Catholic Pastoral Centre
8421 101 Avenue NW
Edmonton, AB T6A 0L1
Phone: 780-469-1010 ext. 2292 Fax: 780-465-3003
Email: catechesis@caedm.ca
Administrative Assistant: Danielle Robanske
Phone: 780-469-1010 ext. 2286
The Office of Catechesis is a direct extension of the Archbishop's ministry to proclaim and transmit the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ. Every baptized Catholic person is called to be a part of this ministry with the Archbishop. How?
"All Christ's faithful are called to hand [the Good News] on from generation to generation,
• by professing the faith,
• by living it in [friendly] sharing, and
• by celebrating it in liturgy and prayer."
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 5
Faith is a gift from God. The Office of Catechesis helps the people of the Archdiocese of Edmonton fulfill their mission of proclaiming the Good News of Christ (also called "evangelizing," or spreading the Good News). We explain Christ's teachings, encourage people to observe those teachings, and help people find ways to deepen their present faith.
"The definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch, but also in communion and intimacy, with Jesus Christ."
~ General Directory for Catechesis, 80
Many elements of the Church's mission have a catechetical (faith teaching and sharing) aspect to them. These elements include the following:
• proclaiming the Gospel for the first time or missionary preaching to arouse faith or the desire for it
• examining the reasons for belief
• experience of Christian living
• celebrating the sacraments of the Church
• integrating people into the church community
• personal witnessing by relating to the Apostles, the Pope, or their teachings, and
• personal witnessing by missionary work.
"The diocesan catechetical office is the means which the Bishop as head of the community and teacher of doctrine utilizes to direct and moderate all the catechetical activities of the diocese."
General Directory of Catechesis, 265
In our work, we are guided by the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) and the General Directory for Catechesis (GDC).
We are available to the parishes, schools, and religious communities that make up the Archdiocese. When requested, we provide as much help as possible for catechesis in all its forms with facts, news, resources, guidance, and formation.
For brochure
For PDF registration form to print and fill out, then fax or mail
For poster
To see session details, click on the link below.
Session 1/A | 2/B | 3/C | 4/D | 5/E | 6/F | 7/G | 8/H | 9/I | 10/J
This list of sessions in PDF
The prophets and psalmists use the imagery of ‘eating God’s word’ and they knew it to be sweet as honey. The invitation to taste the goodness of God’s word and have it become part of our lives comes also to us. Together, we will explore what it means to have the words of Scripture be ‘honey in our mouths.’
Throughout the Bible we are called to live lives of love and justice, to live in right relationship with God, neighbour and all creation. Together we will have a “hands on” look at some specific scripture passages, and reflect together about what these passages mean for us today in our families, work, and life in society. (Bring your bible to this workshop.)
Christ is present in a number of ways in the liturgy. This session will focus on Christ's presence when the scriptures are proclaimed in the liturgy, and on the significance of this presence in our daily lives.
Breaking open the Word is a key part of the journey for people who begin the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) process. Come learn more about how to hear God speaking directly to you in Scripture, and how to help the journeyers and sponsors do the same.
The Christian story is as relevant today as it was two thousand years ago when "the Carpenter's son," first proclaimed his message of love and forgiveness. Even though that very message is sometimes clouded by the distractions of our culture, as catechists, we must continue to share the Good News with others, especially the young people in our lives. Come and learn how to engage young people in the study of Scripture.
Les jeunes de 10 à 13 ans se posent souvent la question, “Est-ce Dieu pardonne tout? Peut-il même pardonner aux méchants? » Durant l’adolescence, le jeune est souvent confronté à des expériences blessantes. Est-il possible de pardonner à la manière de Dieu? Les récits bibliques de l’Enfant prodigue, de la Femme adultère et du Bon larron seront exploités dans cet atelier. Nous verrons d’abord comment le pictogramme biblique permet au jeune d’apprivoiser le texte et ensuite de l’approfondir par la méditation guidée. Nous culminerons par un témoignage de pardon très puissant d’une adolescente.
