Catechists gather, reaffirm their work

Four speakers were brought in by the Diocese Office of Education for the enrichment day Oct. 3 at St. Columbkille Parish.

Catechists, educators, RCIA team members, liturgists and pastoral leaders participate in their annual enrichment day Oct. 3 at St. Columbkille Parish in Fort Myers. The event was sponsored by the Diocese of Venice and included more than 350 people from across the diocese.

BOB REDDY | FC
Catechists, educators, RCIA team members, liturgists and pastoral leaders participate in their annual enrichment day Oct. 3 at St. Columbkille Parish in Fort Myers. The event was sponsored by the Diocese of Venice and included more than 350 people from across the diocese.

BOB REDDY | FLORIDA CATHOLIC VENICE BUREAU EDITOR

Posted: 10.16.09

FORT MYERS | The catechists of the Diocese of Venice gathered for a day that was set up to help them renew and enrich their work as they serve to directly impact the Catholics of Southwest Florida in a profound way.

Diana Macalintal, director of worship for the Diocese of San Jose, Calif., speaks about how to apply the lessons of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults program to other areas of Catholic teaching.

BOB REDDY | FC
Diana Macalintal, director of worship for the Diocese of San Jose, Calif., speaks about how to apply the lessons of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults program to other areas of Catholic teaching.

Four speakers were brought in by the Diocese Office of Education for the enrichment day Oct. 3 at St. Columbkille Parish. The theme of the day was “Catechesis in the Proclamation of the Word,” which also serves as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ theme for Catechetical Sunday 2009.

Diocesan Director of Catechetical Ministry Dr. Kathy Kleinlein said she hoped each of the more than 375 catechists, educators, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults teams, liturgists and pastoral leaders left the day with a renewed gusto for their work and will share what they learned.

This was an opportunity to get everyone prepared for a new year of being a witness to the Gospel while rededicating themselves to this mission as a community of faith, Kleinlein said. This year’s catechesis event was formatted to allow a greater sense of sharing and learning for the group, versus the usual breakout groups into which people are separated.

Tom Kenzia, a national speaker and acclaimed liturgical composer, started the day by awakening the crowd with his own music, which helps tell Gospel stories. He was then joined by ValLimar Jansen, an actor, singer, professor, and internationally known inspirational speaker and storyteller, who performed a number of Gospel stories from the perspective of a character in the Bible itself.

Getting into character with simple clothing changes or props, Jansen later explained, can be an effective tool to help young and old alike learn the stories of the Bible in new and exciting ways. “We learn most effectively this way, not by reading, and definitely not by hearing someone else talk.”

The afternoon speakers, Nick Wagner, editor of Today’s Parish Minister and Religion Teacher’s Journal; and Diana Macalintal, director of worship for the Diocese of San Jose, Calif., spoke about how to apply the lessons of the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults program in other aspects of the Catholic teaching.

Wagner said that does not mean all Catholic education must follow the same deliberate process, but rather that the basic principles for success can be used in other areas. The goal of using the RCIA process is to promote knowledge of the faith using the gifts each catechist has while finding creative ways to break open the Gospel, he said.

Macalintal spoke about how to be an effective liturgical catechist through preparation, use of rituals or events, and reflection by using mystagogy, the Church’s ancient way to connect liturgy and catechesis. This process is scripturally based with the goal of formation rather than just providing information.

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