National Directory for Catechesis

The United States Conference Of Catholic Bishops announced on December 16, 2004 that the National Directory for Catechesis, approved by the Bishops in June 2003, has received the necessary recognition from the Congregation for the Clergy.

USCCB Publishing has already begun the process of preparing the text for release. The projected publication date is May 1, 2005.

The newly approved National Directory for Catechesis "recognizes that the essential thrust of the proclamation of the faith, evangelization and catechesis is to bring the transforming message of God's word/revelation into our world." Human experience is a significant factor in this process to the extent that it can offer a starting point for the seed of God's word to take hold, grow and bear fruit. It cannot, however, substitute for the seed or its flowering," said Bishop Donald Wuerl.

The new directory "develops at considerable length the challenges to catechesis from the social and cultural conditions of our land," The directory gives more attention than did "Sharing the Light of Faith," its predecessor, "to the needs of people from differing ethnic backgrounds and of the people who live with disabilities," Wuerl said.

The following are excerpts from Bishop Richard Malone's address on January 10 at a symposium sponsored by the U.S. bishops' committee on Catechesis published in Origins, February 17, 2005 vol.34: No.35

Metaimplications of National Directory for Catechesis:

1. "Everyone in ministry in the diocese/parish/school or other program or institution must appreciate the fact that evangelization and catechesis are in some way part of their own responsibilities."

2. "Everyone must be 'on the same page' regarding the three purposes of the National Directory for Catechesis as a major resource for the continuing renewal of catechesis."

3. All must agree to engage in evangelization and catechesis in the context of an overall pastoral plan.

4. Attention is paid to the cultural context for evangelization and catechesis, with regard both to its challenges and its opportunities.

Other Implications and Applications:

1. All catechesis must be intentionally evangelizing catechesis.

2. All catechesis is Christocentric, Trinitarian and ecclesial.

3. Catechetical method is informed by the divine methodology which is rooted in revelation, God's gracious self-disclosure in Christ and the Holy Spirit.

4. The witness of the community of faith (family, parish, school) is a critically important element. Vitality of total parish life is a key issue here. Participation in the life of the faith community is powerfully formative.

5. Accent on memorization! The National Directory for Catechesis calls for "learning by heart."

6. Attention to media: its "formative" impact for better and for worse. Understand it, critique it, use it.

7. The RCIA gives us the recipe for sound catechesis at all levels. It has all of the ingredients for effective catechesis: instruction, formation, gradual stages, rites, symbols, biblical and liturgical signs, the experience of community, worship and prayer.

8. Since Eucharist is source an summit of the church's life, catechesis presents it as the heart of the Christian life.

9. Catechesis for penance: God's love, the reality of sin and the capacity to commit sin, and especially the gift of God's forgiveness must be communicated fully.

10. Catechesis for life in Christ: We must break through the disconnect between faith as believed/professed and faith as lived.

11. Adult faith formation, according to the Holy Father, is the "principal form of catechesis" (Catechesi Tradendae). "All other forms of catechesis are oriented in some way to it" (National Catechetical Directory, 188).

12. Roles in catechesis. The National Directory for Catechesis has much to say about the roles and responsibilities of bishops, priests, deacons, religious and laity in the work of catechesis. "The single most critical factor in an effective parish catechetical program is the leadership of a professionally trained parish catechetical leader" (National Directory of Catecheiss, 19)

13. Seminary curricula and ongoing education programs for priests must offer formation regarding the church's vision and principles of evangelization and catechesis, and emphasize the role and responsibility of clergy in this ministry.

14. Catechist formation. The urgency of providing strong catechist formation is a major principle in the National Directory for Catechesis.

New Catechetical Resources

Catholic Campaign for Human Development
Poverty USA Student Action Project
Resource for justice activities and to raise awareness
about poverty in the US and our Catholic response
For catechists/parents of children K-8th grade
http://www.usccb.org/cchd

Growing Faith Project
A comprehensive and systematic presentation of the Catholic faith
In 48 eight-page booklets, it covers the entire content of the Catechism.
It is written by Bill Huebsch, author of Whole Community Catechesis in Plain English.
It is intended for all Catholic adults and young adults, individuals as well as groups, including catechist, RCIA teams and candidates, youth ministry, parents doing sacrament preparation, adult study groups, and parish assemblies.
Leaders guide + 48 booklets: $99.00
48 booklets: $49.95, bulk pricing available
Twenty-Third Publications
www.twentythirdpublications.com

25 Ways to Be a Better Believer

Sister Gretchen Hailer,RSHM shared the following ways to be a better believer at the Adult Faith Formation Luncheon on March 1, 2005 at Santa Clara University.

