Lori Dahlhoff, Ed.D. Executive Director, NCEA Religious Education Department

Presentation for educational use only by Catholic educators in the Diocese of Honolulu. Contact Lori Dahlhoff for permission before posting on another site or before sharing a slide through a social network.

Our Sunday Visitor Curriculum Division provides curriculum and services to catechists and educators so that Catholics of all ages better understand, grow in, and live their faith National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) Rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, NCEA is a professional membership organization that provides leadership, direction, and service to fulfill the evangelizing, catechizing, and teaching mission of the Church Catholic educators and leaders in parishes, dioceses, Catholic schools, seminaries 3

Refresher on formal language of religious education Reflect on Christ as the heart of our service Group activities related to gauging the impact of religious education efforts to reach learners hearts and minds (assessment)

God is always there first 5

Evangelization Sharing the Good News = proclaiming Christ and the Gospel through word and witness of life Three Aspects Non believers New or minimal believers Long-time believers New Evangelization Catechesis Education of children, young people, and adults in the faith of the Church = teaching Christian doctrine in an organic and systematic way to make disciples Aim is touch, communion, intimacy with Jesus Christ Moment in process of Evangelization Two types Initiatory Ongoing 6

Address of Holy Father Francis to participants in the pilgrimage of catechists on the occasion of the Year of Faith and of the International Congress on Catechesis (September 27, 2013)

Being a catechist is not a title, it is an attitude Vocation is to be a catechist So keep this in mind: I didn t say to do the work of catechists, but to be catechists, because this is something that embraces our whole life. It means leading people to encounter Christ by our words and our lives, by giving witness.

Abide in Jesus Christ Imitate Jesus movement of love Go with God to all the ends of the earth

My soul longs for you, God As a deer longs for flowing water.

Being close to Jesus The first thing for a disciple is to be with the Master, to listen to him and to learn from him. 12

Being close to Jesus The first thing for a disciple is to be with the Master, to listen to him and to learn from him. Do you let yourself be looked at by the Lord? 13

My soul longs for you, God As a deer longs for flowing water.

Dynamism of Love: Inward focus on Christ moves you outward to encounter others this is the job of the catechist: constantly to go forth to others out of love, to bear witness to Jesus and to talk about Jesus, to proclaim Jesus. 16

Dynamism of Love: Inward focus on Christ moves you outward to encounter others Is this what causes my heart to beat as a catechist, union with Christ and encounter with others? 17

My soul longs for you, God As a deer longs for flowing water.

God is not afraid! He isn t afraid. He is always bigger than our little way of seeing things! God is not afraid of the outskirts. If you go to the outskirts, you will find him there. 19

Faithful creativity without rigidity A Church, a catechist, with the courage to risk going out, and not a catechist who is studious, knows everything, but is always closed: such a person is not well. 20

Christ is there first But careful! Jesus does not say: Go off and do things on your own. No! Jesus says: Go, for I am with you! This is what is so beautiful for us; it is what guides us. If we go out to bring his Gospel with love, he walks with us, he goes ahead of us, he gets there first. 21

Christ is there first Where are the outskirts your life? Who are the people whose life or choices or beliefs are outside of what accepted by you or the local community? 22

Abide in Jesus Christ Imitate Jesus movement of love Go with God to all the ends of the earth

Dear catechists, I have made my three points. Always start anew from Christ! I thank you for everything that you do, but above all, because you are part of the Church, the pilgrim People of God, and you accompany God s People on that pilgrimage. Let us remain with Christ abiding in Christ and let us always try to be one with him. Let us follow him, let us imitate him in his movement of love, in his going forth to meet humanity. Let us go forth and open doors. Let us have the audacity to mark out new paths for proclaiming the Gospel. 24

Address of Holy Father Francis to participants in the pilgrimage of catechists on the occasion of the Year of Faith and of the International Congress on Catechesis (September 27, 2013)

Being a disciple means being constantly ready to bring the love of Jesus to others, and this can happen unexpectedly and in any place: on the street, in a city square, during work, on a journey. Pope Francis Evangelii Gaudium, no. 127 28

Catechesis Evangelization

Know Love

The Church is bound as a mother to give to these children of hers an education by which their whole life can be imbued with the spirit of Christ and at the same time do all she can to promote for all peoples the complete perfection of the human person, the good of earthly society and the building of a world that is more human. Second Vatican Council, Declaration On Christian Education, Oct 1965

