July 2005 - CL Magazine

cl

July 2005 | Volume 16, Number 4

C AT E C H E T I C A L LEADER

CATECHESIS AND

SOCIAL JUSTICE I N T HIS I SSUE : Catholic Social Mission Following the New Moses CATECHETICAL UPDATE: Media and Catechesis

A PUBLICATION OF THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR CATECHETICAL LEADERSHIP (NCCL)

C AT E C H E T I C A L L E A D E R

Table of Contents

July 2005

In Every Issue 2 From the President

3 17 23 32

Anne Comeaux Catechesis and Social Justice: A Challenging Combination From the Executive Director Neil A. Parent Taking Social Justice Seriously Books in the News Reviewed by Joyce Donahue Against an Infinite Horizon Focus on Leadership Jon Gordon Tap Your Creative Energy Crossword Puzzle

by Megan Anechiarico Where Justice and Media Intersect?

Features

Creating a More Just World page 12

On Beyond Literacy Update page U1

Catechesis and Social Justice 4 The World in Our Hands Louise Akers, SC 6 Catechesis and the Joan Rosenhauer Catholic Social Mission 8 Following the New Moses Rev. Gerard Creedon 12 Creating a More Just World Kathleen Tomlin 16 Pope John Paul II’s Final Plea for Peace 18 Spilling the Secret Marge Clark 21 Catechetical Sunday: Katherine J. Kanderfer, BVM More Than ‘Thank You’

Catechetical Update The Media and Catechesis u1 On Beyond Literacy u6 To Love the World the Way It Is

Paul A. Soukup, SJ Rose Pacatte, FSP

To Love the World the Way It Is Update page U6

NCCL BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ms. Anne Comeaux President Diocese of Galveston-Houston Rev. Anthony J. Salim Vice President Maronite Eparchy of Los Angeles Ms. Mary Ann Ronan Treasurer St. Paul Parish, Phoenix, AZ

Mr. David J. Florian Secretary Diocese of Kalamazoo Most Rev. Richard Malone Episcopal Advisor Diocese of Portland, ME Mr. Neil A. Parent Executive Director Washington, DC

C AT E C H E T I C A L L E A D E R

Mr. Harry Dudley At-large Archdiocese of Indianapolis Sr. Mary Caroline Marchal At-Large Archdiocese of Louisville Ms. Cathy Shannon At-large Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon

Mr. Joseph Swiss At-Large Archdiocese of Baltimore Mr. James E. Tucker At-large Diocese of Helena, MT Dr. Michael Steier Ex-officio USCC Department of Education

NCCL STAFF Mr. Neil A. Parent Executive Director Ms. Joyce A. Crider Sr. Katherine J. Kandefer, BVM Associate Directors Ms. Patricia Vrabel Office Manager

www.nccl.org

FROM THE PRESIDENT ❚

CATECHESIS AND SOCIAL JUSTICE: A CHALLENGING COMBINATION Anne Comeaux Many members of the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership assert that they are passionate about two issues: catechesis and social justice. I certainly consider myself to be among them. For many years—over 30—I have been involved in catechetical ministry at some level: as catechist, graduate student, religion teacher, parish catechetical leader and diocesan leader. Over those years my commitment to and passion for the ministry of catechesis has increased and deepened. My introduction to social justice, as such, began at about the same time. Throughout my childhood and growing up years I had been involved in works of charity and service, but the concept that this had deeper meaning and roots was introduced to me as I began catechetical ministry. My story is probably not that much different from that of most catechetical leaders. I was blessed to encounter people who were willing to challenge my abilities, my attitudes and my willingness to grow. The journey continues.

■

Life and Dignity of the Human Person: Do you know and acknowledge the teachings of the church regarding the death penalty, euthanasia, abortion, assisted suicide, persons with disabilities? Have you ever had to face any of these issues personally? What was your response or action?

■

Call to Family, Community and Participation: What teachings on politics, economics, law and policy do you understand as scripturally based? What do you, personally, do to ensure healthy families, safe and responsive communities and the rights of all to participate in issues of government and public policy?

■

Human Rights and Responsibilities: What are the rights that all persons are entitled to? No, not life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness! Food, shelter, medical care, and education...what does our community do to ensure that all people have these? Look at your neighborhood, read about conditions around the globe, and don’t close your eyes because it is uncomfortable for you.

The greatest challenge is to integrate these teachings into our own lives.

Just as many of us were instructed, nurtured and challenged into our current positions of catechetical leadership and our present stance on issues of social justice, we have been entrusted with the obligation to do likewise for multitudes of those in today’s world. We are the ones who have the responsibility to bring Jesus’ and the church’s teachings on social justice to a culture which, at many times, seems to hold antithetical beliefs and values. Materialism, self-satisfaction, prejudice, selfishness, and quick-fix mentalities permeate the media, the business world, sports and entertainment, governmental entities, and many personal philosophies. Large numbers of adults have not been exposed to or instructed in the themes of Catholic social teaching—and “un-teaching” is often more difficult than teaching.

Think of the responses you might get if you were to present the following topics at a catechetical experience for children, adolescents, college students or adults.

■

Option for and with the Poor and Vulnerable: How are our most vulnerable individuals getting along? What are you doing to recognize and remedy the growing gap between the “haves” and the “have nots?” Believe it or not, the Gospel calls us to put the needs of these most vulnerable first...not our own needs (or are they merely “wants?”).

■

Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers: Does our family or community see work as not only a way to earn money but a continuation in the participation of God’s creation? What rights do workers have in the eyes of Christians but not necessarily in the eyes of the labor union or the corporation? What do we do to support those rights?

■

Global Solidarity: Are we really our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers? What are our real feelings about supporting people in continued on page 31

2 July 2005

|

Volume 16, Number 4

cl

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ❚

TAKING SOCIAL JUSTICE SERIOUSLY Neil A. Parent Our faith calls us to work for justice; to serve those in need; to pursue peace; and to defend the life, dignity, and rights of all our sisters and brothers. This is the call of Jesus, the challenge of the prophets, and the living tradition of our Church.

These are the opening words of the Pastoral Message of the Catholic Bishops of the United States on the 100th anniversary of the social encyclical Rerum Novarum, which was issued by Pope Leo XIII in 1891. That pastoral message is but one in a long string of statements issued by the bishops on matters of social justice. Indeed, the American bishops have been in the forefront of the church’s teachings on social justice since the advent of Rerum Novarum. It was Cardinal James Gibbons of Baltimore who encouraged Leo XIII to issue his groundbreaking message on the dignity of work and of workers.

I was privileged to have been a member of the bishops’ national staff during those heady days of the 1980s when the bishops issued their now-famous pastoral letters on war and peace and on the economy. The leadership of the bishops on these two documents was truly visionary.

Despite all of the church’s pronouncements on social justice, this leadership still remains one of its best kept secrets. In one sense this is hard to believe. For example, in terms of just the two pastoral statements noted above, the media coverage was massive. I remember sitting in the back of the hall where the bishops were discussing the documents, squinting at banks of media lights. Rows of reporters from virtually every major news outlet filled the space normally occupied by the staff.

TURNING

responsible for ensuring that message’s transmission have not been as insistent and effective as we need to be in getting the word out. Too often, I fear, we allow the social agenda of our Christian message to slip behind other issues. We also tend to treat it as an independent topic when in fact it needs to be thoroughly integrated into all of our major theological and scriptural themes. Can one really speak of Eucharist without also addressing its social implications? Can we teach the Scriptures without underscoring the emphatic priority that Old and New Testaments give to justice as a sign of God’s reign?

Time and again Jesus tells us that the life of the faithful disciple is more about doing than it is about knowing. “It is not those who say to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Mt 7:21). We need to help adolescents and adults especially to think through the social implications of the particular Christian message under discussion. We can’t underscore enough that discipleship is about living in solidarity with all of our sisters and brothers throughout the world and that justice calls for us to seek a social order in which there are no losers.

Justice calls for us to seek a social order in which there are no losers.

A DEAF EAR

But in another sense, it’s not hard to believe that Catholics are ill informed about the church’s major social teachings. We know that in our society nothing has a long shelf life. The aforementioned documents were created some twenty-five years ago, and have been crowded out many intervening events—some, like 9/11, quite dramatic. Still, one wonders how it was that with all the church’s efforts over time to raise consciousness about social justice, Catholics in this country generally supported the invasion of Iraq, even in the face of Pope John Paul II’s condemnation of it and USCCB President Bishop Wilton Gregory’s open letter to President Bush in which he stated that a preemptive strike against Iraq did not meet the criteria of a just war.

Part of the reason for Catholics’ lack of awareness of or insensitivity to the church’s social message, I suspect, is that those of us who are

AN

ALTERNATIVE VISION

Another reason, I believe, that the church’s social message does not have the impact it deserves is that the prevailing culture is so effective at offering a counter message, one that better suits its needs.

The Christian message often gets co-opted by well-crafted messages that are intended to curry people’s support for issues or ideas that are often at odds with the Gospel. Fear of a potential enemy, for example, is often used by governments to secure a populations’ support for embarking on war. Fear is also frequently used to ensure that public monies go into the pockets of defense contractors rather than towards programs to help alleviate poverty or correct other social ills. continued on page 31

3 C AT E C H E T I C A L L E A D E R

www.nccl.org

The World

in Our Hands

By Louise Akers, SC

Cry out as if you had a million voices. It is silence that kills the world.

—Catherine of Siena The words of this fourteenth-century doctor of the church surely seem applicable now. The injustices of today’s world—poverty, illiteracy, homelessness, the plight of refugees, children orphaned by wars and AIDS, violence toward women, the imbalance of the earth’s resources and the access to their use...the list goes on and on—cry out for a Gospel response. Echoing this medieval saint’s call are the words of a contemporary woman: “Life is the opportunity to speak one great truth in the face of one great lie. It may seem that no one hears it. It may seem that nothing changes. But not to speak—that is the real sin.”

