More than 180 parish staff, consecrated religious and clergy gathered at Pickerington St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish on August 31 for the Parish Staff and Ministry Leaders Day hosted by the Diocese of Diocese’s Evangelism Department. Columbus.
The day began with the prayer of the rosary and mass and ended with the opportunity to receive the sacrament of reconciliation and a time of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
Dr. Marlon De La Torre, senior director of the Department of Evangelization, explained the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (OCIA), or catechumenate model, for bringing unbaptized individuals, or baptized but non-Catholic individuals, into full communion with the Catholic Church.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has adapted the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA), the official text that governs the entry into the Church of adults and children who have reached the age of reason (seven years). The USCCB adapted the rite to reflect the Church’s own Latin language.
The USCCB is one of several bishops’ conferences translating updated versions of Church rites, such as RCIA, to reflect the original Latin. The USCCB is awaiting final approval from Rome for the revised model.
The catechumenate model is a central option for parish catechesis, De La Torre said, as opposed to the RCIA model.
Such instruction should be a progression of faith, without beginning or end. The catechist, or person who teaches the Catholic faith, must walk with the catechumen, a person preparing for initiation into the Church, toward God so that “his soul is never left alone,” De La said Torre.
Accompanying a person in their formation in the faith is the method favored by the Church since the beginning of its history, he said, with the model developed by Saint Augustine.
De La Torre also referenced St. Francis de Sales, the patron saint of the diocese, who wrote that the heart converts the heart, just as one person’s heart influences another’s heart.
“We’re going to take his namesake and apply it to this diocese,” De La Torre said.
At the RCIA, people seeking initiation into the Catholic Church were known as candidates. In the new model of the catechumenate, these people will be called seekers, catechumens or elect, depending on their situation in the progression of the faith.
Educational progression begins with pre-evangelization, or pre-catechesis. At this stage, a person seeking initiation into the Church is searching and must come to understand what it means to be a child of God.
“We want them to be deeply shaken by the Gospel,” De La Torre said of how he wants catechists to walk with an individual one-on-one so they are touched by the Gospel, rather than starting their journey being taught. information in a class.
The catechist will meet with a child or adult, determine the individual’s relationship status and understanding of Jesus Christ and His Church, and begin walking with the individual.
“You’re going to find out if they understand the concept of God.”
Resources, books and materials should be secondary, De La Torre said, because they cannot determine the disposition of the soul.
The pre-catechesis must be carried out within the framework of an individual interview. At this point, he says, the interviewer usually knows he wants to become a Catholic, but he doesn’t yet fully believe in the Catholic faith.
Eventually, the individual will progress to an “investigation,” he said, where he believes but needs more clarity.
Once an individual has a solid understanding of God and what it means to be a child of God, they will move on to the second stage, the catechumenate stage, and will be considered a catechumen. The time it takes to progress varies from person to person.
At the catechumenate stage, the catechist will begin to teach the doctrine of the Church. He encouraged catechists not to deviate from what the Church prescribes, and the Department of Evangelization will come “on site” if a parish needs support.
In the third stage, the child or adult must go through a period of purification and enlightenment, De La Torre explained. This period focuses on spiritual preparation, inner reflection and repentance.
For catechesis, he encouraged the creation of a sacred space in each classroom, or a space including religious statues, pictures or objects, and sacred religious images on the walls. The catechist must determine whether the catechumen is drawn towards Jesus Christ by observing the images and by silence.
In the final stage, known as mystagogy, the catechumen is ready to continue living the Catholic faith. Mystagogy is of Greek origin and can be translated as “savouring the mysteries” or “leading the initiated”.
It is the period following an individual’s conversion to Jesus Christ. At this point, catechetical preparation is complete and the individual has been initiated or brought into full communion with the Catholic Church, but the progression of faith does not stop.
“You allow the student to leave with a different identity than they came in with before,” De La Torre said.
In addition to the catechumenate model, he proposed the whole family catechesis model for religious education in parishes. Whole Family Catechesis is designed for families and children to learn together.
The model is a revised version of the Brotherhood of Christian Doctrine, or CCD, which was an association established in Rome for the purpose of providing religious instruction. This is a parish religious education program.
