Thursday, November 12, 2009

Features of the United States Catechism for Adults

* The presentation of the content lends itself to easy planning for a variety of adult faith formation situations –retreats, R.C.I.A, sacramental preparation.

* Most chapters begin with the story of a Catholic from the United States and are practical, engaging and relatable.

* The teachings engage both the positive and negative features of our culture.

* Learners are involved in the content through faith sharing discussion questions that connect faith learning to faith living.

* Each chapter concludes with brief doctrinal statements and suggestions for meditation and prayer.

* A helpful glossary at the end of the Catechism provides assistance with unfamiliar terminology.

Deepening Your Faith Life Through the Use of the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults

Commentary by Julianne Donlon, Adult Faith Formation Director, Diocese of Green Bay

“We will first, like Jesus, join people in their daily concerns and walk side by side with them on the pathway of life.”
Our Hearts Were Burning #8

The publication of Bishop Ricken’s first pastoral letter “A New Moment for Catechesis In the Diocese of Green Bay” coincides with the 10th Anniversary of the United States Catholic Bishops’ document “Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us”. Both of these documents emphasize that we must renew our commitment to adult faith formation and utilize the teachings of the Church to bring people into a deeper relationship with Christ. Each one of us, by our baptism, is called to share the faith, to evangelize our culture and to bring what we believe into the world. Ideally, Catholics should be able to explain their faith, defend it when it is attacked and to feel comfortable in knowing the basic beliefs that bind us to the church.

I am often asked to recommend resources to adults who are seeking clarity in their own lives, resources to help parents talk to their children about the faith or to young adults who are truly curious about the teachings of the Catholic Church. Without a doubt, I recommend the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults (USCCA) as an accessible, interesting and straightforward presentation of the faith. The U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults is exactly that: Catholic and for adults. It is a reference, a resource and a refresher for all Catholics (especially young adults) but is oriented toward those who might never have studied the faith in a systematic matter. Regardless of your knowledge of the faith this work has something for everyone!

You will find the USCCA to be easy reading. It sets forth in an appealing and engaging manner all that the Church believes (the creed in Chapters 1-13), what the Church celebrates (the sacraments in Chapters 14-22), what the Church lives (Christian morality in Chapters 23-34) and how the Church prays (Christian prayer in Chapters 35-36). Doctrine applied to cultural challenges is one of the unique features of this “local Catechism”. The themes of human dignity, respect, solidarity and justice are among those treated. The USCCA identifies positive aspects of our culture and also addresses the challenges subjectivism, relativism and consumerism in our society. “Hot button” issues are discussed and the reflection questions encourage the reader to make the connection between faith learning and faith living.

The US Catholic Catechism for Adults is a user-friendly resource. If any of the following apply, you will want to make this distinctly American Catholic resource part of your life.

• You are inspired by reading about people who have witnessed to the faith in their own life are roles models for Catholic living.
• You are curious about the traditions and history of the Church in the United States
• You have a desire to grow in your understanding of the Catholic faith
• You wish to better connect your Catholic faith to life in our cultural context.
• You are seeking ways to deepen your prayer life.

Consider finding ways to study the USCCA r with other adults with whom you relate, interested parishioners, or family and friends. Share what you have learned and if you have specific questions consider approaching a trusted priest friend. The USCCA will be an invaluable resource for priests and deacons in their preaching and teaching ministry, and for all who desire to come to a deeper understanding of this wonderful gift of our Catholic faith. It will surely become a staple of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, both for its teaching teams and for inquirers. It will be a stimulating resource for parish study groups, who may choose to focus on the discussion questions. It could become a powerful Lenten project, with a chapter a day nearly covering that holy season. It can also be used as a self-directed retreat as you pray with the stories in the work or focus on the prayers and meditations offered.

This resource is designed for exploration and integration of our faith in a manner that is dialogic and relatable. In the give and take of faith sharing, the deep truths of the Catechism will meet the rich, graced insights of people’s experience. The result can be truly transformative!

