La importancia de la formaci�n del catequista

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

*Maria Jose Mitsoulis - Director of Religious Education

English Spanish

"La catequesis busca producir en el creyente una fe más madura en Jesucristo, un conocimiento y amor más profundo de su persona y su mensaje, y un compromiso firme para seguirle." (Directorio Nacional para la Catequesis, Núm. 19A).

En mis blogs anteriores, había escrito sobre la importancia de ser llamados al ministerio de la formación catequística. Recibir el llamado de Dios para transmitir la fe, es un honor y, a la vez, una gran responsabilidad.

Cuando recuerdo los años de mi adolescencia aquí, en los Estados Unidos, veo a una joven catequista inmigrante, activa en el coro y en el grupo juvenil de Gesu, y en otras actividades de la iglesia. Recuerdo a la directora de educación religiosa, la hermana Eloísa, de las Misioneras Guadalupanas, quien me llevaba a los cursos de certificación para la catequesis en la parroquia de St. Raymond, al Congreso de Educación Religiosa, y a otros acontecimientos aquí, en la Arquidiócesis de Miami. Recuerdo a la hermana Rose Monique cuando daba el curso “Para Enseñar Religión”, en las décadas de 1980 y 1990. Enseñaba con mucho convencimiento y entusiasmo.

Años más tarde, vi a Elizabeth Levitz enseñando en St. Katharine Drexel, y utilizaba actividades para motivar la participación de sus estudiantes. En estos días, cuando enseño, también trato de hacerlo con mucho amor y mucha dedicación. Doy gracias a Dios por todos los líderes y los catequistas que me han transmitido el amor por Dios y por la Iglesia. La formación pastoral y académica que recibí me ha guiado en el camino de la vida. Según voy conociendo y hablo con otros directores de educación religiosa en el país, me convenzo más de cuán esencial es la formación de los catequistas.

El Directorio Nacional para la Catequesis, el Directorio General para la Catequesis, y otros documentos de la Iglesia, me reafirman la importancia de la formación de los catequistas para el presente y el futuro de nuestra Iglesia.

"Por lo tanto, la selección cuidadosa de mujeres y hombres llamados a ser catequistas, y su formación inicial y continua, es uno de los grandes elementos que garantizan la calidad de la catequesis en la parroquia, la escuela y la diócesis. La formación ayudará al catequista a crecer en madurez como adulto, creyente y apóstol." (Directorio General para la Catequesis, Obispos de los EE. UU., Núm. 238)

En enero, nuestro departamento decidió realizar una encuesta para saber cuántos de nuestros catequistas activos habían tomado alguno de nuestros cursos de certificación. Ocho parroquias nos ofrecieron los nombres. Comparamos nuestros datos con la información que nos brindaron los directores de educación religiosa, y llegamos a la conclusión de que, de las ocho parroquias, tres tenían un alto porcentaje de catequistas activos que habían completado el primer nivel o habían tomado un curso. Obtuvimos el total al añadir el porcentaje de quienes finalizaron el primer nivel y el de aquellos que habían tomado alguno de los cursos en uno de los cuatro niveles.

Haga clic aquí para ver la tabla

Las parroquias en las que más catequistas han tomado cursos arquidiocesanos son: St. Matthew, con 50 por ciento; St. Martha, con 23 por ciento; y St. Agnes, con 22 por ciento. ¡Felicitaciones! Deseo agradecer a los directores de educación religiosa que respondieron a este sondeo, y también pedirles a los demás directores que me envíen sus resultados para poder continuar este sondeo. Damos gracias por las mujeres y los hombres que han servido como maestros de la fe, y quienes han tomado tiempo para ponerse al día en su conocimiento y compartir su experiencia como catequistas.

Hoy, más que nunca, los catequistas deben tener entrenamiento básico y avanzado. Las parroquias y las escuelas católicas solicitan cursos específicos a través del año. En nuestro programa para la certificación de catequistas siempre tratamos de ofrecer cursos de calidad. Nuestra Arquidiócesis ofrece varias opciones para completar un nivel o más, y se ofrecen 12 cursos, desde metodología y Escrituras, hasta justicia social. Además, los cursos pueden ser aplicados para créditos en las universidades de Barry y St. Thomas. También ofrecemos cursos en línea, en colaboración con la universidad de Dayton.

