Adolescent Catechesis: Everywhere, Anywhere! Ela Milewska ElaM@NFCYM.org Laity, Family, Marriage, and Youth Evangelization and Catechesis Cultural Diversity in the Church Catechesis 1
National Initiative on Adolescent Catechesis seeks to: create a new paradigm for how the church forms the faith of young people for discipleship. assist parishes and schools across the country in assessing, re thinking, and changing their methods and structures in light of the Initiative outcomes. Finish the Sentence One gift that teenagers bring the church is An issue of faith that young people struggle with Adolescent catechesis is hard Snapshot of Today s Teens Connected Dreaming Vulnerable Catechesis 2
Rise of the None s 32% Of 18-29 Year Olds identify themselves as unaffiliated with any religion Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life U.S. Catholic Population Snapshot CARA 2010 I left at 28. I am leaving I left in 18. I left at 14. now. I left at 26. I left at 20. I left at 35. I left at 16. I left at 17. Catechesis 3
69% of her generation will be confirmed 91% of her generation were confirmed 79% of her generation were confirmed CARA, 2008 The Church has all that is needed to feed this hunger Catechesis 4
religious faith and practice themselves exert significant, positive, direct, and indirect influences on the lives of teenagers, helping to foster healthier, more engaged adolescents who live more constructive and promising lives. Soul Searching, 263 The greater the availability of religiously based relationships, activities, programs, opportunities and challenges for teenagers the more likely teenagers are to be religiously engaged and invested. Soul Searching, 270 Be Creative! Don t waste inspiration! Salman Kahn Catechesis 5
Quite early on, the name catechesis was given to the totality of the Church s efforts to make disciples, to help men believe that Jesus is the Son of God so that believing they might have life in his name, and to educate and instruct them in this life, thus building up the body of Christ. CCC 4 Catechesis Embrace a New Vision! Catechesis 6
Engage Partners Experiment and Evaluate The Choir Catechesis 7
Service and Justice Activities Preparing On the way there On the way back Life and dignity of the human person Call to family, community, and participation Rights and responsibilities Option for the poor and Vulnerable Dignity of work and rights of the worker Solidarity Care for God s creation The single most important influence on the religious and spiritual lives of adolescents is their parents. Soul Searching: The Religious and Spiritual Lives of American Teenagers, 261 Catechesis 8
Connecting them to what is happening at church. Flipped Classroom Catechesis 9
And then what? Discuss Dig deeper Project Team work Catechesis 10
Middle of the Pew Youth Choir Walk through the liturgy Entering the space Holy Water and Baptism Blessing People of God Music and praise Penance and so on Columbian Squires Church *1 Rosary devotion: (a) recite the four categories of Mysteries of the Rosary; (b) pray the Rosary alone *2 Know the Holy Days of Obligation, the requirements to receive communion and the rules for fasting and abstinence during Lent *3 Learn about and describe the life of the patron saint after whom you were named *4 Say a prayer of intercession to Father McGivney and pray for his canonization 5 Take a guided tour of the rectory/parish office to learn what is done there 6 Take a guided tour of the church, including the altar, tabernacle, sacristy and pulpit 7 Attend a meeting in which a guest speaker talks about some aspect of Church history 8 Attend Mass with your Squires circle 9 Elective Catechesis 11
Catholic Scouting Women: Mary, the First Disciple Religious Recognition The Spirit Alive Religious Recognition Men: Ad Altare Dei Emblem Pope Pius Emblem Sports St. John the Baptist, Napa, CA St. Anthony Lost and Found Award St. Jerome Translation Award St. Vincent de Paul Assist Award St. Paul Conversion Award Out liers Catechesis 12
Catechesis 13
Share What idea/thought are you taking away today? What resources or people do you need to make it happen? Catechesis clarifies the church s understanding of who God is; shapes our ability to participate in the Christian community; provides the means for discerning our call as disciples and for claiming our hope in God s future. Catechesis, therefore, gives teenagers cultural tools that stake up young faith, improve teenagers exposure to the Son and therefore the likelihood that their faith will mature and bear fruit. Dean, Kenda Creasy, Almost Christian Catechesis 14
Resources USCCB Justice, Peace and Human Development Resource Page; Searchable Catechism of the Catholic Church Flipped Classrooms Salman Kahn TED presentation flippedclassroom.org Videos OutsideDaBox.org BustedHalo.org Scouting National Catholic Committee on [Boy] Scouting (nccs bsa.org) National Catholic Committee for Girl Scouts and Campfire (nccgscf.org) Sports National CYO Sports (ncyos.org) Other Our Sunday Visitor (Catholic Dictionary) St. Mary s Press (Times of Tragedy) Ave Mary Press (Papal Conclave) Ela Milewska Project Coordinator ElaM@NFCYM.org AdolescentCatechesis.org Catechesis 15