A Defining Moment In History

Rosie Bartel, Religious Education Director at the Diocese of Green Bay, comments on publication of Bishop David Ricken's first Pastoral Letter:

Some may ask why this is a defining moment in the history of catechesis in our country and in the Diocese of Green Bay. Bishop David Ricken’s pastoral letter on the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults and its use in the Diocese of Green Bay follows a long history of strong catechetical movements for our diocese. I am old enough to remember the use of the Baltimore Catechism in our parishes and schools. Even though some people like to joke about those days, it gave many of us a solid foundation to start our faith formation. I was here for the start of Vatican II and all the changes that brought to our parishes and how we catechized the faithful.

In the Diocese of Green Bay many of us were involved in the development and use of the Green Bay Plan. I remember being a part of the diocese as it rolled and how everyone across the country was looking to Green Bay and wanting to know about the Green Bay Plan.

As time went on we need more to guide the catechesis of our youth and again Green Bay led the way with the development of a curriculum and a strong religion certification program. During this same time they also were the first diocese to have an accredited commission ministry program.

Three years ago when the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults was published the Diocese of Green Bay immediately looked at ways to share this with our people in the parishes and schools. It became the guiding text for the development of our standard-based religion curriculum for our religious education programs and schools. This curriculum is now on-line and will be interactive. Parishes and schools will be able to share lesson plans and how the implement the curriculum.
The next area that began being reviewed was how we handled religion certification in our diocese. The Wisconsin Catholic Conference had set forth a newly revised set of minimum standards for certification. We looked closely at these new standards and decided to revise our certification process using the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults. Today our catechists and teachers are all expected to receive basic, intermediate and advanced certification. The new syllabi for these levels use the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults as the primary text. This leads to a systematic plan for the training for the catechists and teachers. This certification process will help our catechists and teachers past on the faith and also integrate the faith into all subjects.

I sometimes think we have come full circle. We started with a basic catechism in the Baltimore Catechism and now we have the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults. The things that make this new catechism different is the way the catechism is set up and how it uses the communion of saints and holy people to help better understand the teaching. It also applies the teachings to the issues that confronts many United States citizens. The more I work with the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults the more I appreciate the wealth of information it contains and how it will help all Catholics better understand the teaching of the Catholic Church. This is the best gift we can give to our faithful during this moment in history when many are questioning their faith or are being questioned about their faith by others.

If you have not pick up a copy of the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, I encourage you to do that soon. I would also suggest you take one of the overview classes for the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults or enroll in the new certification process to help you better understand the catechism.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Department of Education Accomplishments 2008/2009: A Real Team Effort!

Looking back at the 2008/2009 fiscal year, Dr. Joe Bound, Diocese of Green Bay Director of Catholic Education provides a synopsis of the year's activities:

Adult Faith Formation. We offered a number of adult faith formation courses throughout the Diocese. Between the U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults classes, W.O.W! The Sacraments, presentations, the Pope Benedict XVI courses, and the Know Your Faith program more than 1,500 people participated in these programs. The Adult Faith Formation division of the Department also produced a booklet celebrating the 10th anniversary of the USCCB document Our Hearts Were Burning, provided guidance to a number of parishes in how to establish adult faith formation programs on the local level. We also started a state-wide adult faith formation organization.

Catholic Schools. The Schools division, with the assistance of a committee composed of system presidents and school principals, developed a new school administrator evaluation process and a set of standards for faith integration in all aspects of Catholic school operations. In addition, the Diocesan Board of Education Finance Committee developed and disseminated a new budgetary and financial planning manual and corresponding DVD to all of our schools. The division also sponsored five Leadership Days for all school administrators this year and provided 11 regional in-services, five initial educators’ in-services, five new administrators’ in-services, as well as a number of meetings regarding the Supportive Consultants program. The division also made a little bit of history this year by hosting the first meeting of Catholic school athletic directors since 1992. On May 15, 2009 we conducted the first ever meeting between a Bishop of Green Bay and Catholic school athletic directors.

Religious Education. Supporting catechetical and sacramental preparation programs on the parish level, our Religious Education division worked extensively on the new K-12 religion curriculum project, strengthened the religion certification program requirements for all school and parish religious education personnel, and started work on developing the nation’s first ever accreditation program for parish religion education programs. This division also sponsored five leadership days for catechetical leaders, 11 regional in-services, and a host of catechist training sessions throughout the four corners of the Diocese. In addition this division sponsored Theology of the Body workshops for catechists and catechetical leaders.

