• Impediments to Catechesis
• Adult Catechesis
• A New Paradigm

Impediments to Catechesis
One pastor felt some major issues were not addressed at the symposium. Specifically, he referred to "the consumerism that blinds people to the message of God." He related the story in the gospel of Mark in which Jesus tells the young man to sell everything he has. "That story to me is what catechesis is about. I think Jesus is telling us that what our catechesis is meant to do is to promote that process of liberation, of surrender, of losing everything for the kingdom. Today we are so addicted, we are so attached that our society is yearning for a catechesis of detachment and freedom." He felt the discussions overlooked issues such as these impediments and instead focused on catechetical programs.

Another participant also expressed concern about the material temptations in society. "Those are the demons of our day that need to be dealt with before we ever do any catechizing." He believes that people have to realize that success as measured by society is not the life that the Lord offers. Until this happens, he thinks people are never going to be open enough to accept God's love in their lives and live in God's way and truth.

A fellow pastor did not agree that the symposium should have examined issues of this nature. "I would not begin by worrying about the demons in society. They exist for sure, but if we're going to take the demons on directly, we'll spend our time playing with the demons."

Need for Adult Level Catechetical Material
An additional area of concern was meeting the need for adult level catechetical material. One participant said that it is critical to work with adults and help them become disciples, and so pastors must expand their vision in that direction. He explained that many people return to the Church with a sketchy knowledge of it. Pastors and catechetical leaders are faced with the vast task of re-evangelizing adults and then enriching and deepening their Christian lives with a variety of topics, such as scripture study, marriage enrichment, and parenting classes. He said he has trouble obtaining appropriate material for these adult-centered ministries, and he thinks that pastors are going to have to pay much more attention to this in the future.

A New Paradigm?
Another issue was raised by a participant who thought the symposium should have articulated a new paradigm, a clear model for catechesis that addresses the need to change radically the catechetical setting. He believes that most parishes approach catechesis primarily from an educational perspective and so underemphasize or neglect the importance of the life-lived aspect of discipleship. In his view, catechesis at one time consisted primarily and almost exclusively of handing over information. "I'm suggesting it isn't working anymore. It might have at one time, but it isn't working. I don't think it will ever work again because that's not what we're about in terms of the goal we have."

He thinks that parishes can no longer rely on educational programs alone, whether these are parish religious education programs, Catholic School classes, or adult scripture study. He firmly believes that the parish community must be rooted in discipleship. He said the symposium contained many discussions about the positive dynamics of small groups, the growth of priests, and cultural experiences. However, he felt the discussions usually fell within the context of information, not relationship.

He told the participants they are successful catechists because "you by accident, by intention, or by the grace of God--all three of them probably--are in a discipleship mode in your life, in your lifestyle, in your mentality, and in your focus. That's why it works." He told them that reaching this position required courage and growth, but he added: "We need to look at a much more radical understanding of what it is that's going to change this nation if we're going to be helpful to recapturing our churches, our people and our faith."

The Educational Component
Several people offered observations. One participant explained that what drives him in his ministry is a similar vision of the Church that embraces a strong sense of discipleship, but catechesis needs to have good systems. "I think we have to be church. Church for us is being catholic, having an enormous diversity and unity, and is able to have many different models functioning, all of which are beneficial to the proclamation of the kingdom." He thinks the question must be to discern what works best in individual situations, and he doubts that anyone can create a radically new paradigm that will work for everyone. "I think if we all focus more on how we can be the church of Jesus Christ, and how we can bring the message of the gospel to our people, that's where we're going to begin to find the light. And that will involve all kinds of different models and gifts."

Referring to a discussion that the priests had about the forces that formed them, another participant said that education seemed to play a significant role in everyone's experience. He expressed his belief that education in all its facets helps shape people's attitudes, and to a large extent it was education that helped everyone in the room get to where they are today. He reiterated the belief that catechesis must be comprised of both discipleship and education. The goal is the same, but the means to achieve it is different. He sees it as a complex issue.

Another pastor added: "I think even processes have to be programmed." He said that his parish's RCIA ministry has ninety catechumens a year. Formation on this scale requires a great deal of organization and could not be accomplished by process alone. He continued: "I agree with a lot of what is said as far as the most effective way of moving people is often one on one encounters, but I still speak in favor of some sense of organization to provide those types of opportunities. I don't think a textbook is a be all and end all, but what it does provide is an orderly curriculum for the catechist, a model for them to follow."