—Joan Chittister Called to Question

EDUCATION

FOR JUSTICE

The year 2005 marks the fortieth anniversary of the Church in the Modern World, a Vatican II document that proved to be a watershed in Catholic social teaching and remains a pivotal teaching for our times. It begins with the lived experience of so many persons and expresses solidarity with them: The joys and hopes, the grief and anguish of the people of our time, especially of those who are poor or afflicted, are the joys and hopes, the grief and anguish of the followers of Christ as well (No.1).

In reading the “signs of the times” Vatican II calls us to stronger analysis, deeper reflection and creative strategies. We know, in light of gospel values, the current state of affairs has got to be turned around. This means questioning what is, and challenging the status quo by strengthening our education for justice within the broader framework of religious education.

OPENING

THE

DOOR

Where, how and when does the world come into our religious education programs? Again, the challenging words of Church in the Modern World speak to us: Profound and rapid changes make it more necessary that no one, ignoring the trend of events or drugged by laziness, content himself [oneself ] with a merely individualistic morality. It grows increasingly true that the obligations of justice and love are fulfilled only if each person, contributing to the common good, according to his own abilities and the needs of others, also promotes and assists the public and private institutions dedicated to bettering the conditions of human life (No. 30).

4 July 2005

|

Volume 16, Number 4

cl

Where, how and when does the world come into our religious education programs?

APPROACHES THAT WORK

WEB SITES

Personal Development Grounding in scripture and catholic social teaching Spending time in reflection and prayer Reading significant spiritual authors who recognize that justice is integral, not optional to religious education and development (including both white persons and persons of color)

www.nccbuscc.org/cchd: Catholic Campaign for Human Development www.igc.apc.org/coc/home.htm: Center of Concern www.globaleduc.org: Global Education Associates www.lwv.org: League of Women Voters www.networklobby.org: NETWORK www.srcharitycinti.org/opjic: Office of Peace, Justice & Integrity of Creation www.paxchristi.net: Pax Christi www.sndden.org/rwg: Religious Working Group on World Bank and IMF www.tolerance.org: Southern Poverty Law Center www.un.org: United Nations www.nccbuscc.org: United States Catholic Conference www.ywca.org :YWCA

■

■

■

Issues Teaching the difference between charity and justice Highlighting the prophetic nature of justice advocacy Selecting prophetic figures as models (e.g. Jean Donavan, Martin L. King, Dorothy Stang, Cesar Chavez, Dorothy Day, Oscar Romero) Understanding the need for systemic analysis and reflection on contemporary issues such as racism, economic injustice, globalization, religious and political division, violence Challenging assumptions of the status quo with regard to class, race and gender Developing the art of raising questions around complex issues Recognizing that active participation of learners is essential for ongoing conversion and transformation

■

■

■

■

■

Media Use Using current events to illustrate the need for alternative approaches & solutions Including popular media, music, political cartoons, web sites Assigning and/or presenting significant novels, biographies, videos, DVDs

■

■

■

Action Supporting justice organizations through membership Subscribing to justice related periodicals Becoming active in an area of social injustice Organizing field trips which include persons who are poor and marginalized Inviting social activists as participants in programs Encouraging communication with legislators, policy makers through letter writing, emails, phone calls, visits Collaborating with others who are working for a more just church and world ■

■

■

■

■

■

PEACE

AND JUSTICE

LINKS

—Louise Akers

■

■

WITH

As we reflect on and wrestle with current issues, I suggest that our theology be a theology of saying yes! to whatever and whomever reverences life and builds community and no! to what diminishes or destroys human dignity and earth.

This is not to say it’s always easy to distinguish which is which.

In the social, economic, political and cultural climate of today we must be increasingly alert and analytical. We must recognize, too, that verbal resistance, though important, is not sufficient. We must also encourage one another to act—both individually and collectively.

Rooted in scripture, Catholic social teaching structures the framework for the servant model of church. In Claims in Conflict, Jesuit author David Hollenbach identifies three strategic moral priorities that permeate Catholic social teaching: The needs of the poor take priority over the wants of the rich The freedom of the dominated takes priority over the liberty of the powerful The participation of marginalized groups takes priority over the preservation of an order that excludes them

■

■

■

■

continued on page 31

5 C AT E C H E T I C A L L E A D E R

www.nccl.org

Catechesis and

the Catholic Social Mission We must embrace the tradition of thought and bring it to life through a commitment to action

by Joan Rosenhauer

At a recent in-service training for catechists at a suburban parish, participants were asked to reflect on the story of the Last Judgment, when Jesus tells us that in the end our lives will be judged by whether we have fed the hungry, clothed the naked, welcomed the stranger, and cared for the least among us (Mt 25: 25–40). When asked how she felt about the passage, one woman announced that she hated it. She said that every time she hears it, she thinks about a time in her life when she had a chance to help someone in desperate need-and she didn’t. Rather than choosing to stop or to take the time to find out about the situation and try to help, she simply walked by or sent the person on his or her way. Now every time she hears the story of the Last Judgment she thinks to herself, “Did I miss my chance? Did God give me a clear opportunity to act as a true disciple and I failed?”

We hope that God gives us many chances to be disciples. But this story raises a question that is central for all Christians and carries particular challenges for those responsible for the ministry of catechesis. What does it mean to act as a true disciple of Jesus Christ?

The National Directory for Catechesis begins by discussing discipleship, reminding us of Jesus’ words to his followers, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19). This is the fundamental task of the church—to spread the Gospel, to bring others to Christ, and to help build a world that more closely reflects Christ’s message of love for God and for all people.

6 July 2005

|

Volume 16, Number 4

cl

Pope John Paul II, in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, identified the ministry of catechesis as central to this challenge: Quite early on, the name catechesis was given to the totality of the Church’s efforts to make disciples, to help men believe that Jesus is the Son of God so that believing they might have life in his name, and to educate and instruct them in this life, thus building up the body of Christ (No.4).

A central question facing those involved in the ministry of catechesis is, what does it mean to educate and instruct others so that they might have life in Christ’s name?

THEMES

IN

CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING

In 1998, the U. S. bishops issued a statement called Sharing Catholic Social Teaching: Challenges and Directions.

This statement encourages Catholic educators at all levels to more consistently and explicitly teach Catholic social doctrine. The statement identifies seven key themes from Catholic social teaching that provide a starting point for becoming familiar with this rich body of doctrine: 1. The Life and Dignity of the Human Person 2. The Call to Family, Community, and Participation 3. Rights and Responsibilities 4. Option for the Poor and Vulnerable 5. The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers 6. Solidarity 7. Care for God’s Creation

While the answer to this question has many important dimensions, one dimension is reflected in Jesus’ description of his mission. When he announced his public ministry in his hometown synagogue, Jesus declared that he had come to “bring glad tidings to the poor...proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set the downtrodden free” (Lk 4:18–19). As Christians, this is our mission, too. In a world that too often considers human life expendable, we must defend the preciousness of every human life from conception to natural death.

At a time of growing global economic inequality, we must recall Christ’s commitment to the least among us and work to make their well-being –Joan Rosenhauer a top priority. As our world focuses on responding to terrorism, violence and other threats, we must recall Christ’s message of love and peace by promoting efforts to achieve not just a safer world, but a better world. We must work to build hope by reducing poverty and suffering, heeding the wise advice of Pope Paul VI who said in 1972, “If you want peace, work for justice.”

The Catholic social tradition is rooted in this mission and message. The bishops of the United States in the National Directory for Catechesis challenges us to “be leaven in society, applying Christian values to every aspect of our lives.” Our tradition calls us to take seriously Christ’s command to love our neighbors.

Sharing this tradition is an essential element of catechesis. In the recently published Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace affirms that “making this doctrine known constitutes, therefore, a genuine pastoral priority” (No. 7). The NDC describes the church’s social teachings as “deeply integrated in her vision of Christian morality. They cannot be treated as if they were peripheral or optional.” The bishops of the United States in Sharing Catholic Social Teaching have made this point very emphatically. “If Catholic education and formation fail to communicate our social tradition, they are not fully Catholic.”

To understand what is involved in communicating the Catholic social tradition, it is important to consider two key elements of this tradition—the tradition of thought and the tradition of action. The tradition of thought provides us with the ideas, values, and principles that can guide our choices in our private and public lives. The tradition of action demands that our commitment to our values and principles be translated into action in all aspects of our lives. We must embrace the tradition of thought and bring it to life through a commitment to action.

TRADITION

OF

THOUGHT

The tradition of thought is rooted in sacred Scripture. There can be no question that Scripture is filled with lessons about caring for those in need. Throughout the Old Testament, God called his people to

continued on page 26

7 C AT E C H E T I C A L L E A D E R

www.nccl.org

Following the New Moses A pastoral perspective on catechesis for peace and justice

by Rev. Gerard Creedon

The celebration of the liturgy is, in the words of Cardinal Renato Martino, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, a “school for peace.” Within the sacred liturgy abound many opportunities for catechesis on peace and justice.

As a pastor of an urban parish in Arlington, Virginia, I like to use the call: “Let us make of our lives bread shared for the life of the world”.

The Christmas season provides a poetic proclamation of God’s option for the poor. Easter takes on its deepest meaning when seen as the fulfillment of Exodus, the movement from oppression in all its forms to a new life of freedom. Each sacrament finds its root in this Passover mystery. For those who follow the New Moses—whose first homily was a call to “Let the oppressed go free”—liberation cannot be an optional school of theological thought.

Liturgy is but one essential medium for catechesis, however. It is incumbent on us to extend worship, prayer, scripture and the rich body of Catholic social teaching beyond the sanctuary in a way that illuminates the praxis and discourse of daily living.

FACILITATION

MODEL FOR PARISH DIALOGUE

The delicate and urgent task of teaching peace and justice can take many forms. I will share one model for parish dialogue I developed on the ethics of the Iraq war that can be adapted for catechesis on other complex questions of peace and justice. [See page 10] The model was part of an information package offered by the Commission of Peace and Justice of my diocese to its parishes in the months preceding the outbreak of the Iraq war. In a diocese where our chancery stands a stone’s throw from the Pentagon, broaching this topic needed careful attention. I had the opportunity to test out this model in February 2003 in my home parish of St. Charles Borromeo before it was proposed to and used effectively by others in our diocese.

