Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People, 30

A Family Perspective in Church and Society, page 20

The importance of beginning lifelong catechesis with children, incorporating family members and other members of the adult parish community in this catechesis, was evident from the catechetical efforts shared by the priests. Parishioners of all ages reap benefits from this catechetical interaction. In his Apostolic Exhortation On Evangelization in the Modern World, Pope Paul VI states: "The family, like the church, ought to be a place where the Gospel is transmitted and from which the Gospel radiates. In a family which is conscious of this mission, all the members evangelize and are evangelized. The parents not only communicate the Gospel to their children, but from their children they can themselves receive the same Gospel as deeply lived by them. And such a family becomes the evangelizer of many other families, and of the neighborhood of which it forms part." (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 71)

Pope John Paul II writes that "parents are through the witness of their lives the first heralds of the Gospel for their children." (Familiaris Consortio, 39) Pastors and catechists must encourage this faith formation within the family, as well as involve the children and their families in catechesis offered by the parish. Some parents may participate in adult catechesis, but the experience shared at the symposium was that many do not, and frequently may not be active parishioners. As one priest observed: "For many, religious education of a child is the first contact that some families have with the parish. It is through the catechetical program that many families are welcomed to the parish."

This presents both a challenge and an opportunity because "the success of programs for children and youth depends to a significant extent upon the words, attitudes, and actions of the adult community, especially parents, family and guardians." (National Catechetical Directory, 188) Catechesis may be needed to help parents rekindle a dormant faith, energize a complacent faith, or continue to enrich a faith that is fully open to development.

Though adult members of some families may not be involved actively in catechetics before their children enter catechetical programs, the experiences indicate that participation increases once the formal catechesis of the child begins. Reflecting on the evening's discussions, a participant observed: "I noticed from everyone, kind of, involvement of the whole family and the community in catechetics, whereas my experience years ago with catechetics was something that teachers did to children, and adults were left out of it. That's just a current I've seen through all the reports."

The reports also illustrated a family centered emphasis for faith sharing and catechesis that supports the continuing faith formation of adults. This occurs through a variety of methods, including community gatherings, neighborhood small faith communities, adult formation, and sacramental preparation. The Challenge of Adolescent Catechesis contains similar recommendations: "Acknowledging the importance of the family in catechesis means sponsoring programs for parents around their areas of need, creating parent catechetical experiences that parallel the adolescent catechetical program, sponsoring intergenerational catechetical experiences, and supporting parents in their catechetical ministry." (CAC, page 6) And as one pastor stated, priests can use homilies and liturgies to address the primary role of parents and guardians in the faith formation of their children, and to support the adults in this role.

Adult catechesis designed for parents in the parish of one of the participants includes marriage enrichment, programs to help them in the role of parenting, retreat days, and church updates. In addition, the parish tries to involve the entire family in the children's catechesis. For example, parents are often encouraged to attend and help in their children's catechetical sessions. In one instance, parents occasionally teach a weekly lesson while the regular catechist attends formation sessions.

Offering an example of expanded family involvement, a pastor explained that his state permits schools to release children for religious education. However, parishes moved away from released time because they found it was not the most effective approach for catechesis. According to the pastor, switching catechesis to Sunday, as many parishes have done, has helped increase the participation of parents. "There's much more parental involvement now than I'd say there was twenty years ago."

The comment about Sunday schedules reflects the attempt of parishes to make catechesis convenient for families with busy schedules. The parishes of many of the participants provide adult catechesis at the same time as for the children. This often may be on Sunday morning since this is time the family has earmarked for being together for liturgy. In one parish, when programs in the evenings are necessary for parents, baby-sitting and other types of support are given to families. The parish views baby-sitting as an important support to catechetical programs, especially for adults. The parish also offers baby-sitting during Sunday liturgies so that parents will not have to worship separately while one or the other stays at home with the small children.

Reflection
In your parish, how do adult family members regard their role in the catechesis of children? What can be done to further encourage family participation?

Implementation of Catechesis
Several examples and suggestions for encouraging the involvement of families in catechesis were offered. During one report, a participant spoke of setting up opportunities for families to share faith. This may take the form of discussions as a family after church on Sunday about the homily and the Sunday celebration, or it may be lectionary based sharing in which families prepare and discuss the Sunday readings.

Other examples include alternative programs that offer a family cluster in catechesis, and training catechists to help parents catechize, rather than having the catechists teach the children. Family activities and prayer service resources are sent home, and children receive assignments that require the input of family members. Further support includes offering parents practical activities, such as bulletins or videos, that can be used at home during the liturgical year. One participant explained that his parish chooses catechetical materials for school and parish programs that have a strong focus on family involvement. "We see a partnership between family and church in the role of handing on the principles and traditions of our Catholic faith."

Another area of adult involvement was sacramental preparation. One pastor explained that his parish has First Penance and First Eucharist preparation conducted by and for parents. Parents from one year's group work with the next year's group. Also in this parish at least one adult joins each young person at Confirmation sessions, and some young people have two or three adults accompanying them. The pastor, of course, is available to the parents' groups.

The pastor described the effect the parish's catechetical program had on the formation of the young people. Young people from the sixth grade to senior year in high school presume they will be altar servers, greeters, or lectors according to their gifts and abilities. They also presume they will participate in service projects on a regular basis, and not only as a Confirmation prerequisite. Parishioners voluntarily take youth's service project forms and supervise one, two, or as many young people as they can, calling them each month. The pastor said the programs almost take care of themselves.