The Discipleship Component
Reflecting the need for greater emphasis on discipleship in many parishes, one participant explained that he no longer thinks that it is possible to hand on the faith. He then referred to a statement, quoted earlier in the symposium. The statement expressed the point for him that it is easier to act your way into a new way of thinking than think your way into a new way of acting. He explained: "If we want people to be faith-filled disciples of the Lord Jesus, we've got to be faith-filled disciples of the Lord Jesus, and other people will be attracted by that and we'll grow. If we can't do that, I don't think we can hand on the faith. If we do, we're handing on information, we're handing on knowledge, but it may not change people's lives."

Citing the role of service in catechesis and the pressure on young people to conform to consumerist values of society, another participant spoke about one family's catechetical experience. Members of a family helped distribute blankets collected by their suburban parish for the homeless in the city. The parents involved one of their teenaged sons in this effort, which required them to be on a train at 6:30 in the morning. The project turned out to be a great catechetical moment of growth for the entire family. Referring to this, the participant said it is important to talk about what people do, and not only what they do not or should not do.

A participant reflected that catechetical ministry as envisioned by the Church and its documents is an effort at discipleship. Catechesis is an integration of message, worship, community and service. It is making faith become living, conscious and active in the life of a person, and that is discipleship. He said if any question arises between what is catechesis and what is discipleship, then it is necessary to look sincerely at the ways catechesis is approached to see if this is faithful to what people have been called to by the Church. He thinks the problem surfaces when catechesis is limited to an instructional model that emphasizes message without commensurate attention to community, worship, and service. "So maybe if we were called back to how the Church has already presented catechesis to us, we would be implementing a discipleship model."

Another priest said he did not hear a challenge for great change, but rather a call to look at outcomes. He feels that contemporary catechesis is different and that it is changing the Church. An invitation to families to take priority time to sit down and do some catechetical moments in their own experience is changing the priorities of family life. An invitation to adults to sit in a small group and talk with each other about their struggle to believe and understand their struggle differs from the American notion of 'hang in there and do it by yourself.' He thinks catechists should tell people: "We're asking you to do something that's different, challenging and costly, but because you're going to do it, we're going to change."

Trust the Holy Spirit
A participant said that for him, priesthood meant walking away from what he considered for a time to be everything that was important in this world. That changed his life tremendously. He said he had to step into mystery, he had to really step into darkness. Becoming a priest required choices and decisions, leaving behind attitudes, paradigms, and models of the church.

He thinks the whole Church did the same thing after the Second Vatican Council, and so the Church is experiencing the same type of mystery as when he took his leap of faith. "We're like the parable of the seed planted, where the farmers perhaps have gone to bed and gotten up the next day and looked out the window and there's nothing there. And that's what it is and that's what it feels like and I think we just need to know that. But to know that we are on the way."

Another priest recalled the years following his ordination during which much of his time was devoted to the renovation of the parish church and school buildings. At the time, he privately questioned these efforts. However, after he left, the demographics of the neighborhood changed drastically and many buildings in the area burned down or were abandoned. The one symbol that remained was the parish plant, the church building and the school. The school, because it was in excellent condition, was able to be used to educate the people coming into the area. Helped by the efforts of the parish, the people eventually rebuilt that whole neighborhood. Looking back, he reflected how one may not appreciate what one is doing. "So you let the Spirit work through you. You do the best you can and sometimes you're successful, sometimes you're not."

A fellow pastor offered a similar observation after listening to the discussions. "The thing that I hear is that we simply witness the faith that we have and we proclaim the kingdom in the midst of all this confusion, and the rest I guess belongs to God. Maybe we just have to be humble enough to accept that."

Reflection

During their discussions, the participants were asked to pause for a few minutes to respond to the following questions. Before you continue, please use these questions to think about insights you may have gained from this material. Responses from the participants appear on the following pages.

• What has this experience meant to you personally?
• What does this experience mean for your ministry?
• I now see that I empower catechetical ministry most effectively by:

Reflections from symposium participants about what the symposium experience has meant to them personally.

Reflections from symposium participants about what the symposium experience has meant for their ministry.

Reflections from symposium participants about ways in which they can empower catechetical ministry more effectively.

The third part of Chapter 5, Conclusions 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.

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