The Ten Commandments, the Last Temptation of Christ, the Matrix, Superman, Star Wars, even Pulp Fiction—what do these movies have in common? They are all heavily influenced by Scripture, either indirectly or directly, in their stories, as they retell the One Truth, which is One Story. Come find out how to use motion pictures for catechetical and educational purposes, to teach the age of the future.
Using the New Testament story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well, Sr. Eva will illustrate how Jesus is the model of intercultural dialogue.
Youth today often feel they stand alone in the midst of peer pressure. Learn how to introduce youth to Jean Vanier’s Bible Study where Vanier speaks to the hearts of young people about loneliness and belonging. He invites them to have a dream for their lives and to help build a more compassionate society where everyone belongs.
Feel lost about how to help your niece or nephew, or grandchild, enjoy hearing the readings at Mass? This teacher has some tips for you...
Back to ScriptureFest page
What does this unfamiliar word—catechesis—mean?
First, it is pronounced as "cat-ick-ee-sis." From early in her history, the Church used the word catechesis to describe her efforts to help people believe that Jesus is the Son of God. By believing this, people would have life in His name. However, they would also need to be educated and instructed in this life to grow and deepen their faith, so to build up the body of Christ.
• He is the whole of divine revelation, the very Word of God (John 1:1-14).
• Jesus Christ is "the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).
• Jesus entrusted the ministry of proclaiming and handing on revelation—called the "deposit of faith"—to the Church he founded with his apostles.
St. Paul describes this ‘handing on' in a letter to Timothy, a man whom he commissioned for this very task:
"What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you."
~2 Tim 1:13-14
As Christ, in his very person, is the whole of divine revelation, the ultimate goal of catechesis is to help people:
• learn more about Christ
• be in a more and more intimate relationship with Him, and
• be faithful to Christ in ever deeper ways.
"The definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch, but also in communion and intimacy, with Jesus Christ" (GDC 80).
Catechesis takes a person who has already come into contact with Christ in some way, and guides that person more fully into the mystery of Christ. Catechesis continues and deepens the desire and the conversion to become more like Christ. The longer a person walks with God—who is all holy—the more they realize their own weakness, sinfulness, and their need to change... to "turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel."
Experiencing salvation and growing in intimacy with Jesus Christ means:
• being fully incorporated into Christ's Body, the Church
• following Christ
• thinking, acting, and judging as Christ does.
So catechesis includes all activities to make disciples. It means helping people "be reconciled to God" i and "to put on the new self." ii
i Evangelii Nuntiandi, 2; and also check Eph. 2:15, 4:24; Col. 3:10; Gal. 3:27; Rom. 13:14; 2 Cor. 5:17
ii Evangelii Nuntiandi, 2; and also check 2 Cor. 5:20
Although Church documents and the Catechism are generally very readable, they contain language that is not common. You may be a catechist who shares your faith in a catechetical setting (home, school, parish) without "formal" training. You may be a parent trying to teach your child. You may have simply said "yes" when asked to serve as a catechist and are not feeling very well-equipped. This guide is aimed at helping you more easily understand what you read in the Church documents you encounter as you seek to learn more about the faith.
Below are some of the words that appear in documents about catechesis (handing on the faith) "translated" into plainer language. Other words will be added as required. Please let us know if you encounter a word you think should be added to this list.
Assorted others:
It's a principle that the Church uses to indicate that the words of the prayers in the liturgy express what we believe. In other words, the way the Church worships witnesses to the truth of what it professes. That's why the Church is so careful to translate Latin texts precisely: the liturgical prayers are a statement of our faith. In the liturgy, believers worldwide are in union with one another and the communion of saints. Praying the prayers (worshipping) deepens belief. Belief deepens the prayer.
