A vital aspect of your responsibility as a parish catechetical leader or school religion coordinator is to be knowledgeable about the content of recent Church documents, particularly those that relate directly to religious education. Your awareness of these documents enables you to reflect on the on-going catechetical efforts in your parish or school, consider how they mirror current Church directives, and initiate strategies for implementing new guidelines. Another facet of your role involves introducing the parish or school staff to new documents and helping them to understand the implications for their ministry.

The National Directory for Catechesis (NDC) is an especially important document for everyone involved in the catechetical ministry. Published in May, 2005, the NDC is a resource for catechesis in the United States. Like the General Directory for Catechesis, published in 1997, which states the goals, principles, and guidelines for catechesis in the universal Church, the NDC defines catechesis as “that particular form of the ministry of the word which matures initial conversion to make it into a living, explicit and fruitful confession of faith” (NDC 19 A, page 54). The NDC is a companion document to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), which systematically imparts the content of Catholic doctrine we are called to teach based on the Four Pillars of faith. These are Creed, Liturgy and Sacraments, Morality, and Prayer. RCL Benziger’s basal products utilize these Four Pillars at every grade level. While the Catechism provides the content for catechesis; the NDC provides the context for the renewal of catechesis in the United States through guidelines, which define the “nature, purpose, object, tasks, basic content, and various methodologies of catechesis” (NDC 5, page 17).

The Catechumenal Model
There are three major themes woven throughout the NDC. The first is the new evangelization, which is the “clear and unequivocal proclamation of the person of Jesus Christ, that is, the preaching of his name, his teaching, his life, his promises and the Kingdom which he has gained for us by his Paschal Mystery” (NDC 17A, page 47). The entire document is Christ-centered and tells us that we evangelize to bring about conversion to Jesus—by “making a genuine commitment to him and a personal decision to follow him as his disciple” (NDC 17B, page 48). The implication for us as religious educators is that our task is to help students move beyond simply knowing about Jesus; we must strive to awaken faith and to help our students meet Christ and invite him into their daily lives.

A second major theme is the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults as a paradigm for all catechesis. The Directory states that the “baptismal catechumenate is the source of inspiration for all catechesis. The process of formation includes four stages. These stages, which reflect the wisdom of the great catechumenal tradition, also inspire the gradual nature of catechesis” (NDC 35D, page 115). Approaching catechesis through the lens of the catechumenal model promotes life-long formation and helps us to recognize that both evangelization and catechesis have no ending point.

The third important theme found in the Directory is culture, diversity and inculturation. We live in a secular world, and both the entertainment industry and the media often powerfully influence the people to whom we minister. The information and values promoted by these influences are often completely contradictory to the teachings of Jesus. The NDC calls us to “present the Christian life as a response to Christ’s invitation to follow him—in one’s personal life and family, the parish, and the wider human community” (NDC 4C, page 15). The NDC calls for a recognition that “just as all races, ethnicities, and cultures in the world are represented in the United Sates, so too do they find a home within the Catholic Church. Each group brings its own language, history, customs, rituals, and traditions for ‘building up the body of Christ’” (NDC 11C, page 29). The Directory calls us to welcome and respect the rich diversity of our Church family and to recognize how different cultures enrich the Church, while at the same time, do all we can to promote unity within the Church.

The Standards for Catechetical Resources
The content of the Christian message—the truths of our faith as presented in the CCC and specific elements for teaching the sacraments and Christian morality—are outlined in Chapters 3, 5, and 6 of the Directory. You will find that RCL Benziger’s basal products address these standards fully with age-appropriate catechesis.

Methodology is addressed in Chapter 4 of the NDC. First it focuses on divine methodology—God’s self-revelation to us in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. This section emphasizes God as the revealer of everything we know and believe about our faith. Second, the chapter identifies eight elements of human methodology—the ways in which all people come to faith (see NDC 29A-H, pages 95-105). Reflect on these methodologies with your catechists/religion teachers to help them understand more clearly their own role in the total faith formation process of their learners. RCL Benziger incorporates all of these eight methodologies in the learning design of all basal programs.

The remainder of the Directory—Chapters 7 through 10—have clear implications for you and your staff. These chapters discuss catechizing according to a person’s readiness and age level (Chapter 7), specific roles and responsibilities of those who catechize (Chapter 8); the importance of parish, diocesan, and national organizational structures, policies, and procedures to carry out the catechetical mission of the Church (Chapter 9); and resources for catechesis (Chapter 10). As you study these chapters with the parish or school staff, you will find detailed sections that apply directly to the ministry you share. In Chapter 8, for example, you will find a list that delineates the characteristics of the spiritual life of a catechist or school religion teacher (NDC 54B8, page 229). Chapter 10 reminds us of the primary role Sacred Scripture and the Catechism hold as both the norm and the inspiration for all catechesis. This chapter also discusses the criteria that should be found in our textbooks and how to evaluate the resources we use in religious education. Finally, Chapter 10 addresses the impact of media and the role of technology in providing “many promising opportunities to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ in new ways” (NDC 69A, page 286).

Take time to read and study the National Directory for Catechesis and make it a priority to acquaint your staff with it. In order to implement the guidelines found in the NDC, we must first know and understand what it asks of us. Look at the Directory as an opportunity to rededicate yourself and your staff and volunteers with “a renewed passion for catechesis” (NDC 72, page 297).

For Reflection

• What efforts do you and your staff make to evangelize students—to help them encounter Christ in their daily lives? What can you do to put renewed emphasis on evangelization in your parish or school program?
• What can you do, as a catechetical leader or school religion coordinator, to help to deepen the spiritual lives of your staff? How will you focus on this goal during the coming year?