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To ensure the Good News is expressed correctly and efficiently, the Catechetical Office has been working on tools and resources for pastors, directors and coordinators of religious education, catechists and others involved in catechetical ministry.
“It’s always a challenge to find new ways to bring people to Jesus Christ,” said Sister Joan Curtin, C.N.D., director of the Archdiocesan Catechetical Office.
There are 9,500 catechists in the archdiocese who teach some 95,000 children and youth. Classes are offered in English, Spanish, and as needed, in Portuguese, Korean, Chinese and other languages.
The RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) program enrolls another 1,500-2,000 people in parishes.
This year, Catechetical Sunday will be marked on Sept. 21. The theme is “Teaching About God’s Gift of Forgiveness.”
The Catechetical Office is creating a “Family Catechesis Mission Team” to train parish religious educators on-site for the five-hour mandated family catechesis component required of all religious education students.
“Some pastors have told us that since there is the family catechesis component, more families are coming to church,” Sister Joan said.
“Family catechesis is growing more and more important,” said Sister Joan. “It’s very timely considering the Papal Synod is going to be on the family.”
Next month’s extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family at the Vatican will feature more than 250 participants from around the world, including Cardinal Dolan. Its theme is: “The pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelization.”
Closer to home, next month will also bring two sessions of the annual Catechetical Forum. The forum will focus on “God’s Forgiveness.” The first session will be held at Sacred Heart Church in Monroe, Saturday, Oct. 4, and the second is set for Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx, Saturday, Oct. 18. The forums are designed for directors and coordinators of religious education, parish catechists and others interested in catechetical ministry and Church teaching.
For younger Catholics, the Rockland County catechetical region is holding its second annual Spirit Day, Saturday, Sept. 27, at Albertus Magnus High School for 800 eighth-graders who will be confirmed.
The New York Catholic Bible School has opened a new site at St. Peter’s parish in lower Manhattan, bringing its total to eight sites within the archdiocese. Last year, 50 people graduated from the bible school.
The Catechetical Office has developed resource manuals for Special Religious Education; for RCIA guidelines; and a booklet titled “Formation for Parish Catechetical Leaders and Catechists.” Each manual is expected to be available in the coming months.
In 2012, Cardinal Dolan established a religious education planning committee comprised of pastors, parish directors, Catechetical Office staff and members of other archdiocesan agencies. The committee meets monthly under the facilitation of Msgr. Gregory Mustaciuolo, the newly named vicar general.
“The national directory for Catechesis published by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops states that the single most important factor in ensuring a quality Catholic program is the leadership of a qualified catechetical leader,” Sister Joan said. “The Catechetical Office has a tremendous responsibility to form the men and women who are called to spread the Sacred Word of the Church to be the very best they can be.”
She said, “The whole purpose of catechesis is to bring people of all ages into communion with the person of Jesus Christ.”