To be a catechist is a holy and noble vocation. The Apostolic Exhortation Catechesi Tradendae expresses the nature of the catechesis ministry as follows:
...at the heart of catechesis we find, in essence, a Person, the Person of Jesus of Nazareth, "the only Son of the Father ...full of grace and truth," who suffered and died for us and who now, after rising, is living with us forever... (CT, 5)
We must therefore say that, in catechesis, it is Christ, the Incarnate Word and Son of God, who is taught—everything else is taught with reference to him—it is Christ alone who teaches. (CT, 6)
Thus, catechists teach to the extent that they are Christ's spokespersons, enabling Christ to teach with their lips.
Before anyone observes and studies anything else, they observe and study their teachers. Thus, in catechesis, the teacher becomes a living example... and as such is called to be a model of faith. In the power of the Holy Spirit, catechists proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ by their word and action, and they invite people to do the same.
Catechists create a warm and nurturing environment where they and their listeners can enter more deeply into a relationship with God. Along with the entire Christian community, they learn and grow in their faith.
i This explanation is adapted from the one found in Born of the Spirit, We Belong to God (Year 1, page 11), available from CCCB Publications Service.
"The Church's arrangement of the Sundays, seasons, and feasts is known as the liturgical year. Throughout the days and weeks of the year, God calls us to give praise by prayer and works of love. Centred on the weekly celebration of the Lord's Day, the Church's year of praise celebrates the Paschal Mystery of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus." 1
The liturgical year is a series of celebrations of the great work of redemption in Christ Jesus. The entire mystery of Christ, from his incarnation and birth, through his ministry, cross and resurrection... plus his sending of the Spirit to the church on Pentecost is recalled by the Church during the course of a year. The primary periods are:
The richness and celebrations of the church year are an important part of all catechesis. In liturgy, the mysteries are made present, and we enter in to them through the Word, preaching, prayer, song and gesture.
Because it orders the Church's life, the liturgical year is a vital part of our Canadian-produced resource material. The resources for all years are based on the liturgical year. Throughout the material, the resources suggest ways to make the liturgical year come alive for the children, especially in the ages that they are in kindergarten through to Grade 6. In the material for the age groups in Grades 7-10, the actual liturgical cycle itself is reviewed.
The liturgical year is the Church's way of celebrating and commemorating the great events of our salvation. Throughout the liturgical year, the Church "makes present the saving deeds of Jesus Christ ... in such a way that each Christian can enter into the mystery that is being celebrated." 2
Use colours!
Each liturgical season has its colour. You, as a catechist, are encouraged to use these colours, too.
1 Liturgical Calendar with Guidelines for Pastoral Liturgy (Ordo 2009 - 2010), National Calendar for Canada confirmed by the Apostolic See. Publications Service, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, Concacan Inc., Note 2, p. 10.
2 Believe in Me, revised Yr. 7 resource, p. 393
|
Title |
Level |
Aim |
|
In God’s Image |
Early childhood |
•To join with children as they come to shape themselves through play •To celebrate Me as a trace of God |
|
We Belong to God |
Year 1 |
•To deepen the experience of belonging to God by growing in friendship with the Lord Jesus •Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit, shows us the creative, forgiving, caring love of God |
|
We Belong to the Lord Jesus |
Year 2 |
•The catechesis of the Sunday Eucharistic liturgy •The Lord Jesus comes to meet the children in the Scriptures and in the Eucharist |
|
In the Spirit We Belong |
Year 3 |
•The Holy Spirit, the bond within God, is “the giver of life.” •The Holy Spirit speaks in the words and actions of others: God’s creation, the prophets, Jesus, Mary, the saints, and in our own hearts and consciences. |
|
Come and See |
Year 4 |
•Opens the Scriptures to the children so they can meet Jesus •Deepens their understanding through reflection, questioning, wondering, and seeking, as they grow in the life of the church |
|
May We Be One |
Year 5 |
•All human beings have a deep need to both tell and listen to stories •Invites children to hear and become part of the great Christian story |
|
You Shall Be My Witnesses |
|
•Our stories create community by weaving everyone’s story together with the great Christian story •Tells the story of God who is intent on entering into a covenant with people, and explores how young Christians are witnesses of God’s justice and love |
