From the Pastor........
Today the Church celebrates Catechetical Sunday with the theme: “Living as Missionary Disciples”. Those who the have been designated to serve as catechists will be called forth to be commissioned for their ministry. “Living as Missionary Disciples” is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to reflect on the role that each of us plays -by virtue of our Baptism- to hand on the Faith and being a witness to the Gospel.
While Catechetical Sunday is the day is the designated day that we begin all our youth faith formation programs in K-11, the concept of “Catechetical Sunday” also includes and affirms the on-going faith formation for every one of us. All are encouraged to regularly check the bulletin for opportunities to engage in talks and/or programs of faith enrichment. Currently, we encourage participation in the Life in the Spirit seminar which now has begun with Tuesday evening meetings. How about Bible Study sessions with Deacon Dave?
Parents are particularly reminded that they are the primary catechists of their children. They prepare the soil and plant the first seeds of faith. Thus we commend parents and guardians and encourage them to take seriously their role of making their Catholic households a place where faith is passed on to the next generations. Thus there will also be a blessing for parents after the blessing of the designated catechists.
The title CCD has been an obsolete title since Vatican II, yet it seems as though we can’t unload it when talking about religious education. The current title for all ages has for many years called “Faith Formation” which is intended to be more embracing in the sense that Faith Formation is understood to be life-long. How many of us even know what those words CCD stood for? [Confraternity of Christian Doctrine] When we hear the word CCD, we commonly understand classes or catechism for kids. That’s way too narrow. Faith Formation is for all of us. May this year be a year of spiritual growth in the mind and hearts for all of us.