Also during 2008-2009 the Department of Education developed the Alive! A Witness to Love program, a new chastity education initiative based closely on the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ chastity education guidelines. This program is designed to help parents teach their children about chastity at an age appropriate level. The program consists of parents teaching other parents how to utilize the new Department of Education-produced set of DVDs for boys, girls, and parents; a manual including a number of helpful tips and bits of practical information; as well as books and pamphlets. This Spring, the Department held peer-parent ambassador training sessions for 35 parents preparing them for a fall 2009 roll out in the parishes. More news about this program will appear in future editions of this Compass insert.

Promotional Services. Our Promotional Services division continued to produce the popular monthly Department of Education Compass insert. This division also spearheaded a collaborative marketing effort this past January with a number of school systems in producing TV ads on WFRV-TV highlighting Catholic Schools Week throughout the Diocese. These ads which ran for three weeks sparked interest in our Catholic schools and some schools were able to track increases in enrollment in February to traffic generated by these ads. This division also worked collaboratively with the Power of Life organization in promoting the Power of Life Event held at Xavier High School this past October. Currently this division is in the process of developing a number of ads promoting our extensive July through August Theology on Tap program as well as the upcoming Lifest event in Oshkosh, and a celebration of Catechetical Week in the Fall.

Curriculum and Instruction. The Department of Education Curriculum and Instruction division continued working with the Link4Learning project, the largest single curriculum project in public or private K-12 education in Wisconsin. The K-8 religion, math, and physical education standards, benchmarks, and grade level expectations were completed this year as well as the K-12 guidance counseling standards. A tremendous amount of progress was made in a number of other disciplines as well. This division also assisted in the accreditation or re-accreditation of eight Catholic schools.

Earlier in the school year, around November, the Diocese transferred youth ministry and young adult ministry from the Evangelization and Worship Department into the Department of Education. This internal restructuring resulted in the Department of Education providing more services to schools and parishes without the assistance of additional personnel. To assist the Department in providing services to youth and young adults, two advisory councils were established to help us with planning and providing events for these very important segments of our Church.

Youth Ministry is under the direction of Rosie Bartel, our Religious Education Director who has been extremely busy this past eight months working with the Youth Ministry Advisory Council, providing services for the Catholic parish Scouting programs, conducting the Diocesan Catholic Youth Conference in April at St. Pius X Parish in Appleton, preparing to send a delegation of youth to the National Catholic Youth Conference in Kansas City, sponsoring Youth Jam held in February at St. John the Baptist Parish in Howard, developing strong connections with the diocesan Vocations office, as well as providing consultation to parish youth ministers.

Young Adult Ministry is under the direction of Julianne Donlon, our Adult Faith Formation Director. She has also been extremely busy working with the Young Adults Ministry Advisory Council, organizing this summer’s Theology on Tap program, preparing to send a delegation of young adults to Madrid, Spain for World Youth Day 2011, as well as consulting with young adult groups throughout the Diocese.

Administrative Services. The Administrative Services division conducted a number of regional board in-services this year, conducted a board retreat for the Kaukauna Catholic School System (KCSS), attended a number of Total Catholic Education (TCE) board or school board meetings, and published a new boards, committees, and commissions manual. This division also facilitated the strategic planning process for KCSS, conducted information sessions on strategic planning at a number of schools as well as at all 11 regional in-services, and did a follow up evaluation of the St. Rose, Clintonville & St. Mary’s, Bear Creek TCE strategic plan in January 2009.

Board of Education. The Diocesan Board of Education developed and rolled out new personnel policies for schools and parish religious education programs, expanded its committees from the original Catechesis, Executive, Finance, Nominations, and Policy & Personnel Committees to now include the new Athletics, Development, Leadership, and Marketing Committees.

As you can see, we have had a very busy year. All of this would not have been achieved without the assistance of a large number of people working on boards, committees and councils, a number of parents stepping forward to help with the new chastity education program, a Diocesan strategic plan for adult faith formation, parish religious education, and schools, the tremendous support of Bishop David Ricken, your prayers, and the dedication of the nine members of the Department of Education team.