El mes próximo volveremos a ofrecer el Summer Institute (instituto de verano), de dos semanas de duración, en las escuelas St. Thomas the Apostle, en Miami, y All Saints, en Sunrise. Los catequistas profesionales y voluntarios pueden escoger entre 20 cursos ofrecidos durante tres períodos por día. Les exhortamos a visitar nuestro sitio web, www.newmiamiarchdiocese.org/ReligiousEducation, para descargar el volante con más información.

Comments from readers

Maria Jose Mitsoulis - 05/28/2010 12:06 PM

Thank you all for your comments. I thank the readers who did not post their comments online, but emailed me. Let's keep praying for each other. Amen.

Nelson Araque - 05/27/2010 08:35 AM

Thank you Maria Jose for pointing out the importance of the formation for our catechists. As an instructor of the Catechist Certification Program, I am so proud of my students; school teachers and catechist. The last course I taught was in San John Bosco parish. The only thing I can say about this course is that I really enjoyed it. I saw the power of the Holy Spirit in our interaction. I was so glad being there because these catechists showed me the importance of my ministry.

Thank you to all our catechists.

Maria Jose Mitsoulis - 05/26/2010 09:09 AM

I am encouraging the rest of the DREs to continue sending us their catechist list to keep working on this survey. We can see how many are still active, but we can also see how many more out there need to have basic formation as catechists. We need the support of the pastors and DREs to keep providing catechist formation in our Archdiocese. Thank you.

Neida D. Perez - 05/26/2010 06:53 AM

I hear you that the survey took a great deal of time and effort. Yet, could it be expanded to some other parishes? Maybe begin by county or by sections? I would like to show parishes where they are in the area of catechist formation in relation to other parishes that are doing better.

Maria Jose Mitsoulis - 05/25/2010 07:01 PM

This survey took a long time to get it done and complete. The chart was nicely put together, but I guess technology does not make it look nice here. I thank Ana for trying...but I would like to focus on the comments...now

I liked very much what Neida said about the call to generosity from volunteers. I agree that catechists volunteer and give their time, but I would like them to also see that to be a good catechist formation is required. I believe the Spirit of God continues to touch people's heart, it is a conversion experience that moves individuals to want to learn more about the faith, etc. So we hope for the conversion of hearts to happen in our parish communities.

We have had many good catechists in the past like Esperanza, and all those mentioned below, but we most continue to offer in creative ways basic formation to our catechists. It takes love and dedication. Thank you again for all our catechists in our parishes in the Archdiocese.

Ana Rodriguez-Soto - 05/25/2010 12:58 PM

Brother Richard, and all, my apologies. Inadvertently we posted the wrong version of Maria Jose's blog, with the wrong parishes named. What is posted now is correct, and I hope the chart is little easier to read as well. This is all a learning process... Thank you all for sticking with us!

Maria E. Semper - 05/25/2010 09:31 AM

As a cathequist at St. Joaquim parish in the 80's and 90's, I would like to also acknowledge Esperanza Ginoris, from the Dept. of Religious Ed. who came to our parish and took great interest in teaching various courses and levels to certity all our volunteers. Much was accomplished by her. She was a true source of inspiration to all. She lovingly taught to love God, the children, our faith, and as she use to say "the richness of our numerous and beautiful traditions". She also told all volunteers that in the end as catechists, we were going to learn, grow in our faith and be enriched even more than the children themselves. Thank you Esperanza for your guidance.
Maria E. Semper

Richard DeMaria - 05/25/2010 09:00 AM

Maria Jose: Thank you for the reminder about teh importance of formation for those persons who take on the important ministry of Catechetics. I am disappointed to see that the statistics given are incorrect, and leave out one of our parishes which has a wonderful record of participation. Richard

Neida D. Perez - 05/24/2010 08:51 AM

I also remember the Misioneras Guadalupanas, Sr. Monique, and the others. I give thanks to God for all of them, including Maria Jose who used to be at the media center when I went to borrow videos for some of the credits. I have completed the four levels of the catequist formation program and I can say that I enjoyed each one of them. My favorites were the ones on Liturgy and the two parts of Becoming Peacemakers. I wish there was a way to encourage more catechists to participate in the program. I have heard that they are volunteers and not much can be expected in terms of requirements. I say, if they answer the call with generosity, they would not hesitate to give a little bit more for love of the ministry and the children. They need the right kind of encouragement.