The catechesis of adults is the principal form of catechesis, because it is addressed to persons who have the greatest responsibilities and the capacity to live the Christian message in its fully developed form. On Catechesis In Our Time, no. 43

is to help all participants and their families develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and to live out their Catholic faith in ways that draw others to Christ and the Church. We seek to carry out this mission through catechesis, sacramental preparation, liturgy, and service. from the Diocese of Honolulu Sample Parish Catechetical Handbook for Families

Video accessible online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzviwzghexy

Creation has its own goodness and proper perfection, but it did not spring forth complete from the hands of the Creator. The universe was created in a state of journeying (in statu viae) toward an ultimate perfection yet to be attained, to which God has destined it. We call divine providence the dispositions by which God guides his creation toward this perfection. Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 302 37

The definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch, but also in communion and intimacy, with Jesus Christ. On Catechesis in Our Time, no. 5 38

Who is involved? What are like right now? Who What How can our program work with to make progress? How Where Where do want to go with the help of the parish/organization?

Assessment of Catechesis & Religious Education for School-aged Children Adult Faith Formation Survey 40

Scripture & Catechism of the Catholic Church (Vatican) General Directory for Catechesis (Vatican), National Directory for Catechesis (U.S. Bishops), Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us: A Pastoral Plan for Adult Faith Formation in the United States (U.S. Bishops) and catechetical documentary tradition of the Catholic Church Guidelines of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Documents on Catholic moral tradition and social doctrine

Part 1: Cognitive (facts, concepts, vocabulary) Part 2: Affective (beliefs, attitudes, practices, perceptions)

Taken from General Directory for Catechesis, no. 84-87 / Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us, no.91-96 1. Knowledge of the Faith 2. Liturgical Life 3. Moral Formation 4. Prayer 5. Communal Life 6. Missionary Spirit

Home-based Formation Parish Sunday Liturgy Values: Home-Parish-School-Diocese Comprehensive, Systematic Curriculum (basal text; catechism) Scripture Study Personal Prayer Opportunities for Sharing Gifts Mentoring Community

Who is involved? What are like right now? Who What How can our program work with to make progress? How Where Where do want to go with the help of the parish/organization?

1. See positive intention 2. Shed light, not heat 3. Feelings during and after 4. Show, don t tell 5. Three related points 6. Be positive 7. Be compassionate 8. Check facts 9. Focus on Christ, not self 10. Witness From Catholic Voices USA 47

GOAL 1: To infuse and strengthen a Catholic identity throughout the entire school program. 1.1 Enhance the school s Catholic Christian identity. 1.2 Integrate the school s religious education and formation into the life of the parish. 1.3 Involve parents and guardians in the religious education and formation of their children and themselves. 1.4 Employ the school as an agent of evangelization.

1.3.2 The school will offer support to parents and guardians on issues of religious education in their initial interview and in all subsequent parent meetings. 1.4.1 The school will develop an annual school orientation session for non-catholic parents and guardians to address their questions and concerns, and to offer an overview of Catholic teaching and practice 1.4.2 The school will develop an annual orientation session for non-catholic students. 1.4.3 The school with the Religious Education Department will develop faith inquiry material for students and parents and guardians.

Info about Process/Content NCEA Website: www.ncea.org Our Services NCEA Staff: reled@ncea.org Mickie Abatemarco Lori Dahlhoff 571-257-0023 Ordering & Report Requests Computerized Assessments and Learning, LLC 1202 E. 23rd Street, Suite D Lawrence, KS 66046 866-406-3850 orders@caltesting.org 51

Catechism of the Catholic Church General Directory for Catechesis Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel) Catechesi Tradendae (On Catechesis in Our Time) Second Vatican Council Declaration on Catholic Education

Our Sunday Visitor The Way God Teaches: Catechesis and the Divine Pedagogy Directed toward the human person Incarnational Relational (communal and familial) Structured, systematic, and comprehensive Perpetual

National Association of Parish Catechetical Directors (NPCD/NCEA) www.npcd.org National Parish Religious Education Week November 2-8, 2014 Our Sunday Visitor Parish site https://www.osvparish.com 21 st Century Catholic Evangelization http://www.21stcenturycatholicevangelization.or g/