V Encuentro Proceedings and Conclusions

Proceedings and Conclusions of the V National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry | 75 true experience of the domestic church—the primary place for evangelization by word and example, and for the transmission of the faith to the next generation; and make sure that personal encounters with Jesus Christ are at the heart of every ministry and gathering. B. FAITH FORMATION AND CATECHESIS The delegates recognized that Hispanic/ Latino parents are struggling to transmit the faith to their children. To assist in that pro- cess, they recommended that the Church should direct its efforts in faith formation to include the whole family, not just the chil- dren. For some, that means providing classes for parents at the same time as the children are receiving instruction. Others suggested that an approach of family-based catechesis should be privileged or strengthened. Another suggestion was to visit the fami- lies and conduct catechetical sessions in the community instead of or in addition to having them on the parish grounds. In any case, they said the key is to strengthen the formation of the parents so that they can more effectively take responsibility for the formation in the faith of their own children. Another common recommendation was to implement formation programs for catechists and lay leaders in every ministry. Too often their preparation is limited to what is contained in the book they are teaching from, and the books/resources do not adequately address the faith questions and the social and cultural context of Hispanics/Latinos. Formation for these leaders should be ongoing and lifelong, with a constant process of learning about the lived reality of the people they serve in the local community. It is also important to recruit and form more bilingual catechists, whether they are teaching primarily in English or Spanish. Being a catechist is a call from God, and it demands a strong commitment to personal preparation, study, and providing a living wit- ness to the faith in word and deed. There is a serious problem in catechesis today because the teaching of the Church is not connecting with a large part of the young generations. A more dynamic approach to catechesis is required, and this means the catechists need to work on their instructional methodology and choose better resources, not just focus on the content of the lesson. Publishers of catechetical resources should include these methodologies in their lesson plans and help diocesan catechetical leaders to incorporate training on instructional tech- niques and strategies into their catechist for- mation programs. The delegates called for a clear emphasis on biblical literacy, perhaps through a lectio divina approach, as well as making sure that catechesis is always rooted in the personal encounter with Jesus Christ. In addition, the materials should be bilingual and adapted to the cultural and social con- text of the Hispanic/Latino community. The delegates admitted that it is a challenge to find ways to overcome the tendency in the community to focus solely on sacramen- tal preparation. Families shop for the parish that offers the easiest path to Baptism, Holy Communion, Confirmation, and Matrimony, with large instructional gaps between sacra- mental celebrations. In addition to the recom- mendations alreadymentioned, another partial solution may be to extend personal invitations to families to continue their faith formation as a lifelong process. It may also help to make catechetical instruction more experiential, Recommendations