Maria Jose Mitsoulis - 05/28/2010 12:06 PM: Thank you all for your comments. I thank the readers who did not post their comments online, but emailed me. Let's keep praying for each other. Amen.

Nelson Araque - 05/27/2010 08:35 AM: Thank you Maria Jose for pointing out the importance of the formation for our catechists. As an instructor of the Catechist Certification Program, I am so proud of my students; school teachers and catechist. The last course I taught was in San John Bosco parish. The only thing I can say about this course is that I really enjoyed it. I saw the power of the Holy Spirit in our interaction. I was so glad being there because these catechists showed me the importance of my ministry.

Thank you to all our catechists.

Maria Jose Mitsoulis - 05/26/2010 09:09 AM: I am encouraging the rest of the DREs to continue sending us their catechist list to keep working on this survey. We can see how many are still active, but we can also see how many more out there need to have basic formation as catechists. We need the support of the pastors and DREs to keep providing catechist formation in our Archdiocese. Thank you.

Neida D. Perez - 05/26/2010 06:53 AM: I hear you that the survey took a great deal of time and effort. Yet, could it be expanded to some other parishes? Maybe begin by county or by sections? I would like to show parishes where they are in the area of catechist formation in relation to other parishes that are doing better.

Maria Jose Mitsoulis - 05/25/2010 07:01 PM: This survey took a long time to get it done and complete. The chart was nicely put together, but I guess technology does not make it look nice here. I thank Ana for trying...but I would like to focus on the comments...now

I liked very much what Neida said about the call to generosity from volunteers. I agree that catechists volunteer and give their time, but I would like them to also see that to be a good catechist formation is required. I believe the Spirit of God continues to touch people's heart, it is a conversion experience that moves individuals to want to learn more about the faith, etc. So we hope for the conversion of hearts to happen in our parish communities.

We have had many good catechists in the past like Esperanza, and all those mentioned below, but we most continue to offer in creative ways basic formation to our catechists. It takes love and dedication. Thank you again for all our catechists in our parishes in the Archdiocese.

Ana Rodriguez-Soto - 05/25/2010 12:58 PM: Brother Richard, and all, my apologies. Inadvertently we posted the wrong version of Maria Jose's blog, with the wrong parishes named. What is posted now is correct, and I hope the chart is little easier to read as well. This is all a learning process... Thank you all for sticking with us!

Maria E. Semper - 05/25/2010 09:31 AM: As a cathequist at St. Joaquim parish in the 80's and 90's, I would like to also acknowledge Esperanza Ginoris, from the Dept. of Religious Ed. who came to our parish and took great interest in teaching various courses and levels to certity all our volunteers. Much was accomplished by her. She was a true source of inspiration to all. She lovingly taught to love God, the children, our faith, and as she use to say "the richness of our numerous and beautiful traditions". She also told all volunteers that in the end as catechists, we were going to learn, grow in our faith and be enriched even more than the children themselves. Thank you Esperanza for your guidance.
Maria E. Semper

Richard DeMaria - 05/25/2010 09:00 AM: Maria Jose: Thank you for the reminder about teh importance of formation for those persons who take on the important ministry of Catechetics. I am disappointed to see that the statistics given are incorrect, and leave out one of our parishes which has a wonderful record of participation. Richard

Neida D. Perez - 05/24/2010 08:51 AM: I also remember the Misioneras Guadalupanas, Sr. Monique, and the others. I give thanks to God for all of them, including Maria Jose who used to be at the media center when I went to borrow videos for some of the credits. I have completed the four levels of the catequist formation program and I can say that I enjoyed each one of them. My favorites were the ones on Liturgy and the two parts of Becoming Peacemakers. I wish there was a way to encourage more catechists to participate in the program. I have heard that they are volunteers and not much can be expected in terms of requirements. I say, if they answer the call with generosity, they would not hesitate to give a little bit more for love of the ministry and the children. They need the right kind of encouragement.