Each year, the Catholic Church in the United States designates the third Sunday of September as Catechetical Sunday. It will be held on Sept. 15 this year.
It is a day to recognize the role we each play in handing on the faith. We have all heard the phrase, “it takes a village,” and catechesis is no different. It takes the whole community of baptized faithful to continue the Church’s mission to share the Good News.
Bishop Sweeney reminded catechists in his recent letter that catechesis is more than simply the transmission of information. It must be an experience that leads one to a life in Christ.
This is the goal of the Office of Catechesis. We are entering a springtime in the catechetical field. It is a time of renewed commitment to accompanying the faithful of all ages on the journey to live and learn the Gospel message. The Institute on the Catechism of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is calling this renewed vision an evangelizing catechesis. We are working closely with the Institute to implement the new vision.
Earlier this year, through extensive consultation with parishes throughout the diocese, three catechetical priorities were identified: family catechesis centered on the Mass; inclusion of people with disabilities and expanding catechetical materials in other languages; and leader training including the development of a diocesan catechetical handbook. Steps have already been taken toward achieving these goals.
The catechetical office has formed crucial partnerships with Catholic publishers and academic groups such as the National Community of Catechetical Leaders (NCCL), St. Elizabeth University, the Augustine Institute, and The Pastoral Center. Also, a diocesan catechetical advisory board has been formed. Over the next few years, this diverse group of individuals from all over the diocese will give advice and ideas to support these priorities.
In the coming months the catechetical office will offer events to train new religious education directors and catechists, host speakers on important topics such as catechesis for people with disabilities, and present a four-part series on the Catholic aspects of death and dying.
Next month, we have a cohort of nearly 40 leaders beginning a one year catechetical leader certification program. We are very excited that our diocese was invited to participate in an initiative with NCCL called Parents and Families at the Center of Faith Formation. During this three-year program, funded by a Lilly Endowment grant, 30 parishes in the diocese are piloting programs to equip families to strengthen faith transmission at home.
The 2024 Catechetical Sunday theme is, Lord when did we see you hungry? As baptized persons we have an obligation to feed others, physically and spiritually. This year I ask you remember this call to spiritually feed the people in your lives whether those people are in your classroom, in your home, or in the Wawa. Evangelizing means sharing the Good News through our words and actions in every human situation.
All are welcome to learn more about evangelizing catechesis by attending the Catechetical Convocation on Oct. 9 at St. Elizabeth University. Bishop Frank Caggiano of the USCCB Institute on the Catechism will lead us to a clearer understanding of the vision.
Register on the St. Paul Inside the Walls website at https://insidethewalls.org/