|
Believe in Me |
Year 7 |
•By using the “faith summary” of the Apostles Creed, young believers explore the dimensions of our relationship with God, Jesus, and the community of the Holy Spirit |
|
Stand By Me |
Year 8 |
•Continues using the “faith summary” of the Apostles Creed, helping young believers explore the dimensions of our relationship with God, Jesus, and the community of the Holy Spirit •Meaning learning is rooted in life experience, so young people’s personal experiences are key |
|
Be With Me |
Year 9 |
•Help young people understand the joys and demands of following Christ •Uses the Beatitudes as a yardstick to help young people examine the attitudes and actions that characterize Christian life |
|
Christ and Culture |
Year 10 |
•To help young people, with the help of the gospel, to participate as Catholics in shaping our culture •To give them the ability to make sound moral choices and judgments in a fragmented world with a multiplicity of values, philosophies, and ideologies |
|
In Search of the Good: A Catholic Understanding of Moral Living |
Year 12 |
•To help young men and women understand themselves as moral persons living the way of Christ by examining ethical theories, revelation of Scripture, and the experience and teaching of the Catholic Church |
The summary above is extracted from the manuals of the Canadian Catechetical series, Born of the Spirit, issued by the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. You can contact CCCB Publications to order the series. It is available in versions for home, parish, and school use.
This is an eleven-session active formational process. It equips Catholics called to be catechists in handing on the faith to others. Catechists are all people called to instruct others about the faith, whether you are a parent, a catechist, or simply involved in parish ministries. All baptized Catholics have the responsibility and privilege of sharing in the Church’s mission to hand on the faith to others. Well-formed leaders are key to any parish programming. Echoes consists of a leader's manual, as well as individual packets for participants.
The Didache Series clearly and accurately presents the life and teaching of the Roman Catholic Church. These sessions are rooted in the context of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the teachings of Vatican II. This series is an excellent resource for faith formation for adults, high school-age students, and anyone wanting to learn more about their faith. It can also be used for RCIA, for catechism classes, as well as for home schooling.
The series includes these titles:
A readable, comprehensive catechism keyed to the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
A good resource for religious educators, pastors, and RCIA coordinators.
Published by RENEW International, this four-book series illuminates our understanding of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It explores how the important truths of our faith affect what we believe, how we see the world, how we see ourselves, and how we regard our purpose in life. Our Catholic faith lies at the heart of our lives and affects all of those things that matter the most to us. Why Catholic? is important reading for those who wish to continue to nourish their faith and enhance their sense of Catholic identity.
When we live the reasons why we are Catholic, we become more authentic. When we live our faith more authentically, we are more deeply and more meaningfully connected to God. Solidly based on the content of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the four-book series includes:
A fine resource for adult faith formation, RCIA, and small Christian communities.
For more information, please contact us by email or phone 780-469-1010.
Parents are the first educators of their children. Within an atmosphere of love, they provide a well-rounded formation for them. This message has been repeated in the documents of Vatican II, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the General Directory for Catechesis (GDC, 1997).
The faith formation of young children begins many years before any formal catechetical instruction. The family’s role in the faith formation of their children continues when children begin school. Catholic parents continue to share their faith with their children through praying at home, attending Sunday Mass every week, and witnessing to their faith by the way they live every day. Catechesis has two goals:
· To mature the initial faith
· To educate the maturing person “by means of a deeper and more systematic knowledge of the person and message of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Our Canadian Catechetical resources have been developed with the family in mind. Catechists in the parish and teachers in schools are encouraged to send information home about the themes that have been presented. This equips parents to journey with their children in an ongoing way.
