Diocesan-led project replacing Katrina losses

It has only been a few months since Jeanne Schrempf, director of the Albany diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, raised her hand at a national meeting to ask how Catholics across the country could assist religious education programs affected by Hurricane Katrina.

The national movement sparked by that question -- called "Operation Catechesis" -- has already raised $20,000 to support Gulf Coast parishes. The money, overseen by the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership (NCCL), will be used to restore religious ed programs, many of which lost everything from buildings to textbooks.

"The word is now getting out, and we see this need continuing through 2007," Mrs. Schrempf told The Evangelist.

Response

Many parishes in the Albany Diocese have embraced Operation Catechesis. For example, Maryanne Tuite encouraged children at Our Lady of Victory parish in Troy to donated their allowance and spare change. The result was $440.

"I was personally struck by the experience of the people down there," said Ms. Tuite, pastoral associate for faith formation. "We never gave it a thought -- all the things that could be lost, all the files, all the books."

The staff at Our Lady of Victory encouraged the fundraiser to be a family activity rather than one confined to the classroom, and asked parents to talk with their children about the effort and to pray for the project.

Partnership

Other parishes in the Diocese are pitching in as well:

* Mary Ellen Egelston, a member of the parish council at Our Lady of the Assumption parish in Latham, reported that they decided to partner with Our Lady of the Assumption mission church in Hacksbury, Louisiana. At the top of the mission's wish list were textbooks, a computer and a printer they had lost.

* St. Matthew's Church in Voorheesville said that their deanery gave Operation Catechesis $325 that was raised at a catechist formation program this spring. In addition, the youth group banded together for fundraisers that netted $745.

* Diocesan directors of faith formation in all eight New York dioceses sent a check for $1,000.

"The new diocesan director in Fairbanks, Alaska, said to me, 'Our parishes are very, very poor, but we still have something to share,'" Mrs. Schrempf said. "The momentum is starting to build. Albany has really been the trailblazer. It's one of those things where you just throw out the seeds. I'm just starting to hear" about how they are growing.

(5/18/06) [[In-content Ad]]