This model works best where the question can be framed with a yes or no response, although obviously it is the articulation of rationales that evokes the rich exploration of faith and values. In my experience with this model, participants come face-to-face with the counter-intuitive dimensions of Christ’s teaching in the opening passage from Matthew “But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father...”

The model allows participants to actively engage and grow in their understanding of church teaching and their faith. For far too many Catholics, the effort by clergy to foist ecclesial teaching through pulpit monologues—or the

8 July 2005

|

Volume 16, Number 4

cl

For far too many Catholics, the effort by clergy to foist ecclesial teaching through pulpit monologues—or the imposition of ethical teaching by the threat of sanctions—create a situation that not only alienates adult believers from those teachings, but from the church community itself.

imposition of ethical teaching by the threat of sanctions—create a situation that not only alienates adult believers from those teachings, but from the church community itself. Even on issues where prudential judgment is frowned upon, surely the ethical value even of obedience needs to be mediated by a conscientious faith response. Preaching of the word of justice and peace is essential if we are to be true to the prophetic tradition. But it needs to take the form of question and invitation as this model allows.

MOVING

BEYOND TALK, BEYOND SERVICE

As a practical extension of catechesis and preaching, and giving them authenticity, pastors need to encourage opportunities for actively seeking justice and promoting peace through well-organized, specific programs of service, community organizing, education and advocacy. We do not leave the work of catechesis to spontaneously organized volunteers without professional guidance. Each parish needs to give the same serious support to the varied tasks of social ministry. Service opportunities are as Catholic as Vincent de Paul. Well-organized specific programs of service allow us to take the lessons from the “school of peace” and apply them to our daily existence.

Then we must move beyond service to hold those in power accountable for their actions as measured by their effect on peace and justice. Community organizing and empowerment so well framed by the Campaign for Human Development, the sharing of the church’s social teaching as a constitutive component of all parish educational efforts, and the essential ministry of advocacy need to be added if our social mission is to be taken seriously. Charity without justice is an insult to human dignity. Service without empowerment produces dependency.

These lessons are poignantly affirmed by our parish. Through our long-standing twinning relationship with a parish in Haiti, St. Charles supported construction of a high school, two elementary schools, a chapel and a clinic; and 250 students are sponsored for elementary education. Visits and communication have fostered a relationship of mutual concern and shared faith. However, during the same period the basic infrastructure of Haiti has deteriorated badly, exacerbating morbidity and mortality on this impoverished island nation. Why? It appears that our State Department disallowed the disbursement of $400 million of OAS funds for basic needs such as water, health and roads to destabilize the presidency of Jean Bertrand Aristide.

Regardless of one’s views of this democratically elected leader, denial of those funds and the deplorable impact on Haiti’s poor should have been a matter of deep concern for our citizens and our church. Even generous tithes of a caring parish pale in significance when measured against the potential of well-directed development assistance. The silence of our church on these matters cannot be compensated by charity.

9 C AT E C H E T I C A L L E A D E R

www.nccl.org

Dialogue on Iraq

A model for adult catechesis by means of question and invitation

STEP 1: PRAYER

STEP 3: ARTICULATING

The dialogue opened with scriptural prayer. We need common ground to establish a base for trust. Increasingly for Catholics, the Scriptures provide that rock. In this instance we began with Matthew 5:43–45 and followed with participatory prayer.

We went from prayer and ground rules to listening. Participants were first invited to share their reasons for supporting military action in Iraq. All comments were captured on a flip chart. Next participants were invited to share their reasons for opposing military action. Since issues of war and peace have been clearly framed by our tradition as matters that invoke “prudential judgment,” the call to provide a reasoned perspective for or against war allowed participants to assume an adult role. Catholics draw on a variety of sources for their judgment: scriptural, cultural and especially on their political and economic ideologies.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust.”

God in heaven, help us to fully listen your word and to write it on our minds and hearts.

We are called to be a church at the service of peace. Let us fully commend ourselves to peace. Lord, we call out to you. Hear us, O Lord.

We are called to both seek and grant forgiveness. Open our hearts to the humanity of others and grant us the willingness to search for a common understanding unfettered by politics and pre-conceived notions. Lord, we call out to you. Hear us, O Lord.

Next the facilitator summarized the opinions and invited additional comment and clarification to ensure that all positions and feelings were expressed.

STEP 4: CONSIDERATION OF RELEVANT CATHOLIC TEACHING The opportunity for dialogue creates an opening for the area of greatest deficit, an understanding of our church’s social teachings.

Many papal statements on Iraq never made it to the religious press, let alone the secular media. In this instance we shared the following teachings: ■

We are daughters and sons of one common human story, one set of basic human values. Do not let us lose sight of this common and enduring heritage as we struggle to find the surest path to your peace. Lord, we call out to you. Hear us, O Lord.

STEP 2: ESTABLISHING

GROUND RULES

These provided a framework for subsequent interaction. We started with six explicit rules and opened this to further group input.

■

1. There will be time for information gathering and for sharing

opinions. It will be important to give time to both.

2. It is important to respect others’ opinions. As Catholics we

believe the Spirit has given gifts of wisdom to God’s people.

3. Active listening is critical.

4. It is important to use “I” statements, i.e., speak for yourself, not for “them.”

5. We must ensure that everyone who would like to have a chance to speak has that opportunity.

6. Having listened to one another we will evaluate our positions in light church teachings.

7. Other ground rules?

BOTH SIDES OF THE ISSUE

■

■

“The Challenge of Peace,” USCCB Including both the conditions for just war and the older tradition of non-violence. Both traditions are grounded in the Gospel and are complementary. The document also provides an ethical reflection on nuclear weapons including principles for their possession and use and the importance of following the lead of Jesus in the path for peace and justice.

“Statement on Iraq,” USCCB, Washington, D.C., November 13, 2002 Especially its application of “just war” theory to then-current information on the rationale for war.

“Pacem in Terris: a Permanent Commitment,” Message of His Holiness Pope John Paul II for the Celebration of the World day of Peace, 1 January 2003 Especially the essential conditions for peace as “four pillars” of the human spirit: truth, justice, love and freedom.

“State of the World, According to John Paul II,” Address to the Diplomatic Corps Accredited to the Vatican, January 13, 2003 Especially the importance of solidarity with those in living conditions that are “scandalously unequal” and its direct link to reducing violence in the world; the position that war is “always a defeat for humanity,” that it “must be the very last option...”; and that the battle for peace is a battle for life.” The Pope joined a pro-life stance with peace making.

10 July 2005

|

Volume 16, Number 4

cl

Full text documents were provided on a resource table; participants were encouraged to take them home and evaluate their opinions in light of the church’s statements on war and peace, specifically with regard to Iraq.

STEP 5: CONSIDERATION OF POSITIONS LIGHT OF CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING

IN

As time permitted, the opportunity for clarifying questions and comment was offered. There was a willingness to review or reassess sometimes-heartfelt positions in light of scriptural, theological and magisterial sources.

Judgments made were offered with due respect for the discerning role of the Spirit that she has disseminated broadly to God’s people.

STEP 6: SUMMARY

AND CLOSING PRAYER

To integrate our ministries in the areas of spirituality and social action parishes need structures of pastoral planning and formation.

Pre-eminent elements of parish leadership are a pastoral council with volunteer leadership that sets policy and a pastoral team that provides the professional resources to integrate and implement a vision of the Kingdom of grace, justice and peace. ❙ Fr. Gerry Creedon, pastor of St. Charles Borromeo in Arlington, Virginia, is the founding and current chair of the Diocese of Arlington’s Peace and Justice Commission. In his thirty-seven years as a diocesan priest in Northern Virginia Fr. Creedon has advocated for the poor, the homeless and the marginalized by founding or providing leadership to a number of community service programs. He served as diocesan director for Catholic Charities, Catholic Relief Services and the Campaign for Human Development and began the Arlington Diocese mission in the Dominican Republic.

The session was closed with spiritual reflection.

We have prayed, we have shared our opinions, we have listened to the voice of our Catholic tradition. Let us rededicate our selves to the work of peace. This is part of Jesus’ final commission to his disciples; “My peace I leave with you. My peace I give you, not as the world gives peace.”

For our closing prayer we listen to Christ. His Sermon on the Mount is the counterpoint to the Ten Commandment of Sinai. It embodies the New Covenant.

[Reading: Matthew 5:1–10] We ask for the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit to guide us as our nation moves forward. We ask for the clear judgment of the Father. We ask for the compassion, the love, and the commitment to bring peace that was the hallmark of Jesus Christ’s work on earth.

Afterwards the facilitator invited participants to share the documents with others.

This “Dialogue on Iraq” is adapted from a dialogue process with Fr. Gerry Creedon and parishioners as part of his “Conversations with Creedon” series at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church, Arlington, Virginia, February 2, 2003.

11 C AT E C H E T I C A L L E A D E R

www.nccl.org

Creating a More

Just World Integrating Social Mission into the Life of the Church

By Kathleen Tomlin

Social justice is often described as constitutive of the Gospel and core to our faith as Catholics. But many of today’s Catholics, despite our best efforts, have not given as much focused time to this dimension as they have to the sacraments, the Eucharist or the Scriptures.

We might be tempted to suggest that social justice gets less attention in catechesis because it’s just too controversial in a church that is politically plural. But I would suggest that our lack of familiarity with Catholic social teaching and the notion of social justice is more related to how we teach the faith than it is to the politics of it all.

I would like to suggest five key elements that will make the integration of the social mission into the life of the church more successful if taken to heart. While catechists aren’t totally responsible for the implementation that I suggest, their support is profoundly critical.

One: Create a common base of knowledge on Catholic social teaching among the participants in our catechetical programs.

It goes without saying that catechists and parish ministers need to be knowledgeable about Catholic social teaching in order to be leaders that advance this dimension of our educational effort. We should expect our catechists to promote Catholic social teaching and its importance to the life of the faith community.