1. Keep a Journal

2. Learn to Say “Thanks”

3. Waste Time with God

4. Teach Peace

5. Visit the World

6. Mess Up Your Bible

7. Be Mindful

8. Grow Some Food

9. Get Rid of Stuff

10. Develop Your Intelligences

11. Breath Deeply

12. Nurture Relationship

13. Speak Against Injustice

14. Risk Song and Dance

15. Value Inclusivity

16. Face your addictions

17. Discover Lectio Divina

18. Visit the Ancestors

19. Resist Consumerism

20. Read Widely

21. Imagine God’s Kingdom

22. Seek Out the Lowly

23. Work At Reconciliation

24. Walk Your Talk

25. _________________

Ministry Through the Lens of Evangelization

The following excerpts are used with permission from Father Jim Clarke’s, presentation at the LA Congress.Fr Jim Clark is the former director of the office of evangelization for the diocese of Los Angeles and presently director of Spiritual Formation and Chairman of the Spiritual Theology Department at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, CA.

Evangelization is sharing the good news with all peoples. The general scripture that we emulate to be a good evangelizer of the Lord is found in the fourth chapter of the Gospel of John; the Woman at the Well. In this gospel, we find a woman alone, in a time when life depended upon relationships. She goes to the well to draw water at noontime to avoid the people who have rejected her. There, she meets Jesus and her life is changed. Jesus meets her where she’s at. The conversation starts with a common interest, a drink of water and then shifts to religion. She is so touched by the living encounter of the one who gives life that she goes to the very people who rejected her. She tells them, “He told me everything I have done. Could this not be the messiah?” Because of her testimony, the whole town went to see Jesus. In the ministry of evangelization, we emulate the woman at the well by using similar words; “This is what he did for me, could he not do the same for you?”

Pope John Paul II has given us a two step process for evangelization:
1) We evangelize by the way we live our life.
2) We need to explicitly invite people into the faith.
Meet people where they are at and listen to them. Invite them into the human struggle to find answers for themselves, engage the person to take a step further. Leave them with a question. Don’t feed them answers, engage adults by offering them food. Give them a question to reflect upon. Jesus gave children answers, he gave adults questions.
Some good questions to ask are: “How do you deal with mystery? “How do you deal with the unexplainable? How do you respond when everything goes your way, when you are in the groove, when everything comes together?” Use language that can be heard in the secular environment. Share with them an experience of God working in your life. Reflect on a time in your life that you were afraid, dejected, “it can’t get worse than this,” and share, using the framework, “Once I was…, then God did…, and now I am….”
The primarily reason, why Catholics leave an active practice of the faith is because they have moved. The average American moves once every five years. Finding a church is not on the top of peoples’ list of things to do when they move. People who have moved get out of the normal routine of going to church on Sunday. They don’t know which church to go to. A simple invitation from a neighbor “why don’t you come to our church with us,” could make all the difference. When was the last time you have invited someone to come to church with you for mass, scripture study or a social event? The primary reason people choose to practice a faith is because of a relationship. A person celebrating the sacrament of baptism at 80 was asked, “Why did it take you so long to become a Catholic? He responded, “no one invited me until recently.”

Luke 24, the Road to Emmaus, gives us the themes of evangelization.
1) Start with a question “What are you talking about? Listen to their story. How did it start? What do you think God is saying to your through this? What brought you to this point in your life? What led you here?
2) Help people see their experience in the midst of whole plan of God. Where have you experienced God in your story? Reframe the story to help the integration process of body and soul. Help unpack the lesson to see clearly, listen to their real needs and speak to their real needs. Help them to pay attention to what they have learned.
3) Ritualize it for them, (breaking of bread) honor the sacredness of what is. Ritual helps people see through whatever they are going through and feel God’s presence in it.

Remember that your faith is something you can’t keep to yourself, show the good news through how you live your life, smile and pass it on! We are to live our faith passionately and invite others into the full practice of their faith or joining us as Catholics.