Catechesis

The Ministry of Catechesis

Quite early on, the name catechesis was given to the totality of the Church's efforts to make disciples, to help people 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 (Catechism of the Catholic Church no. 4).

The ministry of catechesis helps adolescents develop a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and the Christian community, and increase their knowledge of the core content of the Catholic faith. The ministry of Catechesis also helps young people enrich and expand their understanding of the Scriptures and the sacred tradition and their application to life today, and live more faithfully as disciples of Jesus Christ in their daily lives, especially through a life of prayer, justice, and loving service. Genuine faith is a total response of the whole person—mind, heart, and will. The ministry of catechesis fosters growth in Catholic faith in all three dimensions—trusting (heart), knowing and believing (mind), and doing (will). The goal should be to have all Catholic youth involved in some program of catechesis.

The ministry of catechesis with adolescents has several distinct features that give direction to catechetical programming. Specifically, catechesis with adolescents

  • recognizes that faith development is lifelong and therefore provides developmentally appropriate content and processes around key themes of the Catholic faith that are responsive to the age-appropriate needs, interests, and concerns of young and older adolescents;
     
  • teaches the core content of the Catholic faith as presented in the Catechism of the Catholic Church—the profession of faith, celebration of the Christian mystery, life in Christ, and Christian prayer—in order to provide a solid foundation for continued growth in faith;
     
  • integrates knowledge of the Catholic faith with the development of practical skills for living the Catholic faith in today's world;
     
  • utilizes the life experience of adolescents, fostering a shared dialogue between the life of the adolescent—with its joys, struggles, questions, concerns, and hopes—and the wisdom of the Catholic faith;
     
  • engages adolescents in the learning process by incorporating a variety of learning methods and activities through which adolescents can explore and learn important religious concepts of the Scriptures and Catholic faith. A variety of learning approaches keeps interest alive among adolescents and responds to their different learning styles;
     
  • involves group participation in an environment that is characterized by warmth, trust, acceptance, and care, so that young people can hear and respond to God's call (This fosters the freedom to search and question, to express one's own point of view, and to respond in faith to that call.);
     
  • provides for real-life application of learning by helping adolescents apply their learning to living more faithfully as Catholic adolescents—considering the next steps that they will take and the obstacles that they will face;
     
  • promotes family faith development through parish and school programs by providing parent education programs and resources, by incorporating a family perspective in catechetical programming, and by providing parent-adolescent and intergenerational catechetical programming;
     
  • recognizes and celebrates multicultural diversity by including stories, songs, dances, feasts, values, rituals, saints, and heroes from the rich heritage of various cultures;
     
  • incorporates a variety of program approaches including parish and school programs; small-group programs; home-based programs, activities, and resources; one-on-one and mentoring programs; and independent or self-directed programs or activities;
     
  • explicitly invites young people to explore the possibility of a personal call to ministry and the beauty of the total gift of self for the sake of the kingdom.

The ministry of catechesis most effectively promotes the faith development of young and older adolescents when the curriculum is focused on important faith themes drawn from the teachings of the Church and on the developmental needs and life experiences of adolescents. The following faith themes have demonstrated their significance within the context of lifelong faith development and learning. Their selection is designed to "shed the light of the Christian message on the realities which have great impact on the adolescent" (GCD 84). This framework, organized around the four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, is offered as the basis of developing a catechetical curriculum for younger and older adolescents. Additional faith themes may need to be included to address local needs. 10


Faith Themes for Young Adolescents

The Profession of Faith

  • Catholic Beliefs—understanding the Creed and the core beliefs of the Catholic faith.
  • Holy Trinity—introduction to God's unique self-revelation as three in one and some implications for living Christian faith and spiritual life.
  • Jesus Christ—exploring the meaning of the Incarnation, the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection, and the call to discipleship.
  • Church—understanding the origins of the Church in Jesus Christ and understanding and experiencing the history of the Church and its mission.