If Catholic social teaching was widely understood and accepted, more of our parish mission and vision statements would include some focus on social mission. It would also be fleshed out in concrete implementation strategies. Integrating the social mission will happen with greater ease and affection if the entire Catholic community is aware of and understands these basic principles. Broad based support for the social mission will make it a living reality instead of mere words on paper.

Vatican II called Catholics to read the signs of the times and actively respond by creating a more just world. This activity requires that we have a well formed understanding of these basic social principles.

They become the lens that is used when reflecting on our world and the need for social change. The U.S. bishops list seven [see box, p. 7], others suggest as many as fourteen; the number is not as important as the thematic content. My lens includes ten principles: human dignity, community and the common good, rights and responsibilities, option for the poor and vulnerable, participation, economic justice and the protection of workers, stewardship of creation, global solidarity, the constructive role for government, and the promotion of peace.

12 July 2005

|

Volume 16, Number 4

cl

These principles need to be discussed, debated and practiced in real life situations. Catholic social teaching taught in a vacuum is useless and lifeless. It is only when we ask the questions about our economic and social realities and engage in meaningful dialogue and discussion that we get good at interpreting the signs of the times.

Two: Weave Catholic social teaching into all formation, sacramental preparation, liturgy and other celebrations.

The social mission of the church is not the prerogative and duty of the social concerns committee alone. The social mission should be integrated into the life of the entire congregation. Faith formation, liturgy, moral formation, prayer, communal life and the evangelizing mission of the church should be inspired by and reflect the social mission.

If our catechesis limits the discussion of Catholic social teaching to a reading of the documents of the church, Catholics will not see firsthand how it is core to our understanding of the faith. Catechetical leaders, working with other staff and volunteers need to plan for this integration particularly when the promotion of Catholic social teaching is a relatively new concept being introduced into the parish. It is my experience that this integration will only happen in a broad based way when a team-oriented approach is taken.

Anything that catechists can do to encourage the incorporation of Catholic social teaching into parish preaching is also critical. All too often, Catholics ask “why, if this is so core to our faith, do we seldom if ever hear anything about it from the pulpit?” Many of our pastors and deacons have found that the Preaching the Just Word retreats sponsored by the Woodstock Theological Center are exceptionally helpful in learning the most effective way of preaching about justice and the social mission of the church. The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops has also just launched a program to help clergy refocus on our social mission, learn more about Catholic social teaching, and develop pastoral skills and strategies for bringing new vitality and leadership to this mission. This workshop and formation program is entitled the “Social Dimensions of Ordained Ministry.”

Learning the meaning and practical relevance of Catholic social teaching means we have to talk about it, defend it, challenge it—perhaps, even argue about it.

One of the most important contributions that this preaching can make is keeping the possibilities of a more just world in front of people. Transforming the world takes a fair amount of hope and without it, the transformers of a new world perish. Keeping hope alive is a serious catechetical undertaking. We are resurrection-Easter people, after all, not death and Crucifixion people.

As Easter people, the dignity and responsibility of our baptismal call should be celebrated throughout our lives and not just in isolated sacramental moments. The eight year old, the twenty-eight year old and the senior citizen should be invited to celebrate even the small ways they have reflected the principles of Catholic social teaching in their prayer, their conversation and their public actions.

13 C AT E C H E T I C A L L E A D E R

www.nccl.org

Three: Teach observe-judge-act as a common method of social analysis and action.

Doing social analysis and biblical reflection on the situations that confront us are key components in preparing to act in the public arena. This is a learned skill—we have to ask the “what” questions, the “gut” questions, the “so what” questions and the “now what” questions. Teaching Catholic social thought without teaching this skill leaves Catholics poorly equipped to the task that is ahead of them.

This skill development should be accompanied by broadening the tent of those who are doing the social analysis and reflection. Given the fact that our churches are still the most racially segregated and homogeneous places in our cities, we need to do whatever we can to emphasize the gift of diversity as well as the diversity of gifts. If Paul’s notion of the one body has any meaning, we have to do a better job of meeting the rest of the body.

Catholic social teaching taught in a vacuum is useless and lifeless.

Unfortunately, this introduction to the rest of the body may only happen in the context of serving the poor or in parish partnerships that are anything but mutual. Doing a better job on conversing, analyzing and reflecting with people of varied backgrounds, experiences and cultures will make our reading the signs of the times a much richer experience. Sharing the pulpit or exchanging choirs only goes so far. We need to actually talk with one another and understand how varied experiences change one’s world view.

14 July 2005

|

Volume 16, Number 4

cl

Four: Train parishioners in the skills necessary to act in the public arena.

The art of meaningful dialogue has all but disappeared in our institutions. Instead of placing ourselves in a learning situation where everyone changes, we too often leave the room with our religious and ideological baggage packed the same way it was before we entered the room. Learning the meaning and practical relevance of Catholic social teaching means we have to talk about it, defend it, challenge it—perhaps, even argue about it. If we don’t encourage people to engage in civil conversation, we won’t be able to read the signs of the times as a church or constructively participate as citizens.

Becoming an effective active citizen, an obligation we have as Catholics, is a life long learning experience and it requires that we learn by actually practicing the art with the help of a trusted mentor. We would see many more engaged faithful citizens if we institutionalized some form of apprenticeship.

Many of us have promoted the JustFaith program, directed by Jack Jezreel through Catholic Charities USA. This thirty-week program is a great formational experience that has had untold success in expanding the world views of many people. Responding to this new information and faith reflection, however, is another whole learning experience for people. We need to make sure that our young people and adults can find mentors that will help keep them motivated and equipped to act for the transformation of society.

Five: Use actions in the public arena to teach parishioners about Catholic social teaching.

When representatives of the parish, a local bishop or other spokespersons for the Catholic Church speak in the public arena, it should be a topic of conversation and a catechetical teaching moment. In recent months, for example, Archbishop Harry Flynn of St. Paul and Minneapolis has made several significant statements on economic justice, the role of government and the state’s budget priorities. We could leave the discussion about this important topic to the secular press through passionate letters to the editor or we could make it the “stuff” of our preaching and educational moments.

It is important to celebrate the activity of ordinary people doing the work of justice as they have discerned their call. Too often, we look to the extraordinary person to find the example that will motivate the risks we might take. While there are certainly important “saintly” models to emulate, only lifting up the extraordinary person leaves the everyday sinner not quite up to the task. In fact, the kingdom is being built by some very ordinary people.

Catechesis assists us in understanding who we are as believers in Jesus Christ and how we can make Jesus present to the world. Faith filled disciples armed with the background and the skills for social transformation can continue to make Jesus incarnate in the world. Our social tradition connects our faith to the real world and makes it possible to be leaders for change. With this kind of catechesis, we will have the imagination to “bring good news to the poor, liberty to captives, sight to the blind, and release to prisoners in this year of God’s favor.” ❙ Kathleen Tomlin is director of the Office For Social Justice for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

15 C AT E C H E T I C A L L E A D E R

www.nccl.org

Pope John Paul II’s

Final Plea for Peace Excerpts from his World Day of Peace Message, January 1, 2005

The Need to Reject Violence Everywhere: “To attain the good of peace, there must be a clear and conscious acknowledgement that violence is an unacceptable evil and that it never solves problems. Violence is a lie, for it goes against the truth of our faith, the truth of our humanity. Violence destroys what it claims to defend: the dignity, the life, the freedom of human beings. What is needed is a great effort to form consciences and to educate the younger generation [emphasis ours] to goodness by upholding that integral and fraternal humanism which the Church proclaims and promotes.”

The Case of Iraq: How can we not think with profound regret of the drama unfolding in Iraq, which has given rise to tragic situations of uncertainty and insecurity for all?”

Peace and the Common Good: “Fostering peace by overcoming evil with good requires careful reflection on the common good and on its social and political implications. When the common good is promoted at every level, peace is promoted. Can an individual find complete fulfillment without taking account of their social nature, that is, their being ‘with’ and ‘for’ others?... Each person, in some way, is called to work for the common good, constantly looking out for the good of others as if it were their own. This responsibility belongs in a particular way to political authorities at every level, since they are called to create that sum of social conditions which permit and foster in human beings the integral development of their person.

“The increasingly close interdependence gradually encompassing the entire world is leading to an increasingly universal common good... and this involves rights and duties with respect to the whole human race. Every social group must take account of the needs and legitimate aspirations of other groups and the common good of the entire human family. The good of humanity as a whole calls for true international cooperation, to which every nation must offer its contribution.”

The Duties of World Citizenship: “Since the good of peace is closely linked to the development of all peoples, the ethical requirements for the use of the earth’s goods must always be taken into account. The Second Vatican Council recalled that ‘God intended the earth and all it contains for the use of everyone and of all peoples; so that the good things of creation should be available equally to all, with justice as guide and charity in attendance.’”

“As a member of the human family, each person becomes as it were a citizen of the world, with consequence duties and rights, since all human beings are united by a common origin and the same supreme destiny... The condemnation of racism, the protection of minors, the provision of aid to displaced persons and refugees, and the mobilization of international solidarity towards all the needy are nothing other than consistent applications of the principle of world citizenship.” ❙

16 July 2005

|

Volume 16, Number 4

cl

Media and Catechesis | Volume 16, July 05

CATECHETICAL UPDATE A publication of the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership

ON BEYOND LITERACY NEW MEDIA PRESENT TWO CHALLENGES FOR RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

by Paul A. Soukup, SJ Communication scholars have long pointed out that communication affects us in multiple ways: asserting simultaneously a content and a relationship, and touching us both with that content and with its means of expression.

Little schooled in rhetoric, we attend to content and discount expression; little skilled in emotion, we attend more to content and take relationships for granted. Ironically, most of us lean in these directions because we know how to read, and that mode of communication focuses mostly on content.

As part of this culture, theology cannot claim an exemption or escape from the demands of communication. These demands touch both how we think and what we think about.

And so religious educators, like all educators, face first the challenge posed by a rapidly changing communication environment. Film and television—and the Internet and digital media—have been with us long enough to accustom us to their visual and auditory ways (their rhetorics), but not long enough for us to have adjusted our educational patterns, modes of expression, and pedagogical procedures to accommodate the generations raised with these media.

