Nurturing Faith

A reader asks, “There is a notice in my Parish Bulletin about Catechetical Sunday. What is Catechetical Sunday?”

Dear Reader, perhaps you have heard of the CCD? I have often had the experience of having friends who are not Catholic ask me in hushed voices, “What is the CCD?" Actually, the CCD, the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, began in Europe in Medieval times. The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine began with the work of lay people in Milan, Italy in 1556. These lay people formed confraternities, groups of persons whose mission was to pass on the Faith. The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine became so successful that it received the approbation of succeeding Popes. Finally, in 1905 Pius X decreed that it be established in every parish.

The First Catechetical Sunday was held in 1935. In 1935 the Sacred Congregation of the Council (now the Congregation for the Clergy) issued “On the Better Care and Promotion of Catechetical Education.” The decree of January 12, 1935, suggested that a catechetical day be celebrated in every parish. Here in the United Stated, the national center of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine prepared the celebration of the first National Catechetical day on October 30, 1935, in Rochester, N.Y

In the mid 1970’s the bishops of the United States reorganized the USCC and the CCD became part of the Department of Education. The USCC began publishing a series of booklets for organizing and implementing the Catechetical Sunday..

Probably what is best known about Catechetical Sunday is the commissioning of parish catechists. Those persons in your Parish who have been called by God to serve as Catechists are presented to the community. A ceremony of commissioning and blessing may take place within or outside of the Mass. During the Commissioning Service the Catechists publicly state that they are willing to serve as Catechists. They are in turn blessed by the presider of the ceremony and by the community.

You can see copies of the following Catechist’s Prayer and other information at the Website of the United State Conference of Catholic Bishops: http://www.usccb.org/publishing/catsun.html

God of all creation,
Sow your seeds of peace in me.
Let them take root and grow so that I,
In turn, can cultivate peace wherever I go.
Make me a doer of your Word,
Enlivened by its hope and grounded in its truth.
Fill my heart with compassion for those on the margins of life.
Make my work as a catechist be a living testimony to your goodness and grace.
I pray this in the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Catechetical Sunday September 21, 2003
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time—Year B
Theme: Sowers of God’s Peace

Marie Murphy, Ph.D., serves as William. H. Sadlier's National Catechetical Consultant, conducting workshops nationwide on catechetical and theological topics as part of Sadlier's Consultant Services. Marie received her doctorate in theology from Fordham University and has served as a parish catechist and Director of Religious Education.