The Sacraments of Faith

  • Sacraments—understanding the role of the sacraments in the Christian life and experiencing the Church's celebration of the sacraments.
  • The Church—understanding the reason for and beauty of the Church; identifying the necessity of the Church for our salvation.
  • Church Year—understanding the meaning of the liturgical seasons of the Church year and the scriptural teachings presented through the Lectionary.

The Life of Faith

  • Life in the Spirit—understanding how the Spirit dwells in our midst in a new way since Pentecost and understanding that God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
  • The Dignity of the Human Person—recognizing the divine image present in every human person.
  • Morality and Living a Virtuous Life—incorporating Catholic moral principles and virtues into one's life and moral decision making.
  • Personal Growth—discerning the Spirit at work in their lives and incorporating the Catholic vision of life into personal identity.
  • Relationships—developing and maintaining relationships based on Catholic values and the meaning of Christian community.
  • Sexuality—understanding the Church's teaching on sexual morality, understanding the Church's positive view of sexuality as a gift from God, and understanding the importance of valuing chastity and sexual restraint.
  • Social Justice and Service—understanding the importance of respecting the rights and responsibilities of the human person, appreciating our call to be stewards of creation, and discovering and living Jesus' call to a life of loving service.
  • Grace as Gift—recognizing God's indwelling spirit in our lives and responding to this gift, which justifies and sanctifies us through God's law. 
  • Lifestyles and Vocation—discerning how to live the Christian vocation in the world, in the workplace, and in marriage, single life, ministerial priesthood, permanent diaconate, or consecrated life.

Prayer in the Life of Faith

  • Christian Prayer—understanding and experiencing the many forms of prayer in the Church—especially prayer through the church year—and the importance of the "Our Father" in Christian prayer.

Faith Themes for Older Adolescents

The Profession of Faith

  • Jesus Christ—discovering the meaning of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and what this means for living in Christ's spirit today.
  • The Mystery of the Trinity—understanding and experiencing the triune God.
  • Revelation—understanding the revelation of sacred scripture and sacred tradition.
  • Old Testament—developing the knowledge and tools to read the Old Testament and to understand its meaning and challenge for us today.
  • The Gospels—developing the knowledge and tools to read the Gospels and understand their meaning and challenge for us today.
  • Paul and His Letters—developing the knowledge and tools to read Paul's letters and to understand their meaning and challenge for us today.
  • Faith and Identity—exploring Catholic beliefs and what it means to live as a Catholic today.

The Sacraments of Faith

  • Sacraments of Initiation, Healing, and at the Service of Communion—understanding the sacraments and how they are both personal and ecclesial, evoking a response from each of us.
  • Worship—developing an understanding and skills for participating in the sacramental life of the Church, especially the eucharist.

The Life of Faith

  • Catholic Morality—applying Catholic moral teachings to contemporary life situations as one encounters the many complexities in our world.
  • Conscience, Virtue, and Sin—understanding and uncovering the desire to turn toward God and to do good and to act in accordance with God's grace, understanding the meaning and impact of sin, and learning to make decisions in accordance with one's rightly formed conscience.
  • Justice and Peace—understanding that the Catholic faith calls people to work for justice, to pursue peace, and to defend human dignity, and developing skills to act for justice, peace, and human dignity.
  • Lifestyles and Vocation—discerning how to live the Christian vocation in the world, in the workplace, and in marriage, single life, ministerial priesthood, permanent diaconate, or consecrated life.

Prayer in the Life of Faith

  • Christian Prayer—understanding and experiencing the variety of Christian prayer traditions and discovering and responding to the Spirit's personal invitation to develop a personal prayer life.

Table of Contents for Renewing the Vision
 

Part One: The Growth and Development of the Church's Ministry with Adolescents

Part Two: Goals for Ministry with Adolescents

Part Three: Themes and Components for a Comprehensive Ministry with Adolescents

Part Four: A Guiding Image for Ministry with Adolescents

Notes