But religious educators face an additional challenge, the one posed by the content of this new communication environment. We learn more than we think—indirectly and directly—from the communication world. A great deal of our religious knowledge comes to us in an unreflective way as we absorb ideas about religion from and along with popular culture.

Let’s consider each of these challenges, paying attention to how communication works within each.

© 2005 by National Conference for Catechetical Leadership

Western culture has done such a good job of adopting writing that we tend to discriminate against non-literate forms.

C AT E C H E T I C A L U P D A T E

U1

Where the early church admitted to the four senses of the biblical text [of the Infancy narratives], a later church, steeped in writing, is more likely to seek either the literal interpretation of fundamentalism or the abstract summary of systematic theology.

THE CHALLENGE OF A NEW ORAL CULTURE

WHAT IS ORAL CULTURE?

One of the most profound changes to human thinking and human education—literacy—came as a result of the communication technology. Though we don’t often think of it in these terms, writing is a technology and, like all technologies, demands a level of learning.

Like other technologies, writing also has had a profound impact on the cultures that have adopted it. Without writing, humans live in oral cultures: communication and all the cultural tasks it supports exist only in the spoken word. People must remember what matters; people must teach by example or by memory. With limited memory aids (pictures, knotted strings, etc.), oral cultures depend on their memories. What people cannot remember does not exist from one generation to the next. In oral cultures, people think aloud, as it were.

Because oral cultures rely on memory, their communication content finds expression in “memorable forms,” such as narratives (it’s easier to recall a story than an abstract philosophical discussion). Oral memory does not aim for literal recall (there are no letters or texts for comparison). But oral memory does use every bodily resource to help memory: dance, movement, and ritual; rhythm, rhyme, and song; group performance, language sounds, and full involvement. Story characters are larger than life (memorable!) and skilled in every way.

(The stories also function as cultural encyclopedias, reminding their hearers of how to carry out those tasks necessary for survival. It’s no accident that Odysseus had to keep building boats in the Odyssey. For a seafaring people, this is an essential skill; each retelling of the Odyssey refreshed the cultural memory of how to survive.)

Lest we set this aside as a matter of historical curiosity, we should recall that children live in an oral culture until they master reading; it takes years of practice for reading and writing to become so much a part of us that they appear transparent. Remember if you can the effort required to decipher a printed page in the third or even the sixth grade. Oral communication is much easier, since it is natural for humans.

People in oral cultures tend to think in concrete terms; their thinking always remains close to the world they live in. Knowledge is public, so everyone participates in the sharing or acting out of the storytelling, or in oral debate, or in the use of their own bodily resources to remember, or in an identification with nature, with totem animals, and so on. People in oral cultures are more likely to string a series of ideas together, joining them with “and,” rather than working out logical subordinations. Oral thought is highly redundant and copious, repeating things over and over again in different forms. (This repetition aids memory.) People in oral cultures value brief expressions of wisdom—easy to recall and important to live. Often problem solving consists of applying the right proverb to a situation.

Scholars like the late Walter Ong, SJ, study oral and literate cultures, asking what changes when humans introduce a new technology like writing. Such investigation interests us, both as a means to understand how children learn and as a means to analogously understand what kinds of changes might have entered our culture along with the newer communication technologies.

We never really leave a means of communication behind, though we may not continue to develop our skills in it. Literate cultures retain traces of the earlier oral patterns, but substitute writing for most cultural tasks. In fact, western culture has done such a good job of adopting writing that we tend to discriminate against non-literate forms. We teach literacy but forget the impact of the oral. To better teach children we should ask what oral cultures are like. What is this way of communicating and thinking without writing like? How do children function before full literacy?

U2

Media and Catechesis | Volume 16, July 05

Learning in oral cultures consists of apprenticeships and of hearing and imitating the narratives and stories that define the people. These cultures tend to be highly conservative: one dare not try something new, for that implies forgetting what has worked in the past.

The biblical world is originally an oral world. Even elements as late as the Gospels began as oral proclamation and narratives. Theology at this stage of the church’s history consists largely of preaching, narratives, and rituals—all memorable things that structure Christian living.

cl

LITERACY CHANGES WAY PEOPLE

THINK

The advent of writing changes all this. People who have mastered the technology of writing need not depend on memory. They can quite literally think of things other than those they can remember.

At the same time, their relationship with what they know changes.

Knowledge is written down and appears “objective”: it is separated from the one who knows; it can be examined, manipulated, interrogated. It can be left for days or years and returned to, unchanged, preserved. As more and more people in a culture master writing, the whole structure of knowledge changes: abstract texts store ideas more efficiently than narratives; writing promotes exact reproduction; people’s consciousnesses are freed to focus on personalities, ideas, and internal experiences. Where oral thought is often immediate and limited in scope, written thought can be easily stored and build on previous work, sometimes over hundreds of years.

Education in literate cultures generally focuses on writing—mastering writing and reading, using writing, exploring written texts, working silently on problems. Literate cultures thus develop a logic different from that of oral cultures. It is a logic of abstraction and a logic whose rules can be specified. Where oral cultures prefer stories and genealogies, literate cultures prefer more abstract systems. Such systems can stand alone: books can offer immediate knowledge, without the need for teachers or the mediation of a community.

LITERACY AFFECTS

THEOLOGY

Theology shares in the transformation introduced by writing. Over time, Christian reflection moved from narrative to preaching to abstract formulation. The birth narratives of Jesus eventually become Chalcedonian Christology. Note that this abstract formula is much less tolerant of ambiguity. By the medieval period, the church has written texts and a passion for exact understanding. Where the early church admitted to the four senses of the biblical text, a later church, steeped in writing, is more likely to seek either the literal interpretation of fundamentalism or the abstract summary of systematic theology.

But the shift to a fully literate culture took time, developing fully only with the universal literacy enabled by the printing press, which made books cheap and widely available. The printing press also transformed education from the dictation and debate of the medieval universities to the book learning of today—a system that took several hundred years to fully develop. The older cultural props—stories, statues, images, architecture, songs—did not disappear, but people paid less attention.

© 2005 by National Conference for Catechetical Leadership

NEW MEDIA/SECONDARY ORALITY But this is not the last word. Our culture has embraced new communication technologies and these technologies affect our thinking, perhaps not as strikingly as did writing, but they affect us nonetheless. Ong has dubbed this effect secondary orality: the oral nature of film, radio, and television returns us in some ways to the thought patterns of an earlier era, but, as this oral quality itself rests on written scripts, it combines the oral and the written.

This, then, forms the first media context for religious education and it deserves some reflection. Most of the religious education materials the church works with stem, in one way or another, from the catechism— a form that emerged in the hundred years after the invention of the printing press. The catechism as a written compendium of the faith was part of the sisteenth century church’s response to its own changing media environment. As the culture embraced print, a printed book took its place beside (and in many ways completely replaced) older, oral ways of passing on the faith (narratives, rituals, images, song, etc.).

The catechism proved powerfully effective in shaping generations of Catholics (and Protestants: Luther created the first catechism). And it built on the strength of literate thought: abstraction, closely reasoned and sequential development of ideas, the arrangement of texts. It taught not only doctrine, but also print literacy and its mental habits.

Our culture, while still dependent on print, pays a great deal of attention to the visual media, especially film, television, and, more recently, the Internet. The hours children spend with these media are well documented. What has not received as much study is the extent to which the secondary orality of contemporary media dovetails with the natural orality of children’s lives. While they must struggle to master literacy, they take to new media with a seeming effortlessness.

Children’s enjoyment of stories, fascination with characters, attention to moving images, all manifest the presence of primary and secondary orality. But so do their shortened attention spans, their ability to multitask, and their development of “intelligences” beyond reading and mathematics—social, spatial, emotional, and so on.

THEOLOGY IN A PHOTO We should not lose hope. Contemporary media can teach powerful religious lessons. Consider for a moment the photos run in the New York Times after the death of John Paul II. The nighttime of St. Peter’s square is filled with people holding candles. This image does not depend on the logic of a catechism to broaden the viewer’s understanding of Catholicism. The photo immediately teaches us the Catholic emphasis on community, on place, on symbols, on

C AT E C H E T I C A L U P D A T E

U3

Contemporary religious education should aim for a theology marked by secondary orality.

death and a faith in the resurrection, and, ultimately, on a sacramental worldview. Not bad for one photo.

One lesson for us here is that people recognize this religious content, but in a non-thematic way. Children and teens (who are the focus of so much catechetical effort) think in ways different from those of us brought up on print literacy. The first challenge from the new media environment is to grasp how that environment informs our thinking and how to, for want of a better term, translate our faith from the mental world of print into the mental world formed by secondary orality.

This is not to imply that literacy is bad or should be abandoned. It is an immensely powerful tool that has helped Christians understand their faith and live it more fully. But it is not the medium that children today are most used to. A good teacher starts with the children.

THE CHALLENGE OF MEDIA CONTENT Because the audiovisual communication media fit more closely with contemporary thought patterns than does the printed word, we learn a great deal from media content both directly and indirectly.

While we can learn indirectly about the sacramentality of Catholic practice, we also learn indirectly about all kinds of other religious ideas and practices, without much thought as to whether these are Catholic or even Christian.

Religion appears frequently in the media, but usually as a general belief in God. We see images of churches, synagogues, and mosques.

We note that some religious groups dress distinctively. We absorb messages: Prayer is good. Spirituality is in. (How many times do we hear people say, “I’m not religious, but I am a very spiritual person”?) A cross makes a nice religious symbol, particularly in jewelry.

God blesses America and we’re all fairly sure of those (often material) blessings. We should not discriminate on the basis of religion.

Some seasons of the year are more religious than others.

The list goes on and on. This kind of generic religiosity treats religions as basically the same and does not get to any kind of theological content. People learn the attitudes but not the content of religion.

