The Roman Catholic Community of St. Jerome, Phoenix, Arizona: Catechesis

Many parents come into my office and want to sign their children up for Catechism classes. Normally, what they're really asking for is 'Sacramental Preparation' not Catechesis. Is there a difference? Actually there is a very big difference.

Sacramental Preparation is the one or two-year course that teaches the basics of our faith and the Sacraments. It prepares the children to receive the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Communion, and Confirmation. Typically that is the end of their religious education, which is really a serious mistake that is repeated generation after generation. Sometimes when I speak to parents, they say that they know very little about their faith, the Bible, even their Church. They say something like, "I haven't taken any classes since I was a child preparing for the Sacraments." This is where Catechesis comes in. Catechesis is not just for children but should be a lifelong, on-going process for every baptized teen and adult Catholic. As the General Directory for Catechesis words it, "The definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch, but also in communion and intimacy, with Jesus Christ. Starting with the initial conversion of a person to the Lord, catechesis seeks to solidify and mature this first adherence. It proposes to help [one] to know better this Jesus to whom [they] has entrusted [them] self: to know his mystery, the Kingdom of God proclaimed by him, the requirements and commitments contained in his Gospel message, and the paths that he has laid down for anyone who wishes to follow him."

Some examples of the tasks of catechesis are:

To promoting a deeper, personal knowledge of the faith;
A deeper, more mature, liturgical education.
A deeper understanding of Jesus' moral teachings which brings about interior transformation.
A better understanding of prayer and its vital place in a Christian?s life.
To prepare the Christian to live more fully in community and to actively participate in the life and mission of the Church.

There is a big difference between "religious education classes for Sacramental preparation" and authentic Catechism classes. Catechesis is for everyone, from the time they come out of the waters of Baptism till the time they draw their last breath and are laid to rest. If we want our faith to really have meaning and depth, we must not avoid opportunities to learn, but to seek out opportunities to learn more about what we call "our faith, our Lord, and His Church." St. Jerome has various programs in English and in Spanish that can teach us about those things and more, in a deeper, mature level. For example, I will lead a class, starting September 10, in Hall A, on the Apostle Paul and his 14 books and how they apply to our life and faith today. All are welcome to come. Father Andres and I encourage you to break out of your everyday routine and to seek out, at least one day or evening a week, a class that will help you grow deeper in your faith. God bless you in your efforts to know Him.

Your fellow servant in the Lord,
Deacon Jim Mickens
Director of Faith Formation

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