The Value of a Catechetical Leader

Posted by on June 13, 2012 | 11 comments

Last week my friend Joyce asked some difficult questions on her blog about parishes cutting back on catechesis in difficult financial situations:

Are we becoming an austerity Church rather than one of abundance?  We seem to be abandoning a theology of Christian hope and retrenching as if we are businesses instead of mission-driven agencies of the Kingdom of God on earth.  Have we forgotten the blessing to the Church that lay ministry provides?  Have we forgotten that the Holy Spirit is in charge?

I don’t have a whole lot to add to Joyce’s excellent post; I’m seeing the same  scenario  play out in my diocese as full-time, degreed DREs retire and are replaced by faithful and well-meaning — but often under-trained — part-time coordinators.

In the Catholic commentariat people will ask why the Church needs full-time DREs and other lay ministers working in parishes. Sometimes the accusation is made that these people are “professional Catholics,”  insinuating  that they are merely in it for the money and don’t really have a heart for Christ.

While that may be true in a few situations, the DREs and other “professionals” I know are hard-working, faith-filled people who have made real sacrifices to work for the Church. And their expertise, training, and education is invaluable. In my experience a full-time trained and educated DRE is much more likely to

  • Have read the Church’s documents  on catechesis and have at least a theoretical understanding of their main points;
  • Put an investment of time and resources into adult faith formation;
  • Offer formation and education opportunities for their parish catechists;
  • If they are responsible for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, to at least be attempting to implement a year-round process as called for by the RCIA;
  • Communicate with the diocesan curia and access the resources (including grant monies) that we offer;
  • Work with other area catechetical leaders;
  • Come to  diocesan  catechetical workshops and conferences.

Do any of those things  guarantee  a successful catechetical program? Not necessarily. But from my experience they certainly increase the odds.

Parishes are facing many pressures today — a lack of giving from parishioners being a notable one. But it would be a shame if, as Joyce said, this results in an  entrenchment  and atrophy of the catechetical and evangelizing mission of the Church. Full-time parish catechetical leaders are worth much more than the salary and benefits we invest in them. And if passing on the faith to the next generation is as important as we say, we need to be willing to put our resources there.

  • http://profiles.google.com/jdonliturgy Joyce Donahue

    Thanks for the “amen”, Jonathan. You added many great details.nnnOne more thing a full-time trained and educated DRE is more likely to do: to focus their own and their catechists’ efforts on evangelizing catechesis that goes beyond the minimum, attempting to draw families into more active participation through relationship with Christ and the community.u00a0nnYou don’t often get that from a semi-volunteer whose primary focus is simply unlocking the doors and putting books and catechists in front of the kids. Ultimately evangelizing people is what is going to increase stewardship of time, talent and treasure and create an engaged parish.

  • http://jenniferfitz.wordpress.com/ Jennifer Fitz

    I see three main challenges:nn1) If the departing professional was not a strong leader, the parish is unlikely to want to invest again in another such.u00a0 nn2) The legacy of weak faith formation over the past thirty years means that few Catholic adults today even know how much of the faith they don’t know.u00a0 nn3) The structures are not in place to cultivate local talent over time. Often the choice is to hire an unknown, untested grad from someplace else, or choose the local who is at least a known quantity with a certain amount of proven life experience and parish loyalty.u00a0 It’s a tough call.nnI’m convinced Joyce is on the right track when she writes, “Parishes also need to provide more, not less adult faith formation.”u00a0 And on that note, I’ll share what I learned from Fr. Don Gorski, a missionary to Zorritos, Peru for many years.u00a0 He said the foundation of evangelization is prayer — and he experienced the results that prove it.nnI have a similar story: After praying several years for stronger adult faith formation, our pastor — an excellent preacher, very learned, very devoted to Christian service and to insisting on faith formation for every child, as well as teaching many excellent adult courses himself — was transferred away.u00a0 I missed him terribly.u00a0 But who came next?u00a0 Not a priest who set up 10,000 adult-ed classes, but one who teaches the sorely needed basics of the faith right from the pulpit, week after week.u00a0 Literally an answer to prayer — a whole parish enrolled in adult faith formation, no cost.nnI know that sounds silly, but I really think it is the foundation of a renewal for us.u00a0 (Though his former parishioners are cursing us in our luck!)u00a0

  • http://www.jonathanfsullivan.com/ Jonathan F. Sullivan

    Great point, Joyce. I think most volunteers don’t feel empowered to do u00a0more than open the doors and order textbooks, which is too bad — catechesis and evangelization is everyone’s responsibility!

  • http://www.jonathanfsullivan.com/ Jonathan F. Sullivan

    Great points, Jennifer — I especially like #3. We’re even seeing this lack of succession planning in Catholic schools. We estimate than 40+% of our principals will be retiring in the next five years, and they aren’t planning for who will come after them!

  • http://jenniferfitz.wordpress.com/ Jennifer Fitz

    It’s a real challenge in any flat organization.u00a0 There’s not work for a new college grad in a small or medium parish, because you need someone with experience and maturity to manage the volunteers, choose curriculum, etc.u00a0 And few volunteers can be expected to seek out graduate training in catechetical administration, on the off chance their private life, professional life, and the parish needs all suddenly match up and they’re ready to go pro just when the current DRE retires.nnMore funny stories: We did have a local parish luck into an experienced, well-trained DRE when they needed one — they stole ours!u00a0 And then we brought back into service a retired professional educator, mom of nine, and lifelong Catholic with a Catholic college education.u00a0 But you can’t replicate luck :-) .

  • http://marccardaronella.com Marc Cardaronella

    Great post Jonathan. I was thinking of writing something on this as well. It’s a disturbing trend that I hope doesn’t continue. I find that it’s indicative of a lack of vision on the mission of the Church and what we need to do to make things better.u00a0

  • http://catechesisinthethirdmillennium.wordpress.com/ William O’Leary

    Jonathan, this is a wonderful post.u00a0 It’s hard for me to think anyone in “professional” ministry could be accused of being in it for the money.u00a0 I love Joyce’s follow up comment above when she said:u00a0 “Ultimately evangelizing people is what is going to increase stewardship nof time, talent and treasure and create an engaged parish.”u00a0 That is so true.u00a0 I also like Jennifer’s point that prayer is a key part it it all.u00a0 The value of prayer cannot be understated.u00a0 I think we shortchange our parishioners when we settle for less and hire a willing part-time volunteer.u00a0u00a0 May the Holy Spirit continue to guide us!!!

  • http://marccardaronella.com Marc Cardaronella

    Yes! Exactly the point! Semi-volunteers aren’t empowered to do any more than the minimumu00a0because the pastor doesn’t trust them. They don’t have the experience or the background necessary to create programs and really innovate. Then, all that falls to him and he doesn’t have the time. So guess what? It doesn’t get done. Pastors think they’ll be able to do more than they can…don’t we all? But the reality is a lot of stuff just doesn’t get done, and it’s the parishioners who languishu00a0because of it.u00a0

  • http://www.jonathanfsullivan.com/ Jonathan F. Sullivan

    Thanks, William. I’ve harped on this before, but it is true: our budgets tell us where our real priorities are, and if we aren’t resourcing evangelization and catechesis, what we’re saying is that it isn’t a priority for us. I can’t believe we are really willing to say that as a Church!

  • http://www.jonathanfsullivan.com/ Jonathan F. Sullivan

    Thank you, Marc. I hope you do write about it — I’d love to hear the perspective from the parish level!

  • Christian LeBlanc

    Wow. My parish is so swell in regard to All Things Catechetical, I see that I’m quite spoiled.