Christian Frmatin News The backgrund fr CHANGE Whle Cmmunity Catechesis The staff and vlunteers f Christian Frmatin have been researching, praying, surveying, discerning, evaluating, praying sme mre and finally making a mve t change hw we help t frm all f thse in ur midst in the Cathlic faith. As Mahatma Gandhi nce stated, we must becme the change we want t see we want t help ur cmmunity embark n a jurney f faith that is welcming, inclusive and supprtive f ur lives as Cathlic Christians. This new jurney has lng been described as Whle Cmmunity Catechesis r WCC. Althugh there are many mdels f WCC in practice arund the United States, ne can generally say that this term refers t a mvement tward catechesis that invlves the entire parish cmmunity in lifelng faith frmatin and that necessitates the crdinatin and cllabratin f catechetical and liturgical ministries. Because any type f change may be frightening, we hpe t prvide everyne in ur parish with sme infrmatin and tls t help ease us all int a new jurney f Whle Cmmunity Catechesis. As King Whitney, Jr. nce stated in the business wrld, Change has a cnsiderable psychlgical impact n the human mind. T the fearful it is threatening because it means that things may get wrse. T the hpeful it is encuraging because things may get better. T the cnfident it is inspiring because the challenge exists t make things better. Our parish staff, as well as key Christian Frmatin ministry vlunteers, hpe t enable everyne t ultimately becme cnfident as we share further news with yu in this website, thrugh the bulletin and flyers, and thrugh the upcming sessins we have scheduled fr Nvember 2006 and January 2007. Alng thse same lines, we wish t share with yu the backgrund infrmatin frm the Cathlic Church in regard t WCC: The Origins f Whle Cmmunity Catechesis The fllwing factrs have led t the develpment f whle cmmunity catechesis: Influence f several imprtant dcuments that have been issued during the past three decades. These include: Evangelii Nuntiandi (1975), an encyclical by Ppe Paul VI that utlines the principles and mdel f evangelizatin. Catechesis is described as a "mment in the prcess f evangelizatin." Catechesi Tradendae (1979), an encyclical by Ppe Jhn Paul II that lks specifically at the nature and methds f catechesis. In this dcument, Ppe Jhn Paul II acknwledges that many baptized children and adults lack the requisite pre-catechesis necessary fr catechesis t be effective. Rite f Christian Initiatin fr Adults (1988). Several generatins f parish leaders have been frmed by their experience with the Rite f Christian Initiatin.
Renewing the Visin: A Framewrk fr Cathlic Yuth Ministry (NCCB 1997), in which the bishps, fr the first time, specifically refer t cmprehensive yuth ministry as being intergeneratinal and invlving cmmunity-wide cllabratin. General Directry fr Catechesis (1997), ut f which tw key principles are drawn: First, that adult catechesis is the axis arund which catechesis fr all thers revlve. Secnd, that catechesis is a respnsibility f the entire Christian cmmunity. This dcument is s fundatinal t the cncept f whle cmmunity catechesis that it is singled ut as a separate influence. Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us: A Pastral Plan fr Adult Faith Frmatin in the United States (NCCB/USCC 1999), in which the bishps admit that despite the cnsistency and clarity f this message [the pririty given t adult catechesis by the GDC], the Cathlic cmmunity has nt yet fully heard and embraced it. While mst Cathlic parishes place a high pririty n the faith frmatin f children and yuth, far fewer treat adult faith frmatin as a pririty. This chice is made in parish staffing decisins, jb descriptins, budgets, and parishiner expectatins. The dcument ges n t say that parishes must take a new, multifaceted apprach t adult frmatin that integrates catechesis in all areas f parish life such as liturgy, family and hme-centered activity, small and large grups and individual activities. Directin prvided by the General Directry fr Catechesis (GDC), in particular, The Christian cmmunity is the rigin, lcus, and gal f catechesis. Prclamatin f the Gspel always begins with the Christian cmmunity and invites [peple] t cnversin and the fllwing f Christ. (GDC, 254) Catechesis is the respnsibility f the entire Christian cmmunity Cntinuing educatin in the faith is a questin which cncerns the whle cmmunity: catechesis, therefre, is an educatinal activity which arises frm the particular