Are You a Catechist? What is the Role of Catechist? On the cover of the bulletin are the names of some very special parishioners. We offer our gratitude to them; they make possible the teaching of our Catholic Faith in our Parish School of Religion in all the many formats. As a parish, we have such high regard for Mrs. Lynn Callahan and all the catechists, because without them a very important dimension of our parish’s ministry would be greatly diminished. Catechists are recognized for the valuable teaching contribution they make to the life and mission of the Church. Catechists share in one of the essential ministries of the Church: teaching the faith. However, the role of the catechist is much more than simply presenting course material, it is living out by example the truths of Jesus, sharing the life of faith with the students. In his encyclical letter Deus Caritas Est (God is Love), Pope Benedict XVI, taught us that the “... Church’s deepest nature is expressed in her threefold responsibility: of proclaiming the Word of God (kerygma-martyria), celebrating the sacraments (leitourgia), and exercising the ministry of charity (diakonia)” (25). The catechist, in the proclamation of the Word, is engaged in this work reflective of the Church’s “deepest nature.” It is the task of the Church to pass on from generation to generation the Gospel of the Lord. Each member of the Church participates in this mission and therefore bears a responsibility to share the faith with the next generation. We not only have a message to give, but we do so with assurance. We are heralds of a received tradition that offers the words of eternal life. And we start by teaching our children in the family. We all need to know our faith so that we can bear witness to it in our day and circumstances. The catechist is part of a great chain of living continuity that reaches back to the apostolic Church and reaches out to those today who want to hear and be formed in that life-giving Word. It is easy to see why the Church places so much emphasis on the catechist. The catechist helps to fashion another generation of faithful Catholics. Catechists are a blessing for so many reasons. They embody one aspect of our parish’s responsibility to teach the faith. They do so in an orderly and systematic manner. There will always be challenges, and even difficulties, associated with passing on the faith to a new generation. What marks the current moment is a deepening awareness of both the importance of what we have to say, the message, and the willingness of so many faithful and informed catechists to pass on the message. Catechists courageously and lovingly proclaim the message of Jesus. This the Church has always done with confidence and assurance because we know that even in the face of difficulty or indifference we can joyfully, confidently and lovingly articulate and share the words of eternal life. Please accept our thanks and deep admiration for passing on the jewels of our faith this past year to our children. A special note of thanks to Mrs. Callahan and her staff: Mrs. Fulvio and Mrs. Piacquadio, as well as the many volunteers who help.
Posted on: Sun, 23 Jun 2013 20:58:44 +0000