A few weeks ago I was flipping through the Confraternity Teacher’s Guide: A Textbook for the Training of Teachers in CCD Schools of Religion (written by the Very Rev. Joseph B. Collins, SS, in 1960) and came across this quote in a section on audio-visual aids:

The catechist will find that catechetical material in filmstrips, both black and white and in color, is steadily increasing in volume. He will find satisfactory filmstrips which correlate with courses of study and with the catechism. The entire field of Christian doctrine, Bible and Church history, life of Christ, and the lives of the saints are adequately covered in a large number of catechetical filmstrips. The number of catechetical subjects available on sound motion-picture film is comparatively limited. The teaching value of the silent movie is greatly reduced by the fact that today pupils are accustomed to sound movies. (emphasis mine)

This got me thinking: what technologies are youth in our catechetical programs accustomed to today? And what technologies or methods are we using that may turn them off as quaint and antiquated?

This video may be one clue:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXV-yaFmQNk

This is the fourth post in a series on the theological connections between the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and catechesis in the Catholic Church. Previous posts gave an overview of the series, explored the characteristics of the RCIA, and addressed the precatechumenate.

Theological Underpinnings

The second period of the RCIA is the catechumenate. This is the period most familiar to the average Catholic, due to the dismissal of catechumens that occurs after the Liturgy of the Word during Mass. Like the precatechumenate, there is no definite time frame for this period. While bishops can establish the duration of the catechumenate, it “should be long enough — several years if necessary — for the conversaion and faith of the catechumens to become strong.” (n. 77)

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults states that the catechumenate “is an extended period during which the candidates are given suitable pastoral formation and guidance, aimed at training them in the Christian life.” (n. 75) This formation has four components:

1. Catechumens should receive ”a suitable catechesis… planned to be gradual and complete… accomodated to the liturgical year, and solidly supported by celebrations of the word.”
2. “[T]he catechumens learn to turn more readily to God in prayer, to bear witness to the faith… to follow supernatural inspiration in their deeds, and to practice love of neighbor.”
3. The Church provides “suitable liturgical rites” to “help the catechumens on their journey.”
4. “[C]atechumens should also learn how to work actively with others to spread the Gospel and build up the Church.”

Practical Applications

This period has the most direct implications for the Church’s catechetical ministry and there is a lot to unpack from these few paragraphs.

First, it is important to note that catechesis is not a “quick fix”; it takes time to be formed in the faith. There maybe circumstances in which children or adults need to be “brought up to speed” (for instance, when a child is brought forth for First Communion without adequate catechetical preparation), but it should be understood that, once the need for expediency is passed, that the individual will enter a process of formation that will complete what is lacking. There are no shortcuts to the faith that leads to conversion.

Second, while it make be tempting to focus solely on doctrine, the teachings of the faith are only a quarter of the content of catechesis. Equally important are formation in prayer, liturgy, and the apostolic work of the Church. (This idea is not limited to the RCIA; consider the four pillars of the Catechism.) Ideally these four should not be mutually exclusive but should be approached in such as a way as to highlight the integral nature of the faith, for they cannot be understood independently of each other.

Finally, this period reminds us that catechesis is not an end unto itself; it is an ongoing process of preparation for our ultimate destiny, communion with God. While memorizing the Church’s doctrine or mastering the Catechism is laudable, if it doesn’t lead us to faith the words are nothing more than “a loud gong or a clashing cymbal.” (1 Cor 13:1)

Original photo by PiLoTiTo/flickrCC

Susan Cain’s Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking (which I reviewed on Monday) got me thinking about how we accommodate introverts in our catechetical programs. Many school activities and pedagogical methods, such as group work or presentations, are designed for extroverts. This is also true for many catechetical and faith formation programs. (Think of the typical small faith community or Bible study, which expects conversation, interaction, and the sharing of one’s personal faith.) With so many youth religious education programs working off a school model, we need to be careful that we allow room for introverts (who make up roughly 30% of the population) to explore and learn through their own particular gifts as well.

Cain includes a whole chapter in her book for parents and educators on cultivating the particular gifts of introverted children; many of her suggestions are easily applicable to catechesis of children or adults.

