‘Catechists, catch a little spark of joy when everything goes wrong’

By Priscilla A. Greear - Florida Catholic

Photography: MARLENE QUARONI | FC

SOUTHWEST RANCHES | Veronica Burgos drifted away from the Catholic Church for two decades after her divorce as she raised her three children. Then, in 2023, she went to confession. Afterward, she rediscovered her faith on an Emmaus retreat and began serving as a catechist.

“I walked an Emmaus retreat for women and my life changed. I realized that even though I kept pushing God away, He was always there,” said Burgos, a parishioner at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Doral. In March, she realized that she wanted and needed to do more not only for women seeking God. “I wanted to go to the kids - so it’s my new way to give back,” she said.

Burgos and 37 others from Our Lady of Guadalupe joined nearly 900 catechists, directors of religious education, and Catholic school teachers for the annual Archdiocese of Miami Catechetical Conference Oct. 25, 2025.

Archbishop Thomas Wenski celebrated the opening Mass in English, Creole and Spanish at St. Mark Parish in Southwest Ranches, followed by the conference at Archbishop Edward McCarthy High School next door. The conference drew educators from across the archdiocese, including six Vietnamese Daughters of Our Lady of the Visitation from St. Helen Parish in Lauderdale Lakes, and a delegation from Notre Dame d’Haiti Mission in Miami. The theme was to “Always be ready to give an explanation for a reason for your hope.”

In his homily, Archbishop Wenski affirmed educators’ work to share Christ’s hope and witness their faith through solidarity with the suffering. “In the face of trial and tribulation, we also ask God to strengthen our faith by calming the storms of anxiety, doubt and fear that rage within our hearts,” he said.

Keynote speakers Sarah Christmyer, Ester Munt-Brooks and Julieta Jacobo covered topics from Scripture catechesis to joy in heartbreak and encounter with Jesus.

Christmyer, a Catholic author of several books and Bible studies, recalled downsizing with her husband in March 2020 into a smaller home and joyful decluttering in Marie Kondo philosophy of keeping items that spark joy. Then her husband was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, and joy evaporated. “If we are to have that ‘capital J’ joy, it needs to be something that can coexist with the sadness, trauma, boredom, pain and fear that I felt in learning of my husband’s cancer. Jesus wants us to be completely filled with joy,” she said. “The joy of the Lord does coexist with sorrow and grief. You might call it joy on the rocks.”

She encouraged the audience to savor simple joys. “We should use them to lift our eyes to God because he has the real joy that doesn’t go away,” she said. “It doesn’t depend on our mood, success or health.”

Christmyer said her husband found joy near death and even encouraged a men’s group on Zoom. “I’m drowning in sorrow and he’s trying to cheer me up, to look on the other side of the door,” she reflected. “It was an amazing thing, to the end of his life. A few times he said I’m looking through the door, it’s so beautiful. Sometimes, as he described it, it seemed he saw Jesus there.”

Indeed, the valley of the shadow of death cannot separate people from the love of God, who can bring goodness to any situation. “Fight the thing, try to get through it, and ask God to lift it. But if he allows it to stay, ask God to bless it.”

She encouraged the audience to abide in God’s love and practice gratitude through regular prayer, Scripture reading, singing hymns and attending Mass. “Give thanks whether you’re thankful or not. When you’ve lost joy, you might find it hiding in your gratitude,” she said. Use joyful moments “as an opportunity to say thank you to God. As catechists, what they need is to catch a little spark of joy from you when everything goes wrong in classroom.”

Burgos strives to be a light for youth and others in her Doral community. She shared that amid heightened immigration restrictions, her friend recently self-deported to Honduras fearful of traumatic detainment. “I still keep in touch with her. She’s an Emmaus sister, and she knows that we go through struggles, and we no longer ask why this is happening to us,” she said. “What Emmaus gives realizing that God is always there.”

Venante Exalant has served as a catechist for 10 years at Notre Dame d’Haiti Mission. “Teens need that catechetical formation, and if they don’t get that, they struggle with their faith. As catechists, we’re here to guide them. I had a great catechist growing up at Notre Dame,” she said, adding that “we don’t have as much enrollment (in religious educations programs for children) as we used to, and I’m not sure if It’s because of immigration or because of people moving. Attendance is down at church.”

Michael Castaneda, a catechist at St. Kevin Parish in Kendall for over 20 years, said, “Not only I am helping the children and families grow closer to Jesus, I’m finding that it keeps me up to date and motivates me to learn more. I’m teaching myself.” To stay current, he uses faith formation resources such as Ascension Press, Hallow, Great Adventure Bible and Word on Fire.

Sister Karen Muniz, director of catechesis, said that representatives from all 109 parishes and about half of the 65 Catholic schools participated. “It’s for renewal, networking, and resources so that they can be more effective catechists and teachers,” she said. “I’m a fruit of my own parish’s catechetical program, Our Lady of Divine Providence.”

The conference also builds Church unity. “It definitely reminds us that we’re one body in faith, and the focus is on the Lord. He is the one who brings us all together,” said Sister Muniz.

Cindy Barry, a kindergarten teacher for over 30 years at St. Coleman School in Pompano Beach, appreciated the message on sharing joy. “It reminds us of what we’re doing and why we’re there with these kids, rather than just teaching them the academics, and to remind us we’re there to teach them about Jesus.”

Dahlia Steele-Huie and Rosalinda Hally were honored at the Mass for their catechetical ministries. Steele-Huie of Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Deerfield Beach, has served as director of religious education (DRE) for 12 years. “Now more than ever, they need someone to look up to with all the distractions with what is going on in the world,” Steele-Huie said. “We need to be proud Catholics and profess our faith no matter where we are. When they go to college, they come back and they’ll call me.”

Hally, who teaches children as DRE at St. Peter the Fisherman Parish in Big Pine Key, said it was a “great honor to receive” the recognition. “My faith is my rock, and Jesus is my rock. With him, I can do whatever he calls me to do. Jesus is my hope,” said Hally, who made her first pilgrimage to Rome for the Jubilee Year.