The Director's Desk
August 1999
Prepare Ye the Way...
For Catechetical Sunday
The phone has begun to ring again here at the Center. People around the Region
are getting to the business of preparing for the start of another catechetical year. The
pace gets more frantic, but I enjoy it. Sometimes the summer routine is just a bit too
quiet.
There are great resources out there to help you kick off the season. I recommend a stop by the NCCL site for one stop shopping: Catechetical Sunday pins, certificates, a resource packet, plus other books for your personal growth and enrichment. In addition to this, I was delighted to offer a Catechetical Sunday commissioning service for the September issue of Catechist Magazine. This interactive ceremony involves the entire parish responding to the question "Who will show me the God of love?" by representative ages and groups of the parish/school community.
If you don't get Catechist Magazine, but would still like an alternative to the very short commissioning found in the Catechetical Sunday resource kit, I have added to our Resource page an alternative, more formal commissioning ceremony. Feel free to edit it as needed. These commissioning rituals are designed for parish celebration, but could easily be adapted for use in schools or other settings.
Catechetical Sunday provides a wonderful opportunity to not simply affirm those people who dedicate their gifts to catechesis; it is also your chance to highlight the importance of this ministry in the life of the Church. Don't pass up this opportunity to "let your light shine"!
Chris Weber
Director
Catholic Education Ministries of Central Maryland.
- Articles
Catching and Keeping Your Volunteers
July 4
Part 1: No More "Warm Bodies"
Using Discernment in the Selection of Catechists and Youth Ministry Volunteers
July 18:
Part 3: The Volunteer Interview: Making It Count
July 25:
Encounter at St. Abigail's: A Sample
Interview
Bonus:
Sample
Catechist Job Description (Word 97)