• Don’t force introverts to act like extroverts. Just because the “shy” child in your class keeps his head in the book and rarely answers questions aloud doesn’t mean he isn’t learning or absorbing the material. Allow introverted students to interact and talk at their own comfort level; forcing them may only increase their anxiety. If you do group work, try to keep the groups small (pairs or threes is good).
• Try to seat introverts in low-distraction areas. This may mean keeping them away from the talkative kids or the class clown, who will only serve to distract introverts.
• Be sensitive when taking students into unfamiliar situations. Be attentive to your students’ comfort levels when taking them on field trips or mission activities; some may feel awkward or nervous in new or overstimulating situations. As Cain writes, “The key is to expose [him] gradually to new situations and people — taking care to respect his limits, even when they seem extreme. This produces more-confident kids than either overprotection or pushing too hard. Let him know that his feelings are normal and natural, but, also that there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
• Use introverts’ interests to make a connection. Many introverts are passionate about a few things. It may be music or science fiction or dancing, but it’s their thing. Praise them for these interests and try to use them in your curriculum to help your students make connections with the material. For instance, if you have an introvert who plays an instrument, have them play a hymn connected to Sunday’s readings.
• Allow space for introverts to explore spirituality from their perspective. In the book Cain talks about going to a weekend designed for introverts — no expectation of chit-chat at dinner, lots of time for reflection and journaling, and minimal personal sharing with others. How many parishes do you know that offer a silent retreat or personal retreat experience? I’ll bet not many! Yet introverts may not be comfortable in the group participation/small group model that many retreats work from. Similarly, introverted teens may not be comfortable in a LifeTeen or similar setting. Don’t assume that everyone belongs in a “one size fits all” ministry; remember the particular needs of introverts when planning retreats and other formation experiences.

Have you ever had to respond to an introvert’s needs in your catechetical program? How did you handle it?

This is the third in a series of posts on the RCIA’s implications for catechesis in our schools and parishes. The first two posts were an overview of this series and a brief look at the characteristics of the RCIA.

Theological Underpinnings

According to the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, during the Period of Evangelization and Precatechumenate “faithfully and constantly the living God is proclaimed and Jesus Christ whom he has sent for the salvation of all.” (n. 36) The goal of this period is to bring about “the first stirrings of repentance, a start to the practice of… prayer, a sense of the Church, and some experience of the company and spirit of Christians.” (n. 42)

Interestingly it does not say that these things must be complete before acceptance into the catechumenate proper; this is the beginning of a process through which the candidates will progress. It stands to reason, then, that individual candidates may move at different paces and be at different points on the journey. There is no “one size fits all” approach; individuals move at their own pace on their own time.

(Incidentally, this is why the rite insists on a year-round process; candidates should be free to join when the Spirit prompts, not on an artificial timetable that suits the parish’s calendar.)

Practical Applications

At first glance this period of the RCIA may seem disconnected from catechesis. With a focus on the evangelization of non-Christians and little to say on the subject of doctrinal instruction, it certainly doesn’t fit the typical catechetical model. On the other hand, it reminds us of the kerygmatic nature of catechesis: all teaching starts with the good news that God became one of us and died for our sins. If we aren’t drawing people deeper into this mystery, then out catechesis isn’t complete.

It’s also important to note that, while the participants in our catechetical programs (and I’m speaking of both youth and adult programs) will overwhelmingly be made up of baptized Catholics who have made their First Communion and most likely their Confirmation, many may functionally be on the level of the precatechumenate: little knowledge of the faith and little participation in the life of the Church. From that stand point, introducing Catholics with low participation to those who are more active in their faith may encourage the former.

Similarly, we must do our best not to discourage, embarrass, or harangue Catholics who struggle with participation or with specific Church teachings. As this period reminds us, conversion is a process. Rather than pushing “bad Catholics” out the door we should encourage them to further explore the truths of the Church and walk with them on their journey of conversion.