respnsibility f every member f the cmmunity The Christian cmmunity fllws the develpment f catechetical prcesses, fr children, yung peple and adults, as a duty that invlves and binds it directly. (GDC, 220) An experience f the Rite f Christian Initiatin as an inspiratin fr all catechesis. Many peple in parishes have experienced the pwerful and psitive effects f the Rite f Christian Initiatin n the entire cmmunity. Thse aspects f the RCIA prcess that particularly resnate include the emphasis n evangelizatin, the centrality f the Sunday Eucharist, the imprtance f small grup faith sharing and the necessary supprt f the entire parish. A sense that parish cmmunities need t lk at ways t crdinate their diverse catechetical prgrams and t prvide a cmmn fcus. "These different prgrams f catechesis, each with its wn sci-cultural variatins, shuld nt be rganized separately as thugh they were 'separate cmpartments withut any cmmunicatin between them.' It is necessary that the catechesis ffered by a particular Church be well crdinated. Amng the diverse frms f catechesis 'their perfect cmplementarity must be fstered.' " (GDC, 275)
The General Characteristics f Whle Cmmunity Catechesis While there currently are several different versins f whle cmmunity catechesis, they share cmmn characteristics: Catechesis is a lifelng prcess that is situated within the prcess f evangelizatin. There is a sense that the current catechetical mdel fcuses primarily n children and sacramental preparatin; that parents and mst ther adult members f the parish tend t be absent frm this prcess; and that Cnfirmatin marks a type f "graduatin" frm any kind f catechesis. Whle cmmunity catechesis stresses the need t evangelize all members f the faith cmmunity, yung and ld, and t prmte lifelng catechesis thrugh a variety f means. The emphasis n evangelizatin is rted in reflectin n the milestne encyclicals, Evangelii Nuntiandi and Catechesi Tradendae. The Sunday Eucharist is the fnt frm which the catechesis f the entire cmmunity flws. Taking their cue frm the RCIA practice f breaking pen the Wrd, prpnents f whle cmmunity catechesis prpse that catechesis fr all parishiners start with (but nt be limited t) the weekly prclamatin f the Wrd f Gd. Grups f varius ages, intergeneratinal assemblies, and individual husehlds, all wuld discuss the meaning f the scriptures read the previus Sunday. The hmily wuld set the tne fr these discussins t take place during the week. Prpnents believe that the quality f hmilies will imprve and that attendance at the Eucharist will increase as peple begin t make the cnnectins between what they hear at Mass, their individual lives, and the shared life f the faith cmmunity. Participatin in lifelng frmatin in faith is viewed as central t Christian identity and t the identity f the parish. Participatin in the lifelng learning prcess with the faith cmmunity is nt ptinal; it is ne f thse fundamental elements f the Christian life. Thus, catechesis is seen nt s much as an array f ptinal parish prgrams, but rather is viewed as integral t all areas f parish life. This means that parish liturgy, events, meetings, classes (in fact the entire life cycle f the parish) are all evangelizing and catechizing mments. There may be special times set aside fr classes r frmal catechesis; hwever, these are nt the sle r even primary vehicles fr catechesis. A cnscius and crdinated effrt is made t prmte learning and faith sharing wherever the faith cmmunity gathers. Whle cmmunity catechesis can nly ccur when cllabratin and crdinatin f ministries is fstered. Whle cmmunity catechesis depends n the cllabratin f leaders in key areas f parish life such as liturgy, Christian Initiatin, adult faith frmatin, yuth ministry, parish cuncil and religius educatin fr children. Nt nly d these leaders need t crdinate their respective ministries t reflect a cmmn visin, they als need t wrk tgether t develp jint catechetical pprtunities. The Pssible Implicatins f Whle Cmmunity Catechesis There are several key implicatins fr parish life and rganizatin when whle cmmunity catechesis is implemented in an intentinal manner. A few f these are:
