Dear Fellow Parishioners, What page are we on? Catechism, CCD, Religious Education, Faith Formation, whole Community Catechesis…Lifelong Learning! Those of us who have been involved with our Catholic faith for the past 40 years will recognize the journey we have been making as a Church to impart faith and encourage others to follow Christ. For many years, our efforts were focused on children, a school model that was all about education. We had the Baltimore Catechism for each grade level that focused on questions regarding faith and provided the answers. This pedagogical method had one main draw back-it didn’t teach people to think or gain critical thinking skills.
The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) was the church’s method of educating public school children in the ways of the faith. Many Catholic families in the mid-20th century sent their children to parochial (parish schools). Religious Education led to Faith Formation as the church realized that “Faith is CAUGHT not Taught!” Faith is more than simply transmitting information. Our faith must be lived and a central part of who we are.
Keeping that in mind, for many years here in the Catholic Community of Sacred Heart have been focusing on Whole Community Catechesis. We are lifelong learners and need to continually grow our faith. Our homily series are designed to get us to think about our faith and are intentional. Each week, the homily message is tied into what we are teaching young people so that everyone regardless of age is learning the same thing and we can talk about our faith in our homes. In the context of each of my homilies I give “homework” a question to think about during the week to deepen our relationship with God, the church, and members of our faith community. The questions are for all ages, depending on where we are on the spiritual journey and can be found in the bulletin and on our website under the Message Shapers Corner.
The primary resource for Whole Community Catechesis is weekend Mass; we break open God’s Word and are nourished by the Body of Christ. It is not something we just do; it is who we are! Jesus tells us, “Do this in remembrance of Me!” Then we are to take what we have received and apply it to our daily lives throughout the week, until we regroup the following weekend for further pointers in living out our faith. Households are “the domestic church” - the primary place and source of formation in the ways of the faith. What you talk about at home after Mass is what passes on the faith and beliefs of our faith journey. Hopefully, we are all on the same page! Fr. Bill