The Priest As Empowerer of Catechetical Ministry
Chapter 4
The Priest as Empowerer of Catechetical Ministry (part 2 of 4)

Introduction

Three Roleplay Scenarios
Three roleplays were used to help the participants examine the empowering role priests play in catechetical ministry. In roleplay, people assume roles in loosely defined situations, providing an opportunity to observe lifelike circumstances in order to gain insight into attitudes and behaviors. For the symposium roleplays, three pairs of volunteers played the roles in front of the group. After observing each roleplay, the participants shared their insights and opinions.

In each of the roleplays, a pastor is speaking with a person about catechetical ministry. The roles and the issues are:

The purpose of the roleplays is not to evaluate interview skills or the ease at which tasks are accomplished. The roleplays should help you focus on the catechetical program, the relation between the pastor and others in catechetical ministry, and the presence of empowerment.

Though they may include the same characters and address the same issues, no two roleplays will be the same. The outcomes depend on the players, how they see the roles, and how they react to each other. In every case, however, insights can be drawn. Every roleplay has two groups of participants: the people who are the players and the people who observe. Each person brings a different perspective to the analysis and discussion.

Therefore, try to participate in the roleplays yourself before reading the summaries of the symposium's roleplays and the observations that followed. If you are using this book in conjunction with a staff or other group, finding a roleplay partner will be fairly easy. If you are completing this workbook independently, think of some people who could participate with you. This may include someone on staff, a catechist, or a friend.

If you choose not to roleplay, or if there is no opportunity to do so at this time, approach the material as if you were going to participate in the roleplay as an observer. This will help you consider ways in which you would approach the situation, and it will also give you insight as to how the roles were played during the symposium. Only read the symposium roleplay synopsis and the symposium roleplay observations after you have participated in that roleplay as a player, observer, or reader.

Components
Each roleplay section contains these components:

Roleplay Guidelines
There are two categories of people involved in roleplay--the people who play the roles and observers who watch them. These guidelines provide a general direction for each group. If your are not participating in a roleplay, please read these guidelines as if your were an observer.

Observers or Readers
If you are part of a group and will be observing the roleplay, or if you are not going to be part of any roleplay at this time, please read the instructions for both roles. As you observe the roleplay, use the space for notes to record thoughts or questions that may arise during the roleplay, or if you are not participating, as you read and consider the roles.

Please also read the roleplay guidelines for the roleplayers.

Roleplayers
Each roleplay has two roles, and the instructions for each appear at the beginning of each roleplay section.

There are some guidelines that are helpful in any roleplay.

Once the roleplay has ended, the players and observers should talk about what happened during the roleplay. The purpose is not to evaluate interview skills or the ease at which tasks are accomplished. If you are one of the players, do not worry about making "mistakes." The discussion should focus on the parish catechetical program, the relation between the pastor and others in catechetical ministry, and the presence of empowerment. You can use the questions that follow each scenario for further discussion and reflection.

Roleplay Procedure, Recap

Reflect Roleplay 1—Responsibility for the Catechetical Program Role:

Associate Pastor

In this roleplay, the pastor is meeting with the newly ordained associate pastor to discuss responsibility for the parish's catechetical programs.

You are an associate pastor who has just been assigned to the parish. The pastor has asked to meet with you about assuming responsibility for catechesis in the parish. In the past, the parish had a full-time professional DRE. Currently, the catechetical programs are administered by a volunteer skilled in administration but not in theology or catechetical theory.

You are newly ordained and are eager to minister in the parish, but are unsure of what will be expected of you. You do not know if you will have as much time to devote to catechesis as you would prefer, so you are a bit concerned about "high expectations."

Preparation Notes
Have you experienced a situation like this or have you heard of something similar? What did you do? What would you have done?

Roleplay 1 — Responsibility for the Catechetical Program

Role: Pastor

In this roleplay, the pastor is meeting with the newly ordained associate pastor to discuss responsibility for the parish's catechetical programs.

You are the pastor of the parish. You have asked to meet with the newly ordained associate pastor about assuming responsibility for catechesis in the parish. In the past, the parish had a full-time professional DRE. Currently, the catechetical programs are administered by a volunteer skilled in administration but not in theology or catechetical theory.

As pastor, how will you proceed? What will you say to the associate about the parish? About catechesis in the parish? About being part of the parish's catechetical team? You hope that the associate pastor will be very enthusiastic about accepting responsibility for the catechetical needs of the parish.

Preparation Notes
Have you experienced a situation like this or have you heard of something similar? What did you do? What would you have done?

Post-roleplay Reflection
These questions can help you reflect on your own roleplay and observations.

In the roleplay, what responsibility for catechesis was given to the associate pastor? What authority to carry out this responsibility did the associate pastor receive?

How might this situation be handled in your parish?

Roleplay 1: Responsibility for the Catechetical Program

Symposium Synopsis
After initial pleasantries, the pastor asked the associate pastor to become director of the parish's catechetical program. The associate reacted hesitantly and asked for clarification. For example, he asked about the amount of time required and about personnel and financial resources. The pastor replied that his role would be Director of Religious Education for preschool through the confirmation programs, and that "it is a program totally given over to you. You are in charge." He also explained that there is a budget that can be modified, and that there will be secretarial and office support.

