Educator praises NDC's value

Religious educators in the Albany Diocese are welcoming the new National Directory for Catechesis (NDC), put out by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (also see page 9).

It is intended for anyone who teaches the doctrine and practice of the Catholic faith: parish and school leaders, diocesan officials, bishops, and others involved in planning and implementing faith formation programs.

"Pope John Paul II said, 'The Church must give catechesis its best resources,'" stated Jeanne Schrempf, director of the diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis (OEC). The NDC "calls us to be sensitive to modern family life and its complexities, and to assist the family to nurture the faith of children."

Many topics

The NDC does not simply address how to provide religious education to young Catholics. Various sections of the directory cover the Church's mission of evangelization, the many ways in which people learn, the connection between catechesis and the liturgy, morality, catechizing people of different ages and disabilities, the responsibility of the educator, how to organize faith formation programs, and where to find resources.

The directory is "a vision, a guide, a plan," Mrs. Schrempf told The Evangelist. "It calls for the renewal of catechesis as a priority for the Church."

Although she said that faith formation remains a priority in the Diocese, she noted that in some areas of the country, diocesan offices like the OEC are closing or their budgets are being cut.

"When resources diminish, I'm concerned," she remarked. "On the one hand, the Church says we must find a way to share what we believe with [future] generations; on the other hand, there are not always the resources to do that well."

Audiences

Mrs. Schrempf noted that one section of the NDC is devoted to explaining that catechesis must be tailored to its audience, which may be culturally and regionally diverse.

She said that this is especially true in the Albany Diocese because "Hudson is not Delmar; Watervliet is not Clifton Park; Herkimer is not Margaretville. You have to look at the soil of each locality and realize the richness of the processes may be different."

One common thread, she added, is that parish catechetical leaders are foremost in communicating the faith. The directory states that "the single most critical factor in an effective parish catechetical program is the leadership of a professionally trained parish catechetical leader."

"That's so true in our experience," said Mrs. Schrempf. "My hope is that one of the things that will come out of this [publication] is that the Church will see that calling forth people to take these roles is critical to the future of our faith in this country."

Study day

The Albany Diocese's efforts to spread the word about the NDC include an upcoming study day on the directory for clergy and parish life directors, deacons, school principals, parish catechetical leaders, and youth ministers.

Bishop Richard Malone of the Diocese of Portland, Maine, will deliver a keynote address at that event. A member of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Catechesis, he will give an overview of the NDC.

In January, Bishop Malone told a national symposium on the new directory: "As diocesan catechetical leaders, we need to examine every aspect of the catechetical situation in our diocese, beginning with...an analysis of the 'soil' in which the seed of faith is planted: What are the unique challenges and forces affecting evangelizing catechesis in our dioceses? How do we plan effective faith formation in light of these challenges?"

Training

Mrs. Schrempf believes that one challenge in the Albany Diocese is the recruitment and training of effective catechists. To that end, the OEC plans to explore online courses for catechist certification in the future.

"We have to find new ways to train everyone," she stated. "We believe the NDC will give us new insights to do that."

(The study day on the NDC is Oct. 4, 1-5 p.m., at St. Clare's parish in Colonie. For information, call 453-6630.)

(9/15/05) [[In-content Ad]]