Catechetical Conference explores Church’s new vision of catechesis

Catechists need to infuse their classrooms with their own personal touch — and the love of God — to succeed in their mission as religious educators: to lead young people to a genuine encounter with Jesus. They should share the joy of their faith with students, demonstrate genuine interest and love and engage them in creative lessons and activities “so they want to be there.”

This was on Salesian Sister Elfie Del Rosario’s messages to local parish catechetical leaders and catechists on March 4 at the Diocesan Catechetical Conference at Saint Elizabeth University in Convent Station, a part of Morristown. She spoke at one of several workshops at the all-day conference, which drew 400 catechists from the diocese. Sister Elfie is vocations director of the Eastern Province for the Daugh­ters of Mary Help of Christians, also known as the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco, in North Haledon. The event also was livestreamed.

Experts in catechesis gave talks and led various presentations about how to implement the Church’s new vision of catechesis in the latest Directory for Catechesis in the classroom. The conference was sponsored by the Evangeliza­tion Center at St. Paul Inside the Walls in Madison and hosted by Saint Elizabeth University, which is run by the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth.

“Spread your love to the young people. That’s what they’ll remember most in your journey of faith with them,” Sister Elfie told the catechists who attended her presentation. It was about the Preventive System, a teaching method developed by St. John Bosco, who co-founded the Sale­sian order.

The conference opened with remarks by Father Paul Manning, diocesan vicar for evangelization, who called on catechists to be “faithful guides accompanying the faithful.” Then, morning prayer was led by Father Yojaneider Garcia, director of the diocesan Office of Catechesis and Faith Formation, which organized the event with a team.

“Our main goal is to lead people to a real encounter with Jesus. He is the content — the doctrine — we need to teach,” Father Garcia told those in attendance.

That morning, the keynote speaker was Sister M. Johanna Paruch, a theology professor at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, who talked about “Catechesis for People with Disabilities.” A Sister of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George, she told catechists, “Our attitude must be that of Christ’s,” when ministering to people with disabilities and their families. Catechists need to welcome them and minister to them with empathy and patience, she said.

In her workshop talk, Sister Elfie said young people have lots of questions about their faith. So classrooms should be safe places where they can express how they feel. Catechists should speak to students in the “language of love,” said Sister Elfie in explaining the Preventative System.

Among the local workshop presenters at the conference was Deacon Michael Allgaier of St. Mary Parish in Denville, assistant director of the diocesan Perma­nent Diaconate. He spoke on “Effective Classroom Management.” Also, Deirdre Nemeth, faith-formation director at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Stirling, part of Long Hill Township, led a panel of parish catechetical leaders about family catechesis.

The conference closed with a Mass, adoration and presentation of catechetical awards with Bishop Kevin J. Sweeney and concelebrating priests in Holy Family Chapel of the Academy of Saint Elizabeth.

One participant was Diane Vezzuto, religious-education coordinator at St. Mary Parish in Dover. The conference speakers reminded her that catechists “need to come in loving the children with all the energy we have to teach them about the love of Jesus and the Catholic faith,” she said.