Other “religious” ideas, themes, and superstitions have also taken root through this kind of indirect learning. In recent years we’ve learned a lot from popular culture. We see that crosses are a good protection against vampires. We can recognize demons by their distinctive appear-

U4

Media and Catechesis | Volume 16, July 05

ance (presented in many video games and horror movies). Angels, we hear, are friendlier, unremarkable in appearance, and involve themselves in human affairs. Candles are seen as religious symbols, as are the stuffed animals often left at impromptu shrines.

Not all the lessons are so harmless. The popular cultural world is a world of vengeance. It teaches much more about seeking revenge, punishing those who have injured us (violently or in court or by warfare) than about turning the other cheek. Separating sexuality from commitment, the popular culture world doesn’t understand faithfulness. It struggles with the notion of God’s covenant. It substitutes commodities for the love of neighbor.

We also learn direct lessons about religion from the culture: The Catholic Church opposes abortion; the Catholic Church is hierarchical and traditional. But while both Catholics and evangelical Christians have received a lot of coverage in the media, it’s easy to confuse what these different Christian groups believe. We learn about the rapture (but not that the belief in it dates only to the late nineteenth century). We learn about the need to accept Jesus as a personal savior, but not about the Catholic emphasis on community. Left on their own, popular media tend to present mistaken or one-sided ideas about Christian theology.

DRAWING ON OUR ORAL HERITAGE On the positive side, we learn indirectly, too, from our own religious places and expressions. The Catholic Church has never abandoned its oral heritage. The emphasis on place, art, architecture, ritual, and music leaves Catholic religious educators in good standing to address the needs of children in this culture. The liturgy itself provides one of the most powerful means of catechetics: not only the ritual, but also the architecture and decor of churches, as well as other, similar, elements. All these elements demand care because they, too, communicate a lot about what we believe.

The second challenge for religious education involves moving from this undifferentiated sense of religion to a more comprehensive and active understanding. In doing this, we should remember that religious education competes with the cultural sense of religion taught by the media, as well as with the media form, which teaches its own lessons. And so, religious educators need a clear sense of what they wish

cl

to teach; then they can build on what their students bring from the culture. Sometimes they build on existing ideas; at other times, they will need to clarify Catholic belief and practice and show how it differs from the cultural norms. In their teaching, educators need to be willing to let children and teens come to their own expression of what we believe. They need to be careful not to confuse religious education with literacy—though theology, as a literate practice, should be a goal.

Religious education can invite students to express—in whatever form they choose (images, writing, stories, videos)—their growing understanding of their faith and practice. It’s not enough to simply tell them about the faith. They must express it and then reflect on what they have produced. What does their expression mean? How do the students connect their own expression with the history of church expression, as put forth in the catechism or in theology? Contemporary religious education should aim for a theology marked by secondary orality.

© 2005 by National Conference for Catechetical Leadership

Even in the context of these challenges posed by contemporary media culture, let us not lose hope: The Gospels and the faith of the early church grew out of and flourished in an oral culture. Those narratives and environments are still powerful. Jesus—the Word of God—still addresses us. ❙ Paul A. Soukup, S.J., has explored the connections between communication and theology since 1982. His 1999 publication, Fidelity and Translation: Communicating the Bible in New Media with Robert Hodgson grew out of his work on the American Bible Society’s New Media Bible (www.newmediabible.org). He and Thomas J. Farrell have edited four volumes of the collected works of Walter J. Ong, S.J., Faith and Contexts (1992–1999) as well An Ong Reader (2002). Soukup teaches in the Communication Department at Santa Clara University.

C AT E C H E T I C A L U P D A T E

U5

TO LOVE THE WORLD THE WAY IT IS INTEGRATING MEDIA MESSAGES AND THE SPIRITUAL LIFE

by Rose Pacatte, FSP

When you make a thirty-day retreat, as I had the opportunity to do in Rome last year, you start to hear different sounds.

Instead of phones ringing, pagers buzzing, television blaring, people talking, and movies beckoning, I became used to the small noises of everyday life. Quiet steps in the stairwell, roosters crowing early in the morning from the backyard of the convent of Russian Orthodox nuns next door, and the drone of heavy, black Roman mosquitoes flying lazily through the chapel air.

A member of the religious congregation of the Daughters of St. Paul, I had known I wanted to make this monthlong retreat based on the Ignatian method of Bl. James Alberione, SSP, founder of our Pauline family, but I had not fully realized why. I discovered that I was desperately in need of silence.

When it was over, I returned quickly to reality and its sounds. I was the same, but changed, because the spiritual exercises are ongoing. I was not just hearing life now; I had become a listener, a seeker of the sacred silence of God’s love amid the clamor of daily life.

For me that life includes the sisters in my religious community, the people with whom I work and share faith. It also includes every form of entertainment and information media in the convent and in the many movie theaters in the Los Angeles area. It’s my job to engage in media and cultural literacy as an expression of my communications ministry as a Daughter of St. Paul. And I happen to like my job a lot.

But to integrate media messages and the spiritual life is a demanding task that requires silence, openness, awareness, listening, discernment, and action. In this article I would like to propose a six-step process that has worked for me.

U6

Media and Catechesis | Volume 16, July 05

cl

ONE: DEFINE AND EMBRACE SPIRITUALITY Once we affirm silence as a state of being as well as a state of mind integral to the spiritual life, we can move on to how we understand spirituality. Traditional spirituality has a variety of definitions. Thomas Merton (1915–1968) wrote, “The spiritual life is first a life. It is not merely something to be known and studied; it is to be lived.” Joseph Campbell, the mythologist, wrote, “Spiritual life is the banquet, the perfume, the flowering and fulfillment of a human life, not a supernatural virtue imposed upon it.”

The spirituality of my religious community is a way of life rooted in the Gospels and the letters and life of St. Paul that helps me integrate faith and the reality of everyday life. Pauline spirituality is about ways of seeing through the lens of the Gospels, taking the time to contemplate, discern, and—in our case as citizens of the twenty-first century—to listen to and view deeply the world, especially its media culture.

To love the world the way it is—that is an incarnational approach to life and culture integrating faith and everyday reality. To paraphrase John 3:17, “For God did not send his Son into the culture to condemn it, but that the culture, through Christ, might be redeemed.

Step one in the catechist’s quest to articulate a media spirituality is to fall in love with the world, the culture, today.

TWO: IDENTIFY SOURCES OF SPIRITUALITY There are so many sources of spirituality. We can find God in the world around us, in nature, in the babies who are limousined past us at the mall in their high tech strollers, in the homeless on the streets with their cardboard signs begging for work, in the elderly alone in their nursing homes, at the library, and in our churches and schools. If we are listening in the silence and viewing deeply, we can also discover God in technology, our work, leisure activities, study—and in the stories told through entertainment and information media. These stories communicate values, lifestyles, world-views, moral dilemmas,

Step one in the catechist’s quest to articulate a media spirituality is to fall in love with the world, the culture, today.

There is one essential attitude for living the spiritual life amid the visual, audio, and commercial noise. John M. Staudenmaier, SJ, in his article on the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, To Fall in Love with the World: Individualism and Self-Transcendence in American Life, expresses it well: “We [early 21st century] capitalists need, it seems, an inner discipline that honors our urgent hunger for self-understanding and respects the anxieties that burden us while instilling the confidence and courage it takes to love the world...”

We need to fall in love with the world today, not the world of twenty or a hundred years ago. I call the longing for the past “nostalgism” and it is a spiritual dead-end that creates a dichotomy in us. It makes us work to recreate the past instead of working to bring God’s Word to the people of today and catechize in fidelity and relevance.

© 2005 by National Conference for Catechetical Leadership

news, war and rumors of war, crime, natural disasters, human need, and astounding generosity. Stories are the life of the soul.

To live in silence we must refuse it by communicating with others.

Although this seems like a paradox, it is not a contradiction. For we are sensual beings, and as Aristotle taught, there is nothing in the mind or soul that is not first in the senses. Once again, we are reminded of the Incarnation, of Christ who came to earth to dwell among us. Christ did not reject the world; he loved it and died for it. The liturgy, the work of God, celebrates and reinforces spirituality because through Word and Eucharist, Christ’s life and ours are bound together in community.

Step two, then, of our quest to articulate a media spirituality for catechists, is to stop, look, and listen to the sources of spirituality around us today and discern that which can help us take the next best step in our spiritual lives.

C AT E C H E T I C A L U P D A T E

U7

THREE: REVISIT MORAL INTEGRATION

FOUR: BECOME A CONTEMPLATIVE

As Benedict Groeschel, CFR, attests in his books Spiritual Passages and The Journey Toward God, moral integration is the first step toward leading a spiritual life.

There is a scene early in the film Sister Act where the new Sister Mary Clarence, played by Whoopi Goldberg, leads the sisters in a hilarious prayer of grace before a meal. She casts around quickly in her head for anything that sounds like a prayer from her past and out it comes:

This notion of moral integration as the starting point of a flourishing spiritual life is nothing new. Yet it is good to be reminded of it here because entertainment and information media tells stories that are about the moral struggle that people face every day-but often deal with them in ways that are at odds with what catechists teach.

Bless us O Lord for these thy gifts which we are about to receive, and yea though I walk through the shadow of the valley of no food, I will fear no hunger; we want you to give us this day our daily bread and to the republic for which it stands and by the power invested in me I now pronounce us ready to eat. Amen.

The fastest way to begin your career as a media critic is to articulate and write down your three main values.

When a catechist parks her car in the church lot and enters the parish precincts to teach others about the faith, what does she bring along to bring home the catechetical message for the week? Personal spiritual struggles? A good movie? A distracting song playing in her head? A story chosen from the wealth of her life? How peaceful is she feeling at that time? How will she integrate all this dust, baggage and grace so that her example and teaching can make an echo in the hearts of her students?

Step three in integrating media and spiritual life is moral integration through prayer and silence.

