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February 2, 2007

Shepherd’s Column

By Archbishop Daniel N. DiNardo

January is a very busy month of activities in this archdiocese. We recently celebrated a two day Catechetical Congress. I was privileged to give one of the keynote speeches before an assembly of 1,000 catechists. I was pleased to see their enthusiasm and their dedication to the ministry of echoing Christ to their students, to those in various forms of adult formation, and to our young people and young adults. The work of teaching the faith always has a number of components. The challenge for each catechist is to be well formed in these components and to be able to express them in such a public way of witness that the hearers “catch the fire” of Christ’s love and want to be more deeply united with Him and His Father so that the faith spreads to others. One dimension of the catechist’s work is to promote knowledge of the faith. This can only take place if the catechist is himself or herself already in a state of “conversion to the Lord” and is able to communicate the necessity of such conversion for the hearers of the word. Deeper knowledge of doctrine and of the content of the faith will remain lifeless if not joined to a sense of conversion and prayer. But if these are joined, then right teaching becomes a great adventure to unpack the Scriptures and the great teaching tradition of the Church. What is handed on is not only a set of teachings but a way of life. This way of life inevitably spills over into outreach, into works of charity and justice, and into public witness of the faith. None of this is mechanical: the action of the Holy Spirit in sacramental life and prayer saturates a person of faith and gives the catechist and the hearer of the catechetical word a basis for learning the faith and practicing it. The Catechetical Congress focused on a number of ways to promote knowledge of the faith, to intensify a spirit of prayer and to learn the social doctrine of the Church. It was a good weekend and I thank all those who were present and participated in this important activity. The enemy of knowledge and practice of the faith in today’s Church is not sheer unbelief, but vagueness of knowledge of the faith and of practicing the faith. I have been a catechist since I was a junior in high school and consider the catechetical ministry, next to sacramental life, one of the most crucial ministries of the Church. Catechists frequently engage in their work without much fanfare and are subject to the “loneliness of the Word,” a sense that their ministry may not be bearing fruit. The feeling is normal, but the conviction about the work must be like steel. It is the Holy Spirit that gives life and works quietly in children, youth, catechumens and adults to bring them more deeply into faith because of the efforts of catechists. God bless all those who love this ministry and are immersed in it!

This is Catholic Schools’ Week, a celebration of the excellence in education and faith formation which marks our archdiocese through the generous work of so many people in our Catholic schools. I am “on a roll”, as they say, this week to be present at many occasions marking this week of celebration. One of our parishes has a new school library; another is hosting a whole group of schools for the celebration of Mass; our own University of St. Thomas has conducted an essay contest for our grade schools and high schools, and I was pleased to be present for the awards ceremony. I am a product of Catholic schools and an unrepentant cheerleader of them, especially in their unique way of combining knowledge of the world, of arts, sciences and culture with the knowledge and understanding of the faith. May God bless all those involved in this remarkable ministry, the students, faculty, administration, staff, parents, benefactors and our Archdiocesan Schools’ Office. We have many hard challenges to face in our schools, and we will meet them all for Catholic Education is a pearl of great price.