By Ana Rodriguez Soto - Florida Catholic newspaper
Monica Lauzurique, mission coordinator for Amor en Accion, stands by her exhibit at the Catechetical Conference 2016. The catechists raised $1,800 during the opening Mass to be given to the group for Hurricane Matthew relief efforts in Haiti.
Mary Ann Wiesinger, director of the Office of Evangelization and Parish Life, speaks with catechists who stopped by her exhibit at the Catechetical Conference 2016, held Oct. 22 at Msgr. Edward Pace High School in Miami Gardens.
Peter Ductram director of the archdiocesan Office of Catechesis, welcomes catechists to the 2016 Catechetical Conference, held Oct. 22 at Msgr. Edward Pace High School in Miami Gardens.
Steve Angrisano, backed by the Spartans in Harmony of Msgr. Edward Pace High School and musicians from the Cefas Ministry, leads the singing during the opening Mass of the 2016 Catechetical Conference, held Oct. 22 at Pace.
Praying during the opening Mass: Some of the more than 1,000 catechists who attended the Catechetical Conference Oct. 22 at Msgr. Edward Pace High School in Miami Gardens.
Miguel Ruiz, director of religious education at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Doral, and recipient of this year's Esperanza Ginoris Award, proclaims the first reading during the opening Mass of the 2016 Catechetical Conference, held Oct. 22 at Msgr. Edward Pace High School, Miami Gardens.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski preaches the homily at the opening Mass of the annual archdiocesan Catechetical Conference, held Oct. 22 at Msgr. Edward Pace High School in Miami.
Archbishop Thomas Wenski and archdiocesan priests concelebrate the opening Mass of the 2016 Catechetical Conference, held Oct. 22 at Msgr. Edward Pace High School, Miami Gardens.
Praying during the opening Mass: Some of the more than 1,000 catechists who attended the Catechetical Conference Oct. 22 at Msgr. Edward Pace High School in Miami Gardens.
Praying during the opening Mass: One of the more than 1,000 catechists who attended the Catechetical Conference Oct. 22 at Msgr. Edward Pace High School in Miami Gardens.
Accompanied by Superintendent of Schools Kim Pryzbylski, Archbishop Thomas Wenski gives the Esperanza Ginoris Award to Miguel Ruiz, director of religious education at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Doral.
Accompanied by Superintendent of Schools Kim Pryzbylski, left, and Office of Catechesis Director Peter Ductram, Archbishop Thomas Wenski gives a 2016 Catechetical Leadership Award to Therese Walters, director of religious education at San Pablo Church in Marathon.
Accompanied by Superintendent of Schools Kim Pryzbylski, left, and Office of Catechesis Director Peter Ductram, Archbishop Thomas Wenski gives a 2016 Catechetical Leadership Award to Maria de la Fe, director of religious education at St. Benedict Parish in Hialeah.
Accompanied by Superintendent of Schools Kim Pryzbylski, left, and Office of Catechesis Director Peter Ductram, Archbishop Thomas Wenski gives a 2016 Catechetical Leadership Award to Maryann Hotchkiss, director of religious education at St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish in Pembroke Pines.
Accompanied by Superintendent of Schools Kim Pryzbylski, left, and Office of Catechesis Director Peter Ductram, Archbishop Thomas Wenski gives a 2016 Catechetical Leadership Award to Leyla Mazpule, director of religious education at Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Miami.
Accompanied by Schools Superintendent Kim Pryzbylski, Archbishop Thomas Wenski hands out cerfication diplomas to the more than 300 catechists who completed the two-year educational program.
Adela Siman of the Florida Center for Peace was among more than a dozen exhibitors at the 2016 Catechetical Conference, "Transformed by God's Love."
Musician/evangelist Steve Angrisano leads a workshop on teaching youth "the way" of discipleship at the 2016 Catechetical Conference, "Transformed by God's Love."
William H. Sadlier publishing company was among more than a dozen exhibitors at the 2016 Catechetical Conference, "Transformed by God's Love."
