Hands On Faith by Marcia Marsh
The Heart of Catechesis
Throughout the years I have been a member of many Catholic parishes, and in each one I have witnessed a different parish personality, with unique gifts present in each one. Pope Benedict XVI in his General Audience in Saint Peter's Square on November 22, 2006 makes an important statement about the gifts given to a community:
"It is important, however, that all the charisms cooperate with one another for the edification of the community and do not instead become the cause of a rift.
In this regard, Paul asked himself rhetorically: "Is Christ divided?" (I Cor 1: 13). He knows well and teaches us that it is necessary to "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call" (Eph 4: 3-4). Obviously, underlining the need for unity does not mean that ecclesial life should be standardized or leveled out in accordance with a single way of operating. Elsewhere, Paul taught: "Do not quench the Spirit" (I Thes 5: 19), that is, make room generously for the unforeseeable dynamism of the charismatic manifestations of the Spirit, who is an ever new source of energy and vitality"..
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2006/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20061122_en.html
Each parish has its own strengths and weaknesses, and each Catechist within that parish has a unique challenge to deal with, be it very small or very large classes, unbelieving students, active children and uninterested ones, overachievers and underachievers.
While in the Life Teen Program, I witnessed another issue come to light, the fact that many adults dedicating time to Catechists work often have agendas of their own (directly or indirectly), and adult belief systems can also differ greatly if not kept in check. We fought to educate from within - to educate the Catechists - and our then dear director put his foot down, raising a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and declared, bottom line, "If it conflicts with something in here, we aren't teaching it." The "Catechism Test" proved to be very effective whenever a dispute arose, and some separated, realizing they had more to learn and think about before they could uphold those standards.
Surrender was the most important aspect of reaching the youth. Being able to realize you were potentially wrong, and to let others help correct you; to allow yourself to be ministered to, to allow your current understanding to be deepened. Powerful stuff. Ongoing adult education is fundamental to any successful program, and it is helpful for the kids to see that Catechists are human too. By continuously seeking and sharing your own learning, students are challenged and even inspired to rise to a new level of hunger for learning. The seemingly unattainable suddenly becomes attainable.
There has also been an underestimation of kids' ability to process or comprehend religious information. "Oh, we can't teach that.that would be over their heads" was a common cry all the way through my years in CCD and in many other programs. The "dumbing down" of curriculum was everywhere, yet we had forgotten that some of the most revered saints in the Church were very young when they had their greatest experiences. Christ even reminds us to be like little children. Believe me, unless you become like little children again, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew xviii. 3)
"Do not quench the Spirit!" In my recent experience volunteering with our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (CGS) program, I was touched by the way the program emphasized the Catechist learning from the children, rather than the Catechist as the sole source of information. CGS is a Montessori-based method of education that relies heavily on beautiful, hands-on Biblical and liturgical materials in an 'atrium' or room prepared for the children.
I was awestruck while working, one day, on a 20-foot laminated timeline of Salvation History with two 7-year-olds and a 9-year-old. One of the 7-year-olds asked a question relating to the symbol of a blank page at the end of the timeline, and the 9-year old jumped in and responded in a way so profound, I never could have stated it as beautifully or concisely. In summary, she pointed out that the blank page represents us; the place where our role in shaping the rest of Salvation History rests on the time line. I walked away from that experience quite humbled, and my view of Salvation History expanded that day. We must never forget the gifts children bring to us as members of The Body of Christ, and the blessings they will bring us if only we let them.
Sofia Calvaretti, founder of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program sums this up nicely:
"If we want to help the child draw nearer to God, we should with patience and courage seek to go always closer to the vital nucleus of things. This requires study and prayer. The child will be our teacher if we know how to observe." http://www.cgsusa.org/
[© Marcia Marsh 2008]
Bio
Marcia Marsh was born and raised in Washington State, converting to the Catholic Faith when she was just 12 years old. She has been active in multiple parishes in the Pacific Northwest, working as a high school catechist, an RCIA volunteer, a music minister, a Life Teen Core Team Member and a volunteer with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd at St. Michael Parish in Olympia, WA. Her interests include apologetics and studying Salvation History, piano, gardening, kayaking, and researching. She is a married, full-time working mom with a BA in Political/Cultural Anthropology and extensive research experience.