Parishes will begin t develp a new ecclesial visin. Under the guidance f the pastr, parish cuncils and staffs, a new manner f cllabrative visining and ministry will evlve. Individuals wh have previusly wrked in cmpartmentalized and frequently islated ministries will nw develp a cmmn catechetical plan and cperate n its implementatin. Depending n the individual parish, key peple might include: the pastr, the parish cuncil, catechetical leader, yuth minister, liturgy directr, RCIA crdinatr, human cncerns crdinatr, adult faith frmatin crdinatr and pastral assciates. All f the events and activities that make up the cmmn life f the parish will be seen as catechizing mments. Parishes will mve away frm an exclusively classrm based schlhuse mdel f catechesis t a paradigm that uses the cyclical liturgicalsacramental, scial and family life f the parish as the starting pints fr faith frmatin. Parishes will have t prvide resurces fr individuals and families t apply what they have learned frm prgrams and experienced frm events, t their lives at hme, at schl, at wrk and in the cmmunity. Currently used resurces may nt be sufficient t achieve the gals f whle cmmunity catechesis. Resurces that can be used in an intergeneratinal cntext and that incrprate reflectins n the weekly readings are the standard. The existing curriculum may have t be revised t reflect alignment f learning. One f the key principles f whle cmmunity catechesis is that everyne, regardless f age, will be learning abut, reflecting n, and discussing the same theme at the same time. All f the essential thelgical themes will be addressed in a cycle that draws upn the life f the Church. The whle cmmunity catechesis paradigm will depend n well-frmed and trained lay leadership. This new paradigm will rely n at least several trained leaders wh meet basic thelgical and ministerial cmpetencies. These individuals will need skills in crdinating all f the levels f learning that are invlved. A subset f vlunteers will need t be trained t lead varius aspects f the mdel. Finally, we want t thank yu fr yur supprt f ur cmmunity. Our new Whle Cmmunity Catechesis faith frmatin jurney Living In Faith Everyday (L.I.F.E.), will begin in May 2007. Once this jurney begins, it will never end. L.I.F.E. sessins will be held all year lng nce a mnth in bth English and Spanish fr adults and in English fr all children and yuth. Included with this infrmatin are links t sme additinal imprtant infrmatin: - a list f items t review and participate in while L.I.F.E. cntinues t be planned and implemented and t cntinue after L.I.F.E. begins! - a calendar f dates fr REGISTRATION fr L.I.F.E. as well as all L.I.F.E. sessins fr the remainder f this year (2006-2007). Our gals fr the jurney are simple we want t accmplish what we mentined abve - we want t strengthen and supprt ur husehlds f faith and we want t cntinue t supprt the central identity f ur Cathlic faith the mass. It is at mass that we are
nurished by bth Wrd and Eucharist t be sent ut int the wrld t live ur lives as practicing Cathlics. We want t fster the envirnment f lifelng learning fr everyne in ur parish. We want t live ut the Gspel message in all that we d. As stated in Matthew 25, Jesus clearly gives us the blueprint fr us t live such lives. We are t feed the hungry, clthe the naked, care fr the sick, huse the hmeless and free thse imprisned in darkness, in ther wrds - be Jesus t thers. Jesus als tells us that we are t frgive thers as Gd frgives us. As cmmunity, we gather each Sunday fr mass. It is here that we hear these wrds f Gd prclaimed, ask fr frgiveness and tgether, cme t the cmmunin table t be fed. We then g ut int the wrld f hme, wrk, schl, and cmmunity t lve and serve Gd. These are the actins which make us faithful, practicing Cathlics. L.I.F.E. will include all f this mass, cmmunity prayer, Scripture, utreach and much mre! As American writer and lecturer, Gail Sheehy nce wrte, If we dn t change, we dn t grw. If we dn t grw, we aren t really living. We hpe that yu find this infrmatin regarding the histry f Whle Cmmunity Catechesis, change, and the accmpanying enclsures a surce f light fr ur cntinued jurney. Please knw that it is with great curage and ptimism that we are mving frward in this new directin. It has nt happened vernight, nr has it evlved n a whim. We have been gathering infrmatin, attending wrkshps, asking many questins, and praying with ur clleagues acrss the United States, and reviewing the dcuments f ur Church fr the past five years. We are nw ready t begin this change in ur cmmunity and we hpe that yu will begin t embrace it with us! With the lve and peace f Christ, Eileen Brwn Angy Acsta `ÉÇ vt VÉÄx Eileen Brwn, Angy Acsta, and Mnica Cle eileenebrwn@htmail.cm msangy76@htmail.cm mcle@cmcast.net 275-7962 ext. 13 275-7962 ext. 17 275-7962 ext. 20