INTRODUCTION - GOOD NEWS TO SHARE

For many people in our communities, church attendance is not part of their lives. The vision of home, school, parish working together is not a reality. Many parents have not heard the Good News, or have heard it in a manner that is often not Good News for them. We are left with an awareness that not only our children, but also their parents are in need of catechesis and evangelisation.

The Catholic Church's vision of catechesis has three component steps: a) the missionary proclamation of the Good News; b) a deepening of a person's relationship with the person of Jesus Christ; c) the pastoral activity that reaches out to those who have a committed personal relationship with the person of Jesus Christ.

Ideally, catecheses for the sacraments come after people have formed that initial relationship with Jesus. What we find often, in dealing with children, is that not only have they never had an opportunity to form that intimate relationship with Jesus, but neither have their parents. We find ourselves needing not only to catechise our children, but to also evangelise their parents as well.

In the General Directory for Catechesis we read "Catechesis is a responsibility of the entire Christian community. Christian initiation, indeed, 'should not be the work of the catechists and priests alone, but of the whole community of the faithful' (Par. 220). The Christian community not only gives much to those who are being catechised but also brings the community itself to maturity . . . Catechesis not only brings to maturity the faith of those being catechised but also brings the community itself to maturity" (Par. 221). This begs the question - What would our parish church look like if all of the families who present children for the sacraments become active participating parishioners?

We have GOOD NEWS TO SHARE! In the process of working through the Diocesan Pastoral Plan, the results were unanimous. The entire diocesan church echoed the need to reach out to our young people and their families. In response to your request, we invite your parish leadership to a process that can help you to determine and identify catechists and potential catechists who are willing to be part of a process of Catechetical Formation. In order to recruit and target potential catechists from among your parishioners, we offer you the following pages for information and reflection.

"GOOD NEWS TO SHARE!"

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