The Heart of the Ministry of Catechesis

The National Directory for Catechesis (NDC) calls our attention to two important themes in catechesis: (1) the reconstituted relationship between evangelization and catechesis, and (2) adult faith as the goal and reference point on the lifelong journey of forming disciples in faith. In this essay let us consider the first theme, the relationship between evangelization and catechesis.

From Falling in Love and Staying in Love
Religious educators once thought of the relationship between evangelization and catechesis as something like the relationship between falling in love and being in love. The initial enthusiasm of the love relationship is surprising, like falling; great joy accompanies the moment when we recognize and acknowledge the spark of love. But the state of being (and staying) in love is a far more stable and much longer – indeed lifelong – process of truly coming to know and understand the complex personality and the mystery of the loved one. The early general and national directories on catechesis summarized the thinking of earlier times in describing evangelization as an initial spark in the faith life of the individual, with catechesis supporting and developing that faith gradually, with increasing knowledge and personal engagement, over the course of a lifetime. Undeniable in this evangelization-catechesis metaphor was its chronological sequence; people presumed that evangelization preceded catechesis, and they imagined evangelization to be more like a once-and-unrepeatable special event than the repeatable and gradual nature of catechesis.

Evangelization as the Context for Catechesis
In contrast, the General Directory for Catechesis and the National Directory for Catechesis offer a different notion of the relationship. The writers of these newer directories locate catechesis in the larger context of evangelization. This represents a theoretical and a practical shift. If at one time we thought of evangelization as an initial reality in the life of faith, the writers of the NDC invite us to imagine it as the ongoing and defining reality in which catechesis takes place. This reality is needed for “personal transformation through the development of a personal relationship with God”, a relationship that takes shape over the course of a lifetime (NDC, n. 17, p. 47). If evangelization is not a once in a lifetime event, but the defining event that shapes faith over a lifetime, then catechesis must be evangelizing. In other words, catechesis ought to be vital, compelling, inviting people to deeper transformation over the course of a lifetime.

From Noun to Adjective
Whether as a noun (evangelization) or as an adjective (evangelizing) modifying catechesis, the thinking beneath this language has been branded the “new evangelization.” It results from re-reading the signs of the times first begun in the papacy of Pope John Paul II, with the late pope’s emphasis on returning to the core of the gospel message, with its power to transform individuals and society.

What Does this Mean for Catechists?
Many catechists know baptized members of the Church who have heard many words but not the Word of God poured out in Jesus Christ. Every person deserves to hear the good news of the “proclamation of the person of Jesus Christ,” the ground of our faith (NDC, n. 17, p. 47). We—all of us—are in need of evangelizing experiences that have us connect with the very core of our faith: Jesus Christ is at once the message, the messenger, the purpose of the message, and the consummation of the message (NDC, n. 1, p. 4).

But for many that core relationship with Christ has been obscured by other experiences that block the proclamation and its acceptance. Echoing the emphases found in the writings of Pope John Paul II, the writers of the NDC name some of those persons who are in need of evangelizing experiences that will heal them; among others the writers name those who have lost a sense of faith, those who have been formed by the values of a secularized culture, those who feel alienated from their faith and from the Church (Ibid.). Most important to remember is this: only the evangelized will evangelize others.

The work of catechesis is much more than informing people about doctrine with data. The core of the relationship with Christ is the reason for the Church to exist, in order to evangelize, and to invite others to a deeper relationship with Christ. But relating well and deeply is the task of a lifetime. The writers of the NDC know that well, and they regard adult faith as the goal and the reference point for evangelizing catechesis.

Some questions and issues to consider:
The NDC challenges us to think broadly about the evangelizing experiences that form people in faith. Here are some questions we might consider:

How can I imagine the work of catechesis as an evangelizing work for others? In what sense am I gradually (re)evangelized by my ministry of catechesis?
How can our parish or school reach out to those parents of the young people in our care who feel hurt by, or alienated from the Church? What sorts of interactions will evangelize these parents?
In what sense am I in need of personal transformation toward deeper living of the Gospel practices of hospitality toward the stranger? Forgiveness? The Works of Mercy?

About the Author

Michael P. Horan, Ph.D.
Dr. Horan is Professor of Religious Education and Pastoral Theology at Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles. Dr. Horan, who holds a Ph.D. in Religious Education from the Catholic University of America, ministered to youth and young adults in high schools and college campuses in New York and Washington, D.C. He holds a special interest in the preparation of lay ministers for leadership in the Catholic Church. For the past ten years Michael has taught Catholic lay ministers in two graduate programs at LMU, while teaching teachers and campus ministers at Boston College each summer. Michael is an author of two works on the General Directory for Catechesis and is a contributing author of Blest Are We, the parish and school religious education series. Dr. Horan chairs the Advisory Board for the Office of Pastoral Associates for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and he is a member of the Board of Directors of St. John's Seminary, Camarillo, California. Michael and his wife, Patricia Fiedler, live in Marina del Rey, California, and they are active parishioners at Saint Monica Church in Santa Monica.