Parents are the primary educators of the Catholic faith, De La Torre said. In family catechesis, the catechist serves as a guide and presents a lesson, while the parents are present in the class and teach their children.
The model is based on a four-week rotation cycle. The catechist introduces a theme and topic the first week, followed by the parents teaching the second week. The catechist then presents a lesson the third week of the month, and the parents teach the following week.
The catechist will introduce the intercessory prayer and parents will pray aloud with and over their children, he explained.
Family catechesis has four tasks: promoting the faith, teaching the liturgy, moral formation and founding the community. It’s important to be intentional about building community, De La Torre said, because many people leave a parish because they aren’t surrounded by a loving community.
De La Torre said the family catechesis model as a whole focuses on teaching children how to pray and incorporating the use of sacramentals, such as the rosary, crucifix and other sacred objects, for a practical approach.
The model also provides time for a community celebration between families each month, including sharing a meal, attending Mass and adoring the Blessed Sacrament together.
Jason Spoolstra, the new associate director of the diocesan Office of Marriage and Family Life, explained the work he will do for marriage readiness in the diocese, which includes natural family planning classes for engaged couples, a retreat pre-Cana. and working with marriage mentor couples.
Liz Christy, associate director of missionary discipleship for the diocese, spoke about the importance of catechesis at every stage of life.
“All of these different ministries in our parish are intertwined,” she said. “The catechumenal model, the catechesis of the whole family, the preparation for marriage – everything is linked. This is all part of a larger design designed by our Lord.
“We are all progressing. We start at a certain point, but we don’t stay there. …We must grow in our faith. We are to help others grow in their faith, and that is all part of God’s design.
Christy also spoke about the important role that catechists play in faith formation and, as teachers, catechists must be trained themselves.
“The goal is to train catechists throughout this diocese, whatever ministry you’re working in, also for parents, but also for lay people,” Christy said. “We all need to be trained as catechists so that we can do what the Lord calls us: invite others. »
The Department of Evangelization offers three levels of training for catechists: beginner, intermediate and advanced. Entry-level training will be provided by the department in a one-day session, Christy said, with other experts as needed.
Department staff members will travel across the diocese to various deaneries to complete the training, she said. The diocese is divided into 10 deaneries, which are based on geography and were set up in July after the new clergy assignments came into effect.
Intermediate level training will be provided online by the Catechetical Institute at Franciscan University of Steubenville. The training offers several different courses, including catechesis for children, youth ministry, OCIA and a course for parents.
“It’s going to take a while, and it depends on your own timeline,” Christy said. “We don’t impose anything, but it’s available. … You can study independently and only in your free time, or you can meet in groups.
“So if you’re leading a ministry in your ward, you can say, ‘OK, once a month or every six weeks, I’m going to get my leaders together and we’re going to take an extra share or an extra piece. So it’s up to you to decide how you want to proceed.
De La Torre said the diocese is keen on continuing education to help catechists be properly trained.
“We come up with a baseline – a diocesan baseline – and then we use Franciscan University to help us move that baseline forward,” he said.
Advanced certification is earned through degree programs, Christy said.
More information on training catechists will be provided in a catechist manual, Christy said, which is currently being developed and will be available on the Department of Evangelism’s website, www.ColumbusCatholic.org/Evangelization.
“The goal or principle of a parish catechist is to have a unique awareness of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ,” De La Torre said. “Part of the (educational) content itself is aimed at helping the catechist grow in his own personal relationship. That’s the key.
“It is important to have an awareness, that is to say that the disposition of the catechist is based on the way in which he practices his faith, and then his knowledge is visible. This is therefore the basis that we are looking for for the beginning first level catechist.
He added that it is also important that “someone knows how to disseminate, articulate and break down the teachings of the Church in a clear way.
“We don’t regurgitate information, but we actually help you demonstrate how this relates to everyday life. »
Although there are “basic lines that I am required to execute in accordance with the magisterial teachings of the Catholic Church,” he said, the proposed models for parish catechesis will serve as diocesan guidelines and aim to help parishes.
De La Torre said he hopes the new structure will appeal to parishes “because you are literally in the ministry of saving souls.”
For more information on the catechumenate model or whole-family catechesis, send your questions to (email protected).
