Unveiling Church’s new approach to catechesis

MADISON  On Pentecost Sunday, the Diocese of Paterson’s Office of Catechesis and Faith Formation launched a new ongoing series of short videos in English and Spanish to familiarize local catechetical leaders and catechists with the latest edition of the new Directory for Catechesis (DC). Published in 2020, the new directory emphasizes the role of catechesis in the mission of evangelization, as set out previously in the teachings in the Gospels, Church documents, and past editions of the DC.

So far, the Office of Catechesis and Faith Formation has released 12 videos — one in English and another in Spanish each week — which show catechetical leaders in the diocese — from parishes, schools, religious communities, and diocesan offices — taking turns covering chapters of the DC. The leaders receive the videos on Mondays and are encouraged to follow along with the presenter if they have a copy of the DC and to underline the document. Re­cipi­ents are urged to share the 10­min­ute videos with their fellow catechetical leaders, catechists, and others who can benefit from them. Twelve more videos — six in English and six in Spanish — will be issued by September, said Father Yojaneider García, director of the Office of Catechesis and Faith Formation.

“Formation of catechists is a priority for the Catechetical Office of our Diocese. With this project, we want to help the catechist to strengthen and develop his or her abilities and supply them with the tools needed, so they may offer an integral catechesis and more effectively lead others into a relationship with Jesus,” Father Garcia told The Beacon.

One catechetical leader who has been watching the video series is Debbie Dericks, director of religious education (DRE) of Our Lady of Consolation Parish in Wayne and president-elect of the diocesan Catechetical Leaders Association.

“Each video gives a snippet of each chapter of the directory and breaks it down. It’s a long book and could be overwhelming. The presenters give good information to help catechetical leaders and catechists see catechesis through the eyes of the Church,” said Dericks, who has been forwarding the videos to her catechists “to help them pass on the faith to their students.” “The videos are meant to better prepare the catechist in instilling the faith to our students. The idea is to strengthen knowledge and abilities to build up our students’ relationship with Jesus. It gives the catechists confidence they may need to catechize to our young people,” she said.

In a letter to catechetical leaders about the video series, which he put together, Father Garcia said the videos were designed to encourage people to read the whole DC. “Once you have completed the videos, you will have learned how to catechize with the vision of the Church. If we apply all the principles the DC offers, we can help the renewal of catechesis and secure the present and future of the Church,” the priest writes.

In the letter, Father Garcia added, “We took seriously the principle of subsidiarity. For that reason, these videos are presented by people with experience in catechesis within our Diocese.”

The new DC urges every baptized person to find new ways to communicate the faith with commitment and responsibility and outlines three key actions: witnessing, mercy, and dialogue. The 300-page DC comprises three parts and is divided into 12 chapters.

Father Garcia delivered an introductory video in Spanish, while Salesian Sister Theresa Kelly, a professor, and director of the Sacred Heart Center in Newton, gave one in English. Some of the chapters in the DC covered in the series include Revelation and Its Transition in English by Monica Condit, Confirmation and youth coordinator of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Branchville, and in Spanish by Deacon John Figueroa, the director of religious education (DRE) at Sacred Heart/Most Holy Rosary Parish in Dover, and Identity of Catechesis, in English by Crystal L. Guerrero, DRE of St. Brendan/St. George Parish in Clifton, and Spanish by Deacon Gil Martinez, DRE of Our Lady of Fatima/St. Nicholas Parish in Passaic.

In her video introducing the series, Sister Theresa traces the history of the DC from the Second Vatican Council, which emphasized that evangelization is “the Church’s fundamental mission” and called for the development of the directory. In 1971, Pope Paul VI issued the General Cateche­tical Directory. This was followed by a deeper exploration and understanding of catechesis through the convening of related synods, the release of related Church documents, including from the popes, and the updating of the catechetical directory. In 2005, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued the National Directory for Catechesis, she says.

In 2020, Pope Francis approved the latest edition of the DC, which calls catechesis “an essential part of the broader process of renewal that the Church is called to bring about,” Sister Theresa says in the video.

In her presentation on the Identity of Catechesis, Guerrero says, catechesis, among other things, is a “service to the believer, responding to his faith that will enable him to live his Christian life in a state of conversion.

“It is ongoing education in the faith and deepening the faith through knowledge and experience of Sacred Scrip­ture, knowledge and celebration of the Sacred Liturgy and the sacraments, and living and acting charitably to reflect the faith,” Guerrero said. She quoted St. John Paul II in his 1979 apostolic exhortation, Catechesi Tradendae, “The definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch but also in communion — in intimacy with Jesus Christ because only he can lead us to the love of the Father in the Spirit and make us share in the life of this Holy Trinity,” she says.

The Office of Catechesis and Faith Formation chose to start the series on Pentecost, Father Garcia said, because “the Holy Spirit is the soul of the evangelizing Church” (DC 39). “We, as catechists, must maintain a firm trust in the Holy Spirit. He must be our best friend and our helper.” In ‘Joy of the Gospel,’ Pope Francis writes that there is no greater freedom than allowing oneself to be guided by the Holy Spirit, letting it ‘enlighten, guide, and direct us wherever he wills,’ ” Father Garcia said.

“The Holy Spirit is the principal protagonist of everything that we do in catechesis,” Father Garcia said, quoting Pope Francis.