Catechists had plenty of books to choose from among the exhibits at the 2016 Catechetical Conference, "Transformed by God's Love."
Sisters of St. Joseph Benedict Cottolengo, who staff the Marian Center School, eat their lunch during the 2016 Catechetical Conference, "Transformed by God's Love."
Catechists from St. Katharine Drexel Parish in Weston pose for a photo during the lunch break for the 2016 Catechetical Conference, "Transformed by God's Mercy."
Precious Blood Father Joseph Nassal, provincial director of his community and author of a number of books, including "The Conspiracy of Compassion," gives a workshop on reconciliation, "from here to hope," at one of the breakout sessions of the 2016 Catechetical Conference, "Transformed by God's Mercy."
Volunteers with the Office of Catechesis wore these colorful "meme" shirts to help guide participants at the 2016 Catechetical Conference, held Oct. 22 at Msgr. Edward Pace High School, Miami Gardens.
Photography: ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC
MIAMI GARDENS | Miguel Ruiz did not bask long in the limelight.
Shortly after being honored with the Esperanza Ginoris Award, the director of religious education at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Doral changed out of his coat and tie and into his work clothes: a polo shirt and a walkie-talkie.
He became one of dozens of volunteers directing foot traffic at Msgr. Edward Pace High School, where about 1,000 catechists gathered Oct. 22 for the archdiocese’s 38th annual Catechetical Conference.
He also was the one responsible for getting a phalanx of Guadalupe’s Emmaus Bikers to guide cars to their parking spots.
But he refused to take credit for the work he has been doing at the parish since 2004, work that the Ginoris award recognized as a “model for catechesis” in the archdiocese. The parish has about 950 students in religious education, taught by 60 senior catechists and about 80 student volunteers.
“I don’t deserve it,” said the Argentina-born Ruiz. “The ones who deserve it are all the catechists of the parish. We (catechetical leaders) direct the orchestra but they play the music.”
Young catechist
One of those “musicians” is Tiffany Soto, a 16-year-old junior at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale. Barely old enough to drive — she does not have a car so her parents taxi her around — Tiffany has been a catechist at her parish, All Saints in Sunrise, since her freshman year.
Photographer: ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC
Accompanied by Superintendent of Schools Kim Pryzbylski, Archbishop Thomas Wenski gives the Esperanza Ginoris Award to Miguel Ruiz, director of religious education at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Doral.
Photographer: ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC
Accompanied by Superintendent of Schools Kim Pryzbylski, left, and Office of Catechesis Director Peter Ductram, Archbishop Thomas Wenski gives a 2016 Catechetical Leadership Award to Therese Walters, director of religious education at San Pablo Church in Marathon.
Photographer: ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC
Accompanied by Superintendent of Schools Kim Pryzbylski, left, and Office of Catechesis Director Peter Ductram, Archbishop Thomas Wenski gives a 2016 Catechetical Leadership Award to Maria de la Fe, director of religious education at St. Benedict Parish in Hialeah.
Photographer: ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC
Accompanied by Superintendent of Schools Kim Pryzbylski, left, and Office of Catechesis Director Peter Ductram, Archbishop Thomas Wenski gives a 2016 Catechetical Leadership Award to Maryann Hotchkiss, director of religious education at St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish in Pembroke Pines.
Photographer: ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC
Accompanied by Superintendent of Schools Kim Pryzbylski, left, and Office of Catechesis Director Peter Ductram, Archbishop Thomas Wenski gives a 2016 Catechetical Leadership Award to Leyla Mazpule, director of religious education at Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Miami.
She helps prepare children for first Communion and teens for confirmation, juggling high school homework with the weekly evening classes. In the summer, she completed two years of coursework offered by the Office of Catechesis.
That makes her a certified catechist — among the youngest in the archdiocese — and one of more than 300 from dozens of parishes and schools who received their certification papers at this year’s conference.
