead us and speak to the hearts of those we are seeking to pass the Faith onto.

 

Helping Students Memorize: Part I

Memorization is key to helping kids learn the faith and know their faith.  In a world filled with information, facts and proof’s for everything we need to help students retain the material covered in the religious education classes. 

I am not recommending a strickly Baltimore Catechism style of learning but memorization has a very important place.  Today’s classroom needs to form, inform and transform students.  Each component is essential to the learning and conversion process. 

Diane Fitzpatrick has a good article on helping kids memorize at http://catholicism.suite101.com/article.cfm/memorization_helps.