Please know that I am deeply appreciative of the collaborative efforts of hundreds, if not thousands, of people in the Diocese of Green Bay who are working diligently to improve Catholic education in its five forms: adult faith formation, parish religious education, schools, youth ministry and young adult ministry. Wait until you see what’s in store for 2090-10. In the meantime, enjoy the summer weather and get a little rest and relaxation. Fall will be here sooner than you think. Take good care and God bless.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Why We Chose Catholic Schools

As another school year comes to a close, Deacon Ray DuBois, diocesan promotional services director, reflects on his family's decision to send their children to a Catholic school.

It’s June. The last tasseled cap has been tossed into the gym rafters, end-of-year transcripts are on their way to colleges, and final tuition payments are clearing in banks throughout the Diocese. For my wife and me, this month marks another milestone: our son has graduated from high school, thus bringing to a close 14 years of Catholic school education from preschool through high school.

If I chose to do the math I suppose that all those tuition payments, candy bars, fruit baskets, book fairs, field trips, and band fees could have bought some serious upgrades to our house, a big new boat, a beefed-up investment portfolio, or a heckuva SUV.

But instead, like thousands of other parents in the Diocese of Green Bay, Anita and I chose to send our son to Catholic school. Why? There’s no single reason. Although he received outstanding academic preparation for college, that’s not what it’s all about.

Not long ago I came across a profile of graduates from Immaculate Heart Academy in Washington Twp, NJ. I believe that their profile captures the essence of why we chose Catholic school. So with thanks to the folks at IHA, here’s what we believe a Catholic education gave to our son. As an 18-year old heading off to college he believes that:

· To discover God in his life is to discover his life’s purpose.
· His life and all human life have dignity and worth.
· Service to others expresses God’s love in his life, and that freedom brings responsibilities.
· Reaching valid judgments requires questioning assumptions.
· Both the world in general and the Church in particular are in need of his gifts.
· His education doesn’t end at graduation but is a lifelong pursuit.

And so, as he moves on to college we are confident that he and those who journey with him are becoming young men and women of competence who are prepared with the intellectual, spiritual, technological, and personal skills that are necessary for success in the 21st century. He has been taught to recognize his gifts and is willing to share them with others.

He gained the confidence to meet the challenges of life and is open to new experiences without being judgmental. His classroom instruction and extracurricular activities integrated Catholic values into all aspects of his day-to-day life. He is gradually transforming into a young man of justice and peace who will continue to work for the promotion of those values in his life and in the lives of others.

Most important of all, his Catholic school education taught him the meaning of the words of St. Paul: “Faith, hope, and love. These three, but the greatest is love.”

14 years of tuition: we got our money’s worth!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Planting the Seeds of Faith

Here's a fresh look at the meaning of summer vacation, compliments of Diane Walters, diocesan curriculum & instruction director.

With the school year ending and the warm weather finally approaching us, I am reminded of a summer hobby that many enjoy: gardening. It makes me recall the parable Jesus shared about sowing seeds:

A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep, and when the sun rose it was scorched, and it withered for lack of roots. Some seed fell
among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it. But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit, a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold. Whoever has ears ought to hear.
(Matthew 13:1-9)

While the literal accomplishment of planting a seed and harvesting it is one of God’s many miracles, the message in this parable holds a deeper meaning that can be applied to our lives.

Jesus wants us to be proud of our Catholic faith and embrace it by planting the Word of God and God’s promises in our own garden of life. This can include our role as students, parents, members of a parish or community. When seeds of faith are planted and have time to grow, they produce a bountiful crop. That crop, in turn, produces more seeds, which can be passed along to others. This is our call to be evangelizers, to tell others about how welcoming Jesus into their lives and having a relationship with Him can change their lives forever.

An experienced gardener, however, knows that abundant growth is dependent on the quality of the soil, weather, weed control, and fertilizer all working together. Therefore, we must be sure to provide good soil to enrich our faith development. Keeping an open mind and heart provides rich soil in our lives.