Photo by coba/flickrCC

5 years may not seem like a long time, but in blog years, I guess that’s ancient! Back in 2006, when I was asked to begin a blog (to accompany the release of my book The Catechist’s Toolbox), my first reaction was, “What’s a blog?” I had heard of blogs but was not at the time following any. Now, 5 years later, I have written over 1200 posts! I guess I learned what a blog is after all.

If I’ve learned anything over the past 5 years of writing Catechist’s Journey, it is that catechists are incredibly dedicated and creative but are in need of support. Over the years, I have received countless emails from catechists who find themselves struggling as they attempt to transmit the Good News to a new generation. Just recently, I received the following email from a catechist looking for help:

I am a new Catechist as of this year. I teach an 8th grade class and my biggest problem is getting the kids to pay attention and show some interest in the subject matter. About half of the 8th grade book is about Church history. My problem with just following the book is that reading bores the kids. They don’t pay attention, they talk, they pull out their phones and text when I am not looking, etc. I need help!

I make a habit of replying personally to every email such as this that I receive, offering whatever suggestions and insights I can to help them turn the corner. One might ask, “Where are their catechetical leaders and why aren’t they helping their catechists?” The fact is, many of our catechetical leaders are struggling as well. In too many parishes, pastors seeking to cut costs have let their professional catechetical leaders go in favor of volunteers or program secretaries who know how to order text books and make class lists but have little or no training in forming catechists which is a critical responsibility of the DRE. I have spent almost as much time responding to emails from novice catechetical leaders as I have novice catechists.

Suffice to say, the catechetical ministry needs all the support it can get. If my blog, Catechist’s Journey, and the various Webinars I have offered over these past 5 years have in some small way contributed to the care, nurturing, and support of catechists and catechetical ministers, I am indeed grateful. Let’s pray that the Church continues to find ways to support all those in the catechetical ministry. We owe it to them!

Joe Paprocki, D.Min., is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press in Chicago. He has over 25 years of experience in pastoral ministry in the Archdiocese of Chicago. Joe is the author of numerous books on pastoral ministry and catechesis, including the best-selling The Catechist’s Toolbox  and A Well-Built Faith. Joe recently received his doctor of ministry degree from the University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein, IL. Joe serves as an 8th grade catechist and blogs about the experience at Catechist’s Journey. He and his wife, Joanne, and their two grown children live in Evergreen Park, IL.

Theological Underpinnings

The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is the “source of inspiration for all catechesis.” (National Directory for Catechesis no. 35D) If we take this statement seriously, then a solid understanding of the RCIA should be part of every catechetical leader’s toolbox. So just what are some of the salient characteristics of the RCIA?

From the very beginning of the RCIA text the Church affirms that the RCIA is “a gradual process that takes place within the community of the faithful” and that is “suited to the spiritual journey of adults.” (RCIA, no. 4,5) At the same time this process “varies according to the many forms of God’s grace, the free cooperation of the individuals, the action of the Church, and the circumstances of time and place” while bearing “a markedly paschal character.” (RCIA nos. 5,8)

Although facilitated by various ministries and offices, “the initiation of adults is the responsibility of all the baptized. Therefore the community must always be fully prepared in the pursuit of its apostolic vocation to give help to those who are searching for Christ.” (RCIA, no. 9)

Practical Applications

So what are the implications for catechesis in general?

First we must keep in mind that, like initiation, catechesis is a process that unfolds over time — in fact, it lasts a lifetime! Catechesis isn’t just something that we do for children or youth. Rather, it should permeate the life of the Church. Catechesis draws us into a deeper relationship with Christ and his Church. It is never merely a question of “learning the book” (although book learning may be involved) because we can never plumb the depths of the mysteries of the faith.

This process of catechesis will also vary from person to person. Each person comes to the Church and to God with their own questions, their own longings, and their own needs. There may be common themes, but we can never assume that every adult in the parish is in need of the same formation in the faith. While this should be self-evident, the fact that many parishes run a one-size-fits-all program for adult faith formation would seem to indicate that we’ve lost site of this fact.

