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 April
2000
Catechesis
in Space:
the Final
Frontier...
It
is fitting, since we are
at the dawn of a new
millennium. Following
its March 25th meeting,
the Committee on
Catechesis of the NCCB/USCC's
Department of Education
announced a bold and
controversial initiative
to bring catechesis into
the space program.
Certain elements of the
initiative, if accepted
by US bishops at their
June meeting, may well
alter the way we
catechize in the
Archdiocese of
Baltimore.
Sr.
Avril Graftenruse, AF,
Executive Secretary for
the Committee, noted
that the Committee on
Catechesis has taken
special interest in
recent developments at
NASA. The
space shuttle program
has become a routine
part of American life. Mars exploration
projects have caught
media attention, and work
is moving forward
on an
international space
station. In last week's
issue of America
Magazine she notes that
"Americans are
getting
used to the idea of
space as our next home.
Living in space, once
thought to be the stuff
of science fiction, now
seems likely to most
Americans." Sr.
Graftenruse adds her
committee is considering
how, in the
not-to-distant future,
we might provide
catechesis for Catholic
families living beyond
the confines of earth.
Some experts suggest
that as early as 2015,
entire families will be
trained for life in
orbit.
To
which diocese would a
Catholic on the
International Space
Station belong? The
proposals outlined by
the Committee name the
Archdiocese of Baltimore
as one possibility.
"As the first See
in the United States,
Baltimore is a natural
choice," Sr.
Graftenruse explained.
"Baltimore's
catechetical office
would oversee all
catechesis on the
station, including
immediate preparation
for the sacraments, the
RCIA, adult formation,
and youth
ministry."
When
I talked to Carol
Augustine, Director of
the Division of
Religious Education, she
had not heard the news,
but was not at all
surprised by the
announcement. "It
makes a lot of
sense," she said.
"We have always
been pathfinders for
Catholics in this
country; why not be
first in space?"
Carol noted that
catechizing on the Space
Station might raise some
unique challenges. One
such challenge
would be catechist
formation. How would you
provide ongoing training
for catechists? Carol
suggested that the Archdiocese might need
to make use of satellite
and computer technology
to broadcast
sessions.
"For
initial training they
could always use Echoes
of Faith", she
noted, "but that
resource can only get
them so far." Carol
added that there is, of
course, time to work out
these and other
particulars, as it will
be quite a while before
a significant number of
Catholics are living in
space. However, it is a
good idea to start
planning now.
"When
our Catholics become
space cadets, we want to
be there with
them," Ms.
Augustine said.
If
you would like further
information about this
issue, consider the
following link: http://www.lirpa_loof.org
Chris Weber
Director
Catholic Education Ministries
of Central Maryland.
Copyright © 2000 by the
Catholic Education Ministries Center of Central Maryland, Emmitsburg, MD
21727. All rights reserved.
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"Baltimore's
catechetical office would
oversee all catechesis on
the space station:
immediate preparation for
the sacraments, the RCIA,
adult formation, and youth
ministry."
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