“In [reality]... initial evangelization [of children] has often not taken place. [Some] children baptized in infancy come for catechesis in the parish without receiving any other initiation into the faith, and without any explicit personal attachment to Jesus Christ.... Other children have not been baptized... Many pre-adolescents and adolescents who have been baptized and been given a systematic catechesis and the sacraments still remain hesitant a long time about committing their whole lives to Christ... Even adults are not safe from temptations to doubt or to abandon their faith, especially as a result of their unbelieving surroundings.”
“The aim of all catechesis is to develop, with God’s help, an as yet initial faith, and to advance in fullness and to nourish day by day the Christian life of the faithful, young and old.”
Catechesi Tradendae, 20
Some families, because of distance or other reasons, are unable to participate in formal catechetical classes in a Catholic school, or in a parish. For these families, there is a home edition of our Canadian resources. The home program works best when each family is connected with someone who mentors them along the way, such as a pastor or catechist from their parish. We also suggest that the home program families in a parish/region might gather together every month or two for a general session.
The Home Edition for Years 1 through 6 is available in a booklet edition. These programs are still available from CCCB publications.
Catholic Pastoral Centre
8421 - 101 Avenue,
Edmonton, AB T6A 0L1
Phone: 780-469-1010, ext. 2292 Fax.: 780-465-3003
Administrative Assistant: Danielle Robanske
Phone: 780-469-1010, ext. 2292
The best place to start would be to find a Catholic church near to you that offers a process for interested people like you. This process is called the Rite of Christian Initiation (or RCIA). Have you been attending a Catholic parish church, alone or with a friend? If you like that parish, start by speaking to them about their RCIA process.
If you need help finding a parish, call our office and we will help you. It is extremely important to find a community to plug into as you journey in your faith.
Becoming a member of the Catholic Church is not simply dependent upon “book knowledge.” RCIA is a journey of faith—period of sacramental formation. What does “sacramental formation” mean? We use “sacramental” to mean experiencing God through visible signs. “Formation” means being shaped and transformed through your experience of the RCIA process.
The RCIA journey takes time. You need to consider your own life and lifestyle, and how becoming a Catholic might re-form both. You will participate in Catholic life and community, in liturgical gatherings, and in apostolic action. The “teaching” is just a small part of the experience when you explore becoming fully Catholic. So reading a lot of books is not enough. You must live your way into the knowledge of the faith.
According to Karl Rahner (a well-known Catholic theologian), Christians will either become mystics (one who has experienced God), or they will be mediocre and legalistic. The bishops of the church have recommended that RCIA take adequate time: a full year in the Catechumenate (the “apprenticeship” phase). They also recommend that RCIA continue with the Mystagogy period—the period where the new Catholic now “lives the mysteries” and is formed by them.
When people begin the RCIA journey, very few can actually claim that they are thoroughly grounded in experiencing the Risen Christ in the Catholic liturgy. Very few have ever had experience of Christian community the way the Catholic Church understands it. The RCIA process gives you these opportunities.
In our modern world, we want instant everything. We are impatient with slow response time on computers, people not returning our messages, slow drivers on roadways, and much else. Becoming a Catholic is very similar to falling in love and deciding if you want to marry that person. The rest of your life is a long time! When you discern whether the Catholic way of life is one you want to adopt, you need to ponder long and deeply.
And you need to pray. You need to learn how to hear God speaking to you: in Scripture, at Mass, in nature, and in your relationships with others. You need to learn how to listen through the noise of life, for that quiet voice of God speaking deep in your heart.
Occasionally, someone from another Christian tradition has experienced all of this already, knows our Lord Jesus Christ through liturgy and Scripture, and wishes to make their home with the Catholic Christian community. That person might enter the Church sooner than a person who is not yet baptized. However, Scripture itself uses the phrase “in the fullness of time” to express the need for patient discernment in all matters of living a life of faith.
Call the nearest Catholic parish today, and begin this awesome journey!
Check out this website! Excellent tools for parish RCIA teams! www.teamrcia.com
Winter 2009-10 - Volume 27, Issue 1
Fall 2009 - Volume 26, Issue 2