The associate expressed concern that the volunteer who ran the program had no formal training in catechesis or theology, wondering if the program needed to be rebuilt. The pastor explained that the volunteer is a teacher, and drew upon those skills. He said the program has a structure for eight hundred students in kindergarten through sixth grade, two hundred students in seventh and eighth grades, and two hundred in the confirmation program. The pastor sees the real weakness as catechist formation, and he does not think the coordination of the program is not as effective as it should be.

The pastor said he would like smaller classes with two catechists in every class. He told the associate pastor that he would have the facilities and funds he needed. When asked what he meant, the pastor replied that the budget for catechesis would be based on the assessment of the entire staff, and emphasized that the entire staff wants a good catechetical program. The associate pastor felt that the job description indicated the need for a full time person, and he asked to be assigned exclusively to catechetics. The pastor declined, but assured him that directing the catechetical program would be an important responsibility of the associate pastor . "And if within a year or two years it became very obvious that the task was a larger one, then we would look into the budget to see what could be done."

The associate replied that six months might be a more reasonable period for assessment. The pastor said that this program was part of a larger catechesis and ministry in the parish, and that the entire staff is part of the overall evaluation and budgeting process. If it becomes clear that changes have to be made before two years, then "we'll do whatever we can to make it work."

At this point the roleplay ended.

Observations
The comments about the first roleplay fell into the following categories:

The Role of the DRE
After the roleplay, one person observed that much of the discussion centered on catechetical programs for children, and that there was little if any mention of adult catechesis or other types of catechetical programs. The priest playing the role of the pastor explained that he was drawing upon his own experience for the role. In his parish the DRE is responsible for children's catechesis while another person handles adult catechesis. He attempted to make this distinction in the roleplay by explaining to the associate pastor that he would be responsible for preschool through confirmation.

One participant observed that twenty-five years ago he was a newly ordained priest in a similar situation. However, at the present time all the parishes in his diocese that have an associate also have DRE's. Therefore, a pastor would never ask the associate to be responsible for the catechetical programs. A professional person would be hired to do that.

Responding to this, another pastor said that many parishes may not be able to afford to hire a DRE, and so they have a part time volunteer who needs direction. In any case, he believes it is important for priests to serve in catechetical programs. He finds that new priests sometimes lack the skills to direct a catechetical program. This pastor also believes that some priests do not want to be part of the parish's catechetical program. "They say, well we now hire people to do that. We don't have to worry about that." He would not appoint an associate pastor as director, but he would want him to have some knowledge about the program and would have him participate in it.

Another participant reflected that he sees something wrong with a parish that has one thousand children in the catechetical program and did not have a DRE. However, he agreed with the earlier comment that it is very important to have the associate intimately involved in the catechetical program.

Extent of Authority
The discussion also focused on the components of responsibility and authority. One priest observed that in his experience as an associate, he was given responsibility without any authority. Practically everything had to be approved by the pastor. He appreciated the fact that the associate pastor in the roleplay had responsibility for the entire program, but he thought it would be difficult to commit to a program for two years when that may not be the area of his strongest skills. Another priest observed that it is "great to know what you can do, but what are the things that you can't do?" He felt the pastor here did not set any limitations, and it is important to give some boundaries.

Another priest recalled being in a situation similar to that in the roleplay. He was the pastor. An associate, who had been ordained for approximately twelve years and who had previously been a teacher, was assigned to the parish. There was no director, so the associate took over the catechetical program. Money was limited, but the participant wanted the associate to have the freedom to devote time to catechesis so he offered to assume any duties the associate had to give up in order to favor the catechetical program. The participant felt that this arrangement worked well.

Background and Training
Since the role of the priest in the community is irreplaceable, it is essential that candidates for the priesthood have a solid formation in catechesis. This is particularly true with respect to adult catechesis, for which they need to learn to direct and collaborate with lay catechesis.

Adult Catechesis in the Christian Community, 83

A newly appointed pastor explained he offered his comments from the perspective of a person fresh from the position of associate pastor. As a newly ordained priest, he found it difficult to be given tasks without first getting to know the parish and getting to know what his abilities were in terms of the needs of the parish. He would have liked to have been in the position a few months before sitting down with the pastor to talk about the needs of the parish and how he could address them with the skills he possessed.

One pastor, recalling his seminary experience twenty-five years before, remembered that training in catechetics was fairly minimal. He would have found it overwhelming to come into a parish community and learn that he was responsible for the entire catechetical program since he had not received training to deal with issues of catechetics in the parish. He wondered whether this topic is covered more thoroughly in the seminaries today.

Reflection
What role does the priest in your parish play in catechesis?

The third part of Chapter 4, The Priest as Empowerer of Catechetical Ministry from The Priest as Empowerer of Catechetical Ministry will be posted next Thursday. . For information about ordering this book, please see the Sadlier Religion Catalog.