DREs or leaders

As our year's program comes to an end, we want to take time to thank those who have diligently labored, exercised patience, and modeled Christian love to share the Catholic faith with the children, teens, and adults participating in the parish education and faith formation programs. A nice party or a pretty thank-you card is not enough! This is a time for a significant blessing of those who have served your parish responsibly!

by Kate Ristow for a Catechist Formation Interest Survey. Whew! What a relief! After months of following up on leads, networking, interviewing, praying, and...

Here are the slides that accompany the article: “Being versus Doing: A Retreat for Catechists," by Sr. Patricia M. McCormack, IHM. Here are the slides: Being...

Do the newly initiated deserve an extended period of hand-holding and deeper inquiry? Can the spirit of mystagogy pervade all of catechesis in your parish? Or, where you live, is it true that CCD really means communion, confirmation, done?

Master Catechists answer questions from readers

Sacrament preparation is one of the best opportunities the Church has to welcome families and convince them they are in need of a permanent residence. Offering them a listening presence, moments of renewal and growth, and opportunities to discover their own needs for a more spacious place to live may result in a new spiritual home for them.

Vacation Bible School has become a fruitful blessing to the Catholic Church in recent years. Once seen as a Protestant tradition, numerous Catholic publishers now provide informative and exciting thematic materials that celebrate great stories of the Bible and tenets of our Catholic faith. Today, most diocesan offices make recommendations for resources, and parishes can find online catalogs from their favorite publishers.

DREs are often viewed as “master catechists.” Their role is to oversee the curriculum that is being taught in a parish. Many times they are called upon to “fill in the blanks” when educational needs are presented in the parish. Often they are asked to research projects, give presentations, or teach topics that are varied and often complex. People in the community come to depend on them as excellent resource people for the plethora of interests that evolve in a learning environment. Most DREs love that facet of their jobs!

I have often reflected on the story of the young Jesus teaching in the Temple. "And all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers" (Luke 2:47). The wisdom of the youthful Jesus comes to mind when I consider the controversy over what age one should be before he or she can take on the full responsibility of being a catechist.

By Sr. Patricia M. McCormack, IHM A Retreat for Catechists Every director of religious education faces recruitment dilemmas. Classes are scheduled to resume in two weeks,...