The Church, then, should offer opportunities for faith formation across age groups and for different types of people. But that doesn’t mean the parishes needs to be all things to all people. Rather, the pastor and catechetical leaders should have a clear understanding of the demographics of the parishioners. A parish made up primarily of elderly and retired parishioners will need a very different program of catechesis than one that has a large population of young families or large numbers of new immigrants. Understanding who is “in the pews” should be the first step before making decisions about catechesis.

Since catechesis is “the responsibility of all the baptized,” the Church should also seek to invite members of the community to assist and lead portions of the catechetical program. This includes DREs, CREs, and youth catechists, or course, but it could also mean asking “average” Catholics to share their faith stories with others or talk about their understanding of certain doctrines and practices. Imagine, for instance, asking a nurse who works with the dying to talk about their understanding of the Paschal Mystery, or the mother of a priest to talk about her understanding of vocation.

Finally, the catechesis offered should always draw the faithful into a deeper understanding of the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ. The Paschal Mystery stands at the center of our faith; it informs our prayers, our teachings, our sacraments, our apostolates — everything! No catechesis is complete if it doesn’t touch these foundational elements of our faith.

I hope this has stimulated some thoughts on how the RCIA can inspire catechesis in our parishes. I’ll expound on some of these characteristics in future posts as we examine the four stages of the RCIA, beginning with the pre-catechumenate.

For those of us in the catechetical ministry there is real value in having a working knowledge of the RCIA. Two years ago I was blessed to participate in a Beginnings Plus workshop put on by the North American Forum on the Catechumenate, which challenged my preconceptions about what catechesis is and how it is done. More recently my diocesan department (which consists of seven different offices) engaged in some shared study on the four periods of the RCIA and their implications for our work.

Unfortunately, in many parishes and dioceses the structure in place for catechesis is removed from the structure for initiation and catechists are not familiar with the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). This is a shame because the two are so closely related and, as the GDC intimates, the Church’s understanding of all catechesis is heavily informed by her understanding of the baptismal catechumenate.

Starting next week, over the course of four or five posts, I will share some reflections based on those experiences. Looking at the individual periods of the RCIA, I will draw out some themes for catechesis in general. I hope that you will add your own thoughts so that this can be a conversation rather than a lecture. (And if you are a catechetical leader and don’t have a copy of the RCIA — get one!)

Photo by CameliaTWU/flickrCC

A prospective parent called the school to get information about enrolling their child. During the course of the conversation the woman said that she wanted “a good private education” for her child. The secretary (God bless her!) replied that they have “a very good Catholic school.” Undeterred, the mother reiterated again: “Well, I just want a good private education for my child.”

Somewhere along the way people have got the idea that Catholic education is private education. This is, I believe, a dangerous misconception, for it implies two things which go against the nature and purpose of a Catholic school.

1. Catholic schools are non-exclusive.

Private schools are by their very nature exclusive; some people are allowed in, others are not, usually on the basis of some sort application process. This is not to say that they don’t value diversity or offer scholarships to students who cannot afford the tuition, but the assumption is that students have to earn their way into the school.

Catholic schools, on the other hand, welcome all. At their best, Catholic schools reflect the communities in which they are situated. This includes race, ethnicity, special educational needs, and socio-economic status. Tuition must be paid, of course, but I have seen Catholic schools bend over backwards to provide scholarships for students who could not otherwise afford to go to the school.

This committment is even reflected in educational policies. In our own diocese we have an unfortunate history of racism (including some so-called “sundown towns”) which actually led the diocese to enact a policy forbidding parents from using Catholic schools as a means of de facto segregation. The focus for the Catholic school should be on inclusion whenever possible, and avoiding an air of privilege or partiality.

2. Catholic schools are focused on discipleship, not matriculation.

Catholic schools, like many private schools, have a reputation for academic excellence — and rightly so! Students from these schools have higher rates of college attendance and higher SAT scores than students from public schools.

Yet, for Catholic schools, this isn’t (or at least shouldn’t be) the main focus. The main focus is on creating disciples for Christ. Catholic schools are a tool for evangelization and catechiesis, not an alternative means of secular education. Catholic schools prepare students to live as Christians in a world that, too often, is ambivalent or hostile to faith. This means that, before anything else, schools must encourage their students to build habits of virtue, participation in the faith, and prayer if their faith is to survive after leaving school.