Prayer, in whatever form, is communication with God. Sister Mary Clarence’s prayer was poorly formulated, but as the movie continues with its less than accurate portrayal of religious life, her life and that of the sisters is transformed by song (“He who sings prays twice” said St. Augustine) and good works. Through comedy, Sister Act teaches us about silence, contemplation, moral integration, community, social awareness, and prayer in the modern world. For the more educated and spiritually sophisticated among us, Sister Act may seem to be too “low brow” to bring to catechesis, religious education or the homily. Yet I learn from both Catholic and Protestant Christians I know that the film continues to inspire people of all faiths to laugh,

You Can Purchase Copies of Catechetical Update As in the past you can order additional copies of Catechetical Update. Many of our membership find it a valuable resource for use in their ministry. To order call the NCCL office (202-636-3826) or email Sr. Kathy Kandefer, BVM at kkandefer@nccl.org. Catechetical Update reprint costs: 1–49 copies $1.29 each, 50 or more $0.79 each (plus shipping).

U8

Media and Catechesis | Volume 16, July 05

cl

to reflect, and to do good. What more can we ask? Popular media can bridge the gap between Sunday and the rest of the week, so to speak.

In times of trouble, our communication with God is often fragile. We may default to prayers we have memorized such as the Hail Mary, Our Father, the Twenty-Third Psalm, the Serenity Prayer, or Prayer of St. Francis, because we are unable to think of anything else. This prayer is as precious as any we can engage in at the best of times, if not more so.

In the stories told through television, popular film, and music, we can see and hear people who pray in all kinds of ways as they seek to resolve the dramatic (and/or comedic) conflict in their lives.

If we, as catechists, dwell in silence and are paying attention to the world around us, we can find models and motive for prayer at every turn. Step three, contemplation, is the term that best embodies this attitude and world-view.

FIVE: APPLY THEOLOGICAL REFLECTION Theology is faith seeking understanding, according to St. Augustine.

Theological reflection brings our faith into dialogue with our life experiences, to discern God’s presence and action in our daily life, to see and judge through the lens of faith and the teachings of Jesus through the church. Films present fine opportunities for theological reflection.

If you have a copy of the 1989 Paulist Production film Romero, watch it from the very beginning for thirty minutes. Stop the film when Archbishop Romero (played by Raul Julia) declares over the dead bodies of the priest, the old man and the little boy, that there will only be one Mass in the archdiocese on the coming Sunday and that he will deliver a powerful message to those who resolve things by violence.

Romero’s actions exemplify the four steps of theological reflection (cf. Joye Gros, O.P., Theological Reflection) in a continuing cycle: Attending or paying attention: Romero walks around the group of people with his hands clasped behind his back, a symbol of noninvolvement. Yet he listens to what the people are saying.

Dialogue: Romero then confronts Father Grande (Richard Jordan) and tells him what people are saying about him-that he is a subversive. Grande tells Romero to listen to the people.

Learning: Romero is forced to dialogue within himself about the experience he has had at the plaza, on the road where the soldiers force him to walk back to town with the people, in his room when he learns he is to be named archbishop, as he relates to the rich and powerful, at the bishops’ meeting and the watering down of their anti-violence statement, and finally when he is confronted with the consequences of violence. He learns and accepts the reality of his people because he has stopped, looked, and listened.

■

■

■

© 2005 by National Conference for Catechetical Leadership

C AT E C H E T I C A L U P D A T E

U9

■

Decision and action: When Romero sees the three bodies of those killed by the soldiers, including his friend Fr. Grande, he articulates the action he is going to take. Confronted by these murders, all that he has lived from the beginning of the film pours forth from his pastoral soul in a plan of action. He will no longer keep quiet.

By mindfully watching a character in a film or television program go through the stages of theological reflection as Romero did, we cannot help but personally enter into the experience. Because we are paying attention and viewing deeply, we will dialogue with the story using “inner speech” that is, by talking to ourselves. Better yet, we will have conversations about the film with family and friends afterward, even at the water cooler.

Some other films with characters that convey this process, even if not explicitly theological, are Message in a Bottle, Erin Brockovich, In Good Company, A Man for All Seasons, The Bridges of Madison County, Cry Freedom, It’s a Wonderful Life, Marvin’s Room, The Insider, The Crossing Guard, Bagdad Café, Crash, The Upside of Anger, and more.

Keep a journal of the films you see to reflect on the inner and metaphorical journeys the characters make. You will discover that you are actually engaged in step five, reflecting theologically in the silence, perhaps deciding to change something in your own life to be more Christ-like or to resolve a difficult situation.

SIX: BECOME A MEDIA CRITIC In a 1997 interview, art commentator Sister Wendy Beckett told PBS’s Bill Moyers that everyone can be an art critic because everyone brings who they are to the beauty, truth, and goodness of the artist’s creation, a place where the critic must confront his or her own truth.

Sometimes people are afraid to express their interpretation because they are afraid they will be wrong, she said. But everyone has the ability and the right to interpret art—whether masterpieces on canvas or movies, television, literature, or songs—according to his or her own lens made up of age, life experience, education, faith, and moral formation. Interpretation of art is always subjective. Sometimes the artist’s work does not reflect beauty, truth, or goodness, and the mindful critic will see this lack as well, though there will always be someone who does not agree.

These false ideologies give rise to scenes of sex and violence that can be extraneous to the context of the story and distract us from the ideological issues that are even more pervasive and insidious.

The fastest way to begin your career as a media critic is to articulate and write down the three main values—those transcendent ideals that guide your life. These can become your viewing criteria: 1-2-3. Or, you may choose principles of Catholic social teaching as your lens: Life and dignity of the human person with rights and responsibilities-regarding race, status, gender, culture and religion Family, community and participation—for the common good Preferential option for the poor Solidarity—oneness with the human family Integrity of creation Universal distribution of goods—respecting rights of workers Subsidiarity—seeing that no higher level community strips another community of its capacity to see, judge and act on its own behalf ■

■

■

Counting the number of scenes of sex, violence, and bad language does not a critic make (though reviews that do this help parents decide what they permit their children to watch at what age). A critic goes beneath the surface and eventually sees, for example, that many films released in 2004 were saturated with nihilism, or that television always purveys consumerism as the American dream.

U10

Media and Catechesis | Volume 16, July 05

■

■

■

■

cl

Š 2005 by National Conference for Catechetical Leadership

C AT E C H E T I C A L U P D A T E

U11

Next, interrogate what you see, hear, and read. Ask why the story is told in such a way, ask why women are objectified, ask why you do not find yourself represented in primetime television. Look to see if there are consequences to the choices and actions of the characters.

Then, talk about your media experiences, unpack them and compare them with your criteria.

Finally, when confronted with a program like Desperate Housewives (which I happen to think is one of the smartest and funniest shows on television), do as my Presbyterian media literacy friend Teresa Blythe does: she exercises her moral imagination and thinks about what kind of advice she would give each of the women if she were her spiritual director.

Step six, then, is to become a critic, examining films or other works of art in terms of values.

WHAT A MEDIA SPIRITUALITY FOR CATECHISTS LOOKS LIKE When the catechist arrives at the door of her classroom, she brings with her a lot of baggage. In her mind and heart are her family and

work, the ups and downs, the media stories and noise of the previous week, as well as her hopes for the coming week. Her students, who are often less able to integrate those experiences with their faith lives and developing spirituality, also come with noise and baggage.

If you have any hope of being relevant and faithful as a catechist, begin by loving the world the way it is today, a visually and aurally noisy world mediated by technology, so that God’s word may resound in the hearts of those with whom we share faith. Work on your own moral integration and contemplative awareness. Apply theological reflection and become a media critic.

And get yourself to a weekend silent retreat. Once you drink from that font, you will want to return for more. â?™ Sister Rose Pacatte, MEd in Media Studies, is director of the Pauline Center for Media Studies in Los Angeles. She is the film and TV columnist for St. Anthony Messenger and is co-author with Peter Malone of the three volume series, Lights, Camera...Faith! A Movie Lectionary.

Their newest book, Lights, Camera...Faith! The Ten Commandments is due out in 2006 from Pauline Books and Media.

BOOKS IN THE NEWS ❚

TUNING IN TO AN UNFINISHED SYMPHONY Against an Infinite Horizon: The Finger of God in Our Everyday Lives by Ronald Rolheiser.

New York: Crossroad Publishing Company, 2001. $16.95.

Reviewed by Joyce Donahue

D

o you or someone you know ever feel there is something missing from life? Despite a fulfilling career and/or a good marriage, do you ever experience a restless sense of dissatisfaction? You are not alone. You are merely human.

Though not a new book, Ronald Rolheiser’s Against an Infinite Horizon: The Finger of God in Our Everyday Lives, (2001, Crossroad Publishing Company) is more than just a good read. This book really is a kind of “hitchhiker’s guide” to our mortal “galaxy”: if you take Rolheiser’s message to heart, it could change the way you look at life, love, sex, marriage, your ministry, death and everything.

Through stories and testimonies from various people living out circumstances of their ordinary lives, Rolheiser, author of the best-selling Holy Longing, focuses on why human beings can never be satisfied with this life—why if we expect, in the metaphor of Karl Rahner, that our symphonies will ever be finished, we are headed only for disappointment and frustration.

This earthly life, Rolheiser asserts, was never meant to provide us with everything we desire. It is only when we stop expecting it to, that we can be truly happy. We need to realize that our normal drives in life are actually longings for the kind of completeness we can never experience here.

With Augustine, we need to admit that our hearts are restless until they rest in God. Rolheiser focuses on the most fundamental elements of life—sex, marriage, death, social justice, humility, and the pain associated with gender alienation.

Perhaps his discussions of sexuality and marriage are among the most eye opening. Rolheiser does not shy away from a frank discussion of the difference between our cultural expectations of love and sex and the sacramental reality of living out sex as Eucharist. For Rolheiser, sex is an incarnational experience in which we mirror Christ’s offering of himself to be consumed. continued on page 25

17 C AT E C H E T I C A L L E A D E R

www.nccl.org

Spilling

the Secret

by Marge Clark

In years of working with young adults, I have found that the Catholic Church has a well kept secret that, once learned, becomes the great energizer for those who remain active in the church. The secret is Catholic social teaching, our Catholic social tradition. Working with ecumenical organizations, I am amazed to find how envious they are of us Catholics that we have an explicit collection of statements that guide, challenge and support us as we work for justice and the common good—as we help to bring about the Kingdom of God. The title of a 2003 book by Edward P. DeBerri and James E Hug, Catholic Social Teaching: Our Best Kept Secret, is evidence that my experience is not unique and that this tradition is not commonly shared in our parishes.