“Sometimes it’s hard to get home and start studying so late,” Tiffany said, referring to the weekly classes she teaches from 5:45 to 8:30 p.m. “But once I’m with the kids, it makes me so happy. They’re so adorable and so innocent.”
As to why she decided to pursue certification, she replied: “You could never know enough about your faith. You’re always learning.”
And that’s just what the catechists continued to do at the annual conference, whose theme this year was “Transformed by God’s Mercy.”
Reconciliation talks
They heard keynote talks on reconciliation — in English by Precious Blood Father Joseph Nassal and in Spanish by Rogelio Zelada of the archdiocese’s Office of Lay Ministry.
They got tips on reaching young people from famed musician Steve Angrisano, who paired with the local Cefas Ministry to lead the music at the opening Mass.
They heard about ways to incorporate families in religious education and teach children with autism and other developmental disabilities.
They inspected the newest books and materials offered by publishers such as Sadlier and Our Sunday Visitor.
They found out, from nationally known speaker Jo Ann Paradise, “why God doesn’t send emails.”
They even received a compliment from some of the out-of-town guests regarding the ease with which Miamians celebrate Mass in three languages, switching effortlessly — in song and prayer — between English, Spanish and Creole.
“We have seen a spirit in here that we haven’t seen in many places,” said Peter Ductram, relaying what a couple of the speakers told him. “I think it’s a beautiful compliment to the whole archdiocese.”
As director of the Office of Catechesis, Ductram is the orchestra leader for the annual event, which summons parish catechists and school religion teachers from all the ends of the archdiocese: as far north as Deerfield Beach and as far south as the Keys.
“You feel that people know each other. That people believe, and it’s their event,” Ductram said.
‘Most wonderful thing’
The catechists took up a special collection at the Mass, raising $1,800 for the victims of Hurricane Matthew in Haiti.
They also honored their own, giving Catechetical Leadership awards to five DREs who best exemplify “faithful service, joyful commitment and visionary leadership”: Maria de la Fe of St. Benedict Parish in Hialeah; Maryann Hotchkiss of St. Maximilian Kolbe Parish in Pembroke Pines; Leyla Mazpule of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Miami; Nubia Stanley of Immaculate Conception Parish in Hialeah; and Therese Walters of San Pablo Parish in Marathon.
“I am humbled, definitely humbled,” said Walters, calling catechesis “the most wonderful thing you can do.”
But she admitted it’s gotten harder over the past 20 years.
“When I began so long ago, it was a manner of understanding that everyone brought their children to learn about God. Now we have to go out and beat the bushes to bring them in. It’s not part of the culture anymore,” she said.
So much so that the parish now pushes for the parents to stay while their children are in class. “We really want them there so that they learn even more than the children do,” Walters said.
Fulfilling work
But the work is definitely fulfilling said Hotchkiss, a fellow honoree.
“I just kept thinking about the journey and all the people that have crossed my paths,” said the 22-year veteran, noting that Deacon Pierre Douyon, who served at the Mass, had been one of her catechists.
“When I said yes, I never thought I’d say yes. My husband, the non-Catholic, pushed me to say yes. Now it all makes sense,” Hotchkiss said.
As for what it takes to be a catechist, she cited, “Love of Christ. Love of people. And hope that you’re able to accept people where they are and draw them closer to the Lord.”
Archbishop Thomas Wenski, in closing remarks during the opening Mass, cited another quality: a faith that is lived.
In a world where “we don’t trust anybody,” he said, “kids don’t trust teachers because they’re teachers. They trust teachers because they’re witnesses.”
Or as Father Nassal put it in his keynote talk: “How can we be revolutionaries of God’s tender mercy? … The revolution begins on our knees, when we wash the feet of one another.”
Photographer: ANA RODRIGUEZ-SOTO | FC
Musician/evangelist Steve Angrisano leads a workshop on teaching youth "the way" of discipleship at the 2016 Catechetical Conference, "Transformed by God's Love." More than 1,000 catechists from parishes throughout the archdiocese attended the all-day event, held Oct. 22 at Msgr. Edward Pace High School in Miami.