Education in history, science, math, and the like are a part of that preparation, but only with an eye towards a lived faith. Indeed, this focus should be so unrelenting that, if things were to get drastic enough, I would rather see Catholic schools toss out math and reading than their religious curriculum!

If Catholic schools are to survive into the 21st century, they must be clear on who they serve and what they seek to accomplish. Allowing a perception of “private” education to creep into the public’s perception of our identity is, I believe, counterproductive to our survival and our goal.

photo by mertala/FlickrCC

Earlier this month we had our first diocesan board of education meeting of the year. In the course of the meeting we split into groups to discuss various issues affecting catechesis and education in our diocese; I sat with the Catholic Identity group. A good portion of our conversation centered on parents and helping them claim their role as the primary catechists of their children — which led, naturally, to the question of why parents aren’t comfortable catechizing their children.

A Catholic school teacher in our group offered an explanation that I had not considered before: that, due to many of the changes since the Second Vatican Council, many parents no longer feel like they know the “correct version” of the content of the faith anymore. The example she gave was prayer: many of the prayers we say now have so many variants that parents fear teaching them to their children in case they wind up teaching them the “wrong version.” This is exacerbated if their Catholic school or PSR program tests children on the prayers.

While the idea of giving tests based on the “correct” version of a prayer baffles me (do we really need to worry about whether kids are using “thou” or “you” in the Hail Mary?!) the unease it may generate for parents is understandable. Are parents who learned the Rosary before 2002 going to be comfortable teaching the Luminous Mysteries to their children? Will converts bristle when catechists don’t teach the doxology to the Our Father? Will parents want to teach their children the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel if the version used in the parish is different from the version they learned as children?

(That last one actually became an issue in our diocese when our bishop authorized parishes to pray the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel after Mass. Many people found themselves re-learning the prayer when the pew card distributed to parishes used a different translation than the one they had learned!)

Of course, prayers are just one example. Because of the sheer number of catechetical texts and curriculum out there, it sometimes seems like we’ve lost a common language of faith; words or phrases once commonly known and taught are now considered “old fashioned” or relegated to certain circles within the Church. As a result, parents may not even recognize definitions in catechetical texts! How can we expect them to participate in the catechesis of their children with such shifting sands beneath them?

For our diocese, as part of our develop of religion curriculum guidelines for schools and PSRs, we will be developing resources for parents to help them understand what materials will be covered each year, what prayers, Bible stories, and doctrines will be covered, and how they can help their children (and maybe themselves!) to practice the faith and make it their own. Hopefully this will help us to re-integrate the language and embolden parents to reclaim their role as catechists to their children — even if we don’t all say our prayers exactly the same.

Our diocese had our fourth day of regional workshops on the Roman Missal, third edition yesterday. We offer an afternoon and an evening session, each 3-hours long, covering some basics of good liturgy, the reasons for and some examples of the changes we’ll see on the Firth Sunday of Advent, and a packet of resources for implementing the changes.

Our last two workshop are next Tuesday, and after they’re done I really want to sit and analyze what we did right with this workshop. The afternoon session is for Catholic school teachers — usually a very tough audience. But so far, with some minor exceptions, this is the most engaged I’ve seen the teachers on a catechetical topic.

I’m not sure why that’s so; part of it may be that we’re giving them materials they can take back and use in the classroom (something they’ve been asking for for years), but I think the fact that we’ve divided up the workshop into smaller subsections — none longer than 30 minutes, some as short as 5 minutes — helps to make the presentations feel snappier. We’ve also added a variety of short video clips (from ICEL’s Become One Body, One Spirit in Christ DVD, a great resource), multiple presenters (participants hear from 5 different people), and we purchased a portable PA system so that we don’t have to rely on spotty systems in gyms and parish halls.

I suspect that it’s a combination of all these factors that have made the workshops a success. Of course, the real proof will be how parishes use the materials and prepare people for the new language of the Mass we’ll be using in two months!