By reading Scripture, praying and experiencing the sacraments, we allow our faith to take root, rather than remaining on the surface or shallow. This is a dangerous place to be in the world because having a shallow faith does not equip us with the necessary tools and confidence needed to respond when our Catholic faith is challenged.

Similarly, many individuals are faced with unexpected challenges and roadblocks on their faith journey. These “weeds” appear in our hectic world and often prevent us from letting God into our lives or nurturing each other. We need to cultivate our soil through prayer, quiet moments for reflection and control the “weeds” that prevent us from producing fruit.

The many blessings, successes, and accomplishments achieved throughout the year, reflect the seeds which have produced much fruit. These can be in the form of spiritual, academic, athletic or community achievements. We must understand that the seed we sow often takes time, patience, nourishment and the interaction of God’s love to produce faith-filled individuals. Unlike the farmer who harvests a crop annually, we may not see the fruits of our efforts for years. In the end, though, the time and dedication will be worth the wait. When we sow the seeds of life, with God’s help our harvest will be plentiful.

"Do Not Be Afraid" to Use Technology to Communicate

Rosie Bartel, diocesan religious education director, takes a look at the challenges and benefits of adapting technology to catechesis.

In this 21st century of global satellite imaging, iPhone communication, podcasting, e-mail and “tweeting”, the Catholic Church can not operate in a vacuum. These creative communication tools are crucial to help us encounter Jesus Christ and to remain in communion with Christ. Jesus himself used countless creative communication tools to teach the disciples through parables.

Today the leadership of the Church needs to continue using technology to share the Word with the faithful. Daily, and often with mind-numbing speed, we are confronted with different options for communication. We need to know which technology to use and how to use it. Yet at the same time, it’s essential that we bring the human touch to these technology tools. We must bridge the gap between one place and the next through technology while still respecting the human person.

In order for the Church to be on the top of its game in this world of technology and continue to honor the past, it must learn how to take what is working and make it better. For the church today, research, knowledge and preparation are very important in both institutional and personal communication. At the same time there are theological principles of communication that are present in the Church. These principles have existed through the ages, and they are the foundation for all communication in the church, beginning with Christ as the model communicator. These principles become more important as the new technology age advances all forms of communication. We see that the dynamic dialogue that existed when Christ was teaching needs to exist between the Church and its people today. This communication needs to be engaging and meaningful.

The Second Vatican Council identified the need for the Church to bring the message of Christ into the world by utilizing all the new technological tools of communication. This bold request was made with the understanding that technology would assist the Church in bringing the Word of God to the world. All discussions about how we carry out this request must start with the person of Jesus Christ. Christ manifests the principles of communication, which are freedom and truth, the dignity of the human person and the promotion of the common good. These three principles become, for all members of the Catholic Church, moral imperatives for communication. The use of these principles will assist the Church is developing a plan for the use of technology for the fulfillment of the missionary mandate of Christ in the New Evangelization.

Pope John Paul II was known as one of the world’s great communicators. Using modern technology effectively, he gave the Church a plan to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In a split second one can literally bring the Gospel message to the ends of the earth. Through the use of technology, we are able to see the Church in the 21st century fulfilling the mandate of her Savior to preach the Word “to the ends of the earth”.

In face of these new and rapid developments in the world of communication technologies, we may feel small, insignificant and sometimes just a little overwhelmed. John Paul II anticipated our feelings. So we will let him have the last word on this topic. The following text is taken from a special letter he wrote on the 40th anniversary of the promulgation Second Vatican Council Decree on Social Communication. The letter was entitled “The Rapid Development” and in it he said:

“I extend the invitation which, from the beginning of my ministry as Pastor of the Universal Church, I have wished to express to the entire world, ‘Do not be afraid!’ Do not be afraid of new technology!. . .Do not be afraid of being opposed by the world! Jesus has assured us, ‘I have conquered the world!’ (Jn 16: 33). Do not be afraid even of your own weakness and inadequacy! The Divine Master has said, ‘I am with you always, until the end of the world’ (Mt 28: 20). Communicate the message of Christ’s hope, grace and love, keeping always alive, in this passing world, the eternal perspective of heaven, a perspective which no communications medium can ever directly communicate, ‘What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him’ (1 Cor 2: 9).”