The Challenge of Adolescent Catechesis notes: "Effective catechesis with youth requires that the adult members of our community grow continually in their faith and in their ability to share it with others. This growth is especially necessary for the parents of adolescents. We cannot expect more of youth than we do of adults. The ways we adults learn about, express, and live out faith is a vigorous support or a serious obstacle in effectively catechizing youth. (Challenge of Adolescent Catechesis , page 3)

An interesting activity was related by a pastor with a parish of three hundred families. "During Lent I visit as many homes as I can. I ask for the whole family to be there, or as many as possible, for two hours. (If there's a meal, three hours.) We do faith sharing and try to see how the upcoming Sunday gospel relates to life. We hope to touch parents so that they can share their faith, and young people the same, that they "know" the faith." Discussions may involve church teachings and practices.

Finally, some pastors noted their parish staffs include the position of Family Minister. As one participant explained, this person helps to involve families in sacrament preparation and future family catechesis, which may entail parenting, formation in sexuality, and family prayer days.

Sacramental Formation
The participants spoke of the personal involvement of all parents in the sacramental formation of their children. For example, a pastor referred to personal interviews staff members hold with the parents to help them with this formation. As he explained: "We place a special emphasis on families being the prime educators of the faith as their children prepare for various sacraments." The activities he mentioned were workshops, take-home packets and projects "that invite parents and child to share their faith, beliefs, questions and attempts to live what they believe."

Several other examples were offered. Most participants referred to parent catechesis for baptism. One pastor said that his parish has baptismal catechesis for all new parents which emphasizes the role of the parents as the primary influence on the religious development of their children. Another parish requires seven meetings with the parents and godparents, and some participants referred to baptism during the Sunday liturgy.

For Confirmation, one person stated that in his parish there are individual staff interviews with the young people seeking Confirmation. During these meetings the staff members explain the responsibilities and commitment of this sacrament and they discuss the expectations of the parish. Other pastors spoke of sponsor programs.

Some parishes have "enrollment celebrations" at the Sunday liturgy for all children preparing for First Eucharist, and others involve families in planning celebrations and liturgies with children. One priest wrote that his parish tries to develop an experience of family catechesis with First Eucharist families to empower parents to actually share faith experience with children. This has been designed to be a training module for future family experience.

Parochial Schools
Twelve of the pastors were responsible for parochial schools, and one of them also has a high school in the parish. As the National Catechetical Directory explains, it is an integrated challenge. "A parochial school is also a community within the wider community, contributing to the parish upon which it depends and integrated into its life. Integration and interdependence are major matters of parish concern; each program in a total catechetical effort should complement the others." (NCD, 232) This point is also emphasized in a later document, The Religious Dimension of Education in a Catholic School. "Religious instruction in the school needs to be coordinated with the catechesis offered in parishes, in the family, and in youth organizations." (Religious Dimension of Education, 70)

One of the pastors reflected on the catechetical challenges involved in a parish that has a school. "In our parish, the whole parish mission is centered around catechetics; we have the traditional method of catechesis for all ages and we have, even, an adult catechesis similar to the RENEW program. However, the greatest effort surrounds grammar and high school religious education programs. Within the Catholic School we would like to see some program directed to the parents of the students to see if we could motivate them to a better attendance at the Eucharist and a deeper commitment to the practice of their faith." Another priest explained that catechesis is a top priority in the parish school . Every teacher in the religion department has a Master's Degree in Theology, and students know that religion is a serious subject in the curriculum. As one person explained, "It is our direct contact with children, the next generation of Catholics."

Reflection
It is important also that the catechesis of children and young people, permanent catechesis, and the catechesis of adults should not be separate watertight compartments. It is even more important that there should be no break between them. On the contrary, their perfect complementarity must be fostered: adults have much to give to young people and children in the field of catechesis, but they can also receive much from them for the growth of their own Christian lives.

How does your parish foster lifelong and complementary catechesis for all parish members?

Summary
The symposium's initial discussions illustrated parishes that display a strong sense of stewardship and entrust people with a sense of discipleship. The discussions covering "Catechesis in the Parish" displayed how these attributes are woven into catechesis. All members of the church community are called to develop and strengthen their loving relationship with God throughout their lifetime, and they are called to help others do the same.

The following comment, made by a participant to summarize a discussion, helps illustrate this point. "I think here we may be putting our finger on the key issue of this whole symposium. I think there is a real angst about the importance, the priority that needs to be given to catechesis in parish life. We used terms like: 'It's foundational to all other ministries;' 'You don't have it, you just don't have anything else;' 'That it's sustaining of the other ministries.' . . . There's a priority in terms of the way in which faith is developed, and if you don't have the ministry of the word, the others don't really happen very well."

In short, the participants do not regard catechesis as a separate component that occurs on Sunday mornings between liturgies, on Tuesday afternoons after school, or on Thursday evenings after work. The ongoing development and discernment of faith takes place in all activities and responsibility falls on all members of the parish to catechize and evangelize.

The Next Step
What role does the priest play in catechesis in the parish? The next section will examine this important question.

Review your notes, reflections and discussions to the reflection questions for this chapter. In order to process this information, take some time to answer the following questions. Your responses can also be used to help you complete the planning segment in Chapter 6.

Planning Notes
Catechesis in the Parish

Identify the catechetical activities and the opportunities for catechesis that occur in your parish. What are the strongest areas?

After reading the section, think of catechesis in your parish. What would you maintain? What might need to be adjusted?

What are some ways of strengthening existing programs?

What are some resources for change—, material, programs?

Are there some obstacles to change? If so, how can your parish overcome them?

The first part of Chapter 3, The Priest in Catechetical Ministry in The Priest as Empowerer of Catechetical Ministry will be posted next Thursday. For information about ordering this book, please see the Sadlier Religion Catalog.

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