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Religious
Education News
Diocese
of Charlottetown
PO Box 907, 350
North River Road, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7L9
Telephone:
(902) 892-1251 Facsimile: (902) 892-1253
January, 2008
Dear Parish Catechists,
Anyone in the
Diocese of Charlottetown who asks, "What's new?" will
become involved in a discussion about the proposal the Diocesan
Pastoral Initiatives Council has made to restructure the parishes
within our Diocese. Presently we have approximately fifty-eight
church buildings configured into forty-six parishes and ten missions. DPIC's
proposal suggests that the present parishes and missions will
merge into seventeen newly configured parishes each with at
least one priest.
In our diocese
now, thirty-three priests serve in these parishes. Some
parishes are fortunate enough to have the assistance of employed
full-time or part-time religious sisters, lay pastoral
associates or committed and capable lay people. One area has a
permanent deacon. There is an increasing call for the commitment of
volunteer members of the faithful to become more involved and help
"keep the faith alive."
The Diocese and
the parishes are justly proud of the role the volunteer
catechists for children play in"keeping the faith alive"
through their ministry with the children and the contacts with these
children's parents. Others who are also catechists are
volunteers in youth ministry, in adult faith formation, in Baptismal
preparation for young parents, in marriage preparation for young
couples, in initiation of adults in the RCIA programs and in many
other ways. It is important that these, too, are recognized as
catechists. It is also important to recognize that there are many
pastoral activities which can be carried out by adult lay people who
have been appropriately prepared through appropriate adult faith
formation which must include some catechesis.
Catechesis is the
essential link between the missionary and pastoral elements of
our Church's mission of evangelization which, of course, is why we
exist as Church.
I suggest to you
that catechists should have serious input into the discussions
about re-structuring. Will the larger parish structures help or
hinder effective catechesis? One of the most essential issues
in the re-structuring discussions is the issue of our parishes
providing proper leadership and facilities for parish
catechesis. In a larger structure a parish catechetical leader may be
hired and given formation and thereby provide a greater level of
formation and support to catechists. In the smaller structures
catechists know the children and their parents and take great
personal interest in their lives. In relation to
facilities, we can not depend on other local institutions providing
our gathering spaces nor can we continue to crowd groups into small
spaces which are not conducive nor respectful of good learning and
growing opportunities. There, as in any change, are advantages and
disadvantages, but it is important that catechesis be on the
agenda of the ongoing discussions related to pastoral planning and re-structuring.
The structures
around us may be immaterial if we can truly learn to be Church.
Module One of the Atlantic Catechist Formation Initiative is called
Christian Community and Catechesis. This resource can be
helpful to parish groups in their deliberations about restructuring
and in preparation for the provision of richer and more vibrant
pastoral care of the people. Church buildings, regardless of
their names or locations, will house the real "Church",
those who gather around Jesus in a Spirit-filled community bringing
truth, justice, charity and freedom to the world.
As catechists, you
are urged to participate in discussions about re-structuring.
Please do what you can to ensure that catechesis is given priority.
I trust Christmas
was a blessed time in your homes and your families, and may this New
Year of 2008 be filled with peace, health and happiness. I wish you
and your family members many blessings as you continue on your
journey through this year of catechesis.
Yours in
catechetical ministry,
Mary MacLean, Co-ordinator,
Office of
Religious Education
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The International
Eucharistic Congress will be happening in Quebec City on June
15-22, 2008. Universally Catholics are invited to celebrate
God's gift for the life of the world. You are invited to participate.
Registration information is available in your parish and at the
Diocesan Pastoral Centre. This is sure to be a joyful,
grace-filled event celebrating the arrival of our faith to Canada and
our being part of the universal People of God.
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Holy Childhood
Association, Children helping Children, encourages
children to have a mutual concern for children all over the world by
prayer, learning activities and fundraising. Sr. Joan MacDonald
encourages all parishes to use the colourful and interesting
information provided through HCA to inspire our young people to pray
for less privileged children, to learn about them and to help out by
sharing some of the wealth they enjoy in their families and communities.
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Catechist Formation: Formation
sessions were held in the early autumn for beginning catechists and
in November for ongoing formation. It is no secret that very few catechists
commit time to attend these sessions. It leaves the Diocese in a
difficult position as The General Directory for Catechesis(#223)
bluntly instructs that the bishop must "ensure that catechists
are adequately prepared for their task." The Office of Religious
Education is here to help.
"The
ultimate purpose of the Church's mission is to draw the world to the
heavenly banquet whose earthly manifestation is the Eucharistic
banquet, the Parish's Sunday Mass"
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