MAKING

THE CONNECTION

Most religious education programs incorporate service to others. The connection is made between service (especially for the vulnerable) and Jesus’ ministry of healing, feeding and forgiving. Yet one link is frequently missed. Jesus looked at the society of his day, religious and secular, and modeled means of making these more just and compassionate. He challenged unjust laws and traditions that excluded or hurt people, particularly the poor, the stranger and the outcast. Examples of this are found in such stories as Jesus’ picking grain on the Sabbath, talking with the woman at the well and throwing the merchants from the Temple.

Our church leaders have written letters, statements and other documents connecting Jesus’ ministry and ours to the need for systemic work to achieve justice and peace. The major themes of Catholic social teaching have been delineated by the US bishops in several documents that challenge us with serious moral demands for our day-to-day lives.

They have identified seven over-arching themes [see box, p. 7]. An opportunity is missed when religious educators lack the familiarity with these documents that would allow them to link the Scripture, the service and the prayer with the rich resources of our tradition.

WITH

CHILDREN AND FAMILIES

Consider a project such as de-littering a local park. With younger children, teachers might reinforce the connection between Genesis, service, ecological concerns through materials they send home to parents, helping parents understand the broader context and strong foundation of what takes place through the classes. By middle school age, children are seeking ways to exert power, to make a statement or to create change. What a good time to introduce the existence of Catholic social teaching, and to engage them in connecting their service to the need for that service. Such materials as the US bishops’ Renewing the Earth and the video The Earth Is the Lord’s should be made available for all religious education programs so that the there may be a broader discussion of social and ecological concerns and challenges to action.

18 July 2005

|

Volume 16, Number 4

cl

WITH

YOUNG ADULTS

Over the years, I have worked with young adults who are dedicated to making this world a more just and compassionate environment for all people. Those who work from a faith-based perspective reflect on the life of Jesus as a basis for their service and their desire for community. They search for what, in the church, is most relevant and nourishing for them. In a recent conversation two young women each related her first encounter with Catholic social teaching—in college campus ministry. One had attended twelve years of Catholic school. The other benefited from twelve years religious education and parish youth ministry. Said one, “Catholic social teaching is what has kept me in the church. I am so proud of what we stand for. Why did I just learn about it in college?” The connection was not made explicitly enough for them between all they were learning and embracing and the body of church teaching that is coming to be such a strong guide, giving impetus to their lives.

I challenge all of us, in our work with spiritual development, to become more familiar with our Catholic social tradition and to consciously pass it on to our youth. We have an “urgent task to incorporate Catholic social teaching more fully and explicitly into Catholic educational programs,” the US bishops remind us in Sharing Catholic Social Teaching. “Recognizing the importance of this broader goal of Catholic education and formation, we call for a renewed commitment to integrate Catholic social teaching into the mainstream of all Catholic educational institutions and programs.” ❙

“Catholic social teaching is what has kept me in the church....Why did I just learn about it in college?”

Marge Clark is a Sister of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Before beginning her ministry with NETWORK: A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby, she was an elementary and middle school teacher and district catechist and a professor of education, preparing both elementary and secondary teachers.

19 C AT E C H E T I C A L L E A D E R

www.nccl.org

20 July 2005

|

Volume 16, Number 4

cl

Catechetical Sunday:

More Than ‘Thank You’ Each September Catechetical Sunday offers us the opportunity to celebrate who we are as a catechetical community.

Katherine J. Kandefer, BVM Associate Director FIRST

GIVE THANKS

Catechetical Sunday is an opportunity for parish and diocesan communities to acknowledge, commission and appreciate those who minister in their parish programs as volunteers, coordinators and directors. Where would we be without the dozens of parishioners who serve as our volunteer catechists, hall monitors, assistants, or supply persons or do the myriad of other small jobs that make our parish programs effective?

The ministry these volunteers offer is vitally important to the faith formation of children, youth and adults. We acknowledge that parents are the primary educators of their children, but they cannot accomplish this task alone. They need the support of family, friends, and especially the parish community. Catechists play a major role in this formation process. It could not happen without them.

MAKE

IT VISIBLE

Sometimes the phrase ‘out of sight, out of mind’ fits what happens in parishes. Catechetical Sunday is one way we can bring one of the major priorities of Catholic life to the forefront of our parishes’ attention. Often parishioners don’t think of themselves as having a role in this process. It is not that they consider the catechetical process as unimportant; it is more that if they are not involved in the parish’s formation efforts, they may not see themselves as catechists in other situations, such as when they are with their own children. Let’s take this opportunity to make visible all of our formational processes and the roles each of us have within them.

EXPAND

INVOLVEMENT

Over the years I have heard people say, ‘I’ve put in my time as a volunteer in programs; it’s someone else’s turn.’ There is always something a person can do, or be, to be part of the catechetical process.

We can always invite the parish community to pray for all those directly involved. This can be more difficult than it sounds. To pray with intention is to stop, quiet ourselves, bring those persons to mind and place them in God’s presence. This is an important role to play.

We may need to remind those who are not directly involved that they are role models not only for the children and youth, but for each other.

C AT E C H E T I C A L L E A D E R

www.nccl.org

21

Corrections and omissions: CORRECTION:

OMISSION:

In the March issue of Update, in To Teach in the Vernacular there were references to “afrocentric” programs and approaches. Author Therese Wilson Favors points out that “There is a philosophical difference between africentric and afrocentric...I intentionally placed africentric as the desired term.” Our apologies.

In the May issue we failed to mention that the photographer for the 2005 NCCL Conference & Expo in Louisville was Edward Karnafel.

They are Christ’s presence in the world, called to be kind, compassionate, and just towards those with whom they come in contact. It is an opportunity to answer the question ‘What would Jesus do?’ by their actions.

Sometimes we have to expand our view and include more than “designated” catechists: Catechists for the elementary program Catholic school teachers Those who coordinated the Liturgy of the Word for children RCIA catechists Those who teach in the catholic colleges in our city Those who are present to do all the extra things that needed to be done to make our programs work The coordinators of grade levels The director of religious education The youth minister The Catholic school principal ■

■

■

■

■

■

National Profile of Catechetical Ministry Our Goal: To provide dioceses with the most efficient and cost-effective way possible to gather vital information on their parishes’ catechetical programs.

What is the National Profile?

The National Profile of Catechetical Ministry is an annual diocesan datagathering process, offered through the Internet. This unique tool saves mailing, printing, and collection costs by compiling all data online. Dioceses and participating parishes can instantly view vital data about catechetical ministry from individual parishes, the entire diocese, or the nation.

■

■

Go to our website www.nccl.org and click on the National Profile logo for more information and to sign up online.

■

■

If we invite these people to stand in the assembly we may find that we have a large number of parishioners involved in the ministry—a visible sign of the importance of our formational processes in the parish.

STAY

VISIBLE

There are many ways to celebrate Catechetical Sunday.

Here are a few suggestions.

Give the catechists a pin or certificate of ministry List their names in the parish bulletin Hold a reception after mass Recruit other volunteers to pray for the catechists throughout the coming year.

■

■

■

■

Create a way of celebrating the catechetical effort in your parish or diocese that speaks to its unique culture, history and organizational makeup.

We need to continue the celebration, making sure that our catechetical programs remain visible throughout the entire year and that parishioners see themselves as a vital part of the process.

No matter what we do, we know that the Spirit is working in us and through us to make the Word of God visible in the world. ❙

22 July 2005

|

Volume 16, Number 4

cl

FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP ❚

TAP YOUR CREATIVE ENERGY Jon Gordon

W

here are you when you get your best ideas? This was a question posed by Michael Gelb, author of How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci. Most people say the shower, the bed, their garden, the walking path or on the treadmill. Hardly anyone says great ideas come at work. In fact Robert Frost once joked, “The brain is a wonderful organ; it starts working the moment you get up in the morning and doesn’t stop until you get to work.”

While our reactions may not be to that extreme, from our own experiences we know that at work we feel more stress, pressure, and frustration. We often try to fight through fatigue, hunger, and deadlines to get the job done. We push harder, work longer, and challenge ourselves every day. But unfortunately, the harder we fight, the less our energy flows. The harder we think, the less our great ideas will appear. As with a dating slump, writing slump, sales slump, midlife crisis slump, or mommy slump, the more you fight it the further you fall. Many of the great scientists would tell you that their world-changing breakthrough ideas came about not when they were thinking about their projects, but rather during moments of silence or when doing tasks unrelated to their projects.

Great ideas come to many of us during a shower because this is when we are usually most relaxed. Think about it. You’re in the shower singing (hopefully where no one can hear you) and—bang—an idea pops into your head. I’ll bet you also have great ideas when you are on vacation. Ideas also probably come to you when you are driving in your car with the radio off. It is likely that your best ideas whisper in your ear and wake you up in the morning. Mine often do.

Wherever and whenever your best ideas strike, it is important to understand that this does not happen by accident. When we take breaks during our day and allow ourselves brief moments of silence, we allow energy to flow naturally through us. Where stress, anxiety, pushing and fighting block our creative energy, moments of silence, fun, play, and exercise allow us to relax, recharge and connect with our creative force. We are naturally creative beings. We were born to create. And great ideas were meant to pop into our heads. The only thing that stops this is us and our energy blockers. So the next time you’re stumped at work, have writer’s block, get fed up with the kids, feel burned out, or need to break out of a slump, remember to do what Leonardo da Vinci did. Take short breaks to recharge, rejuvenate and refocus. Try the following action steps to charge your creative energy and tap the amazing ideas that want to flow through you.

23 C AT E C H E T I C A L L E A D E R

www.nccl.org

TAKE

A

POWER BREAK

When the pressure mounts and the last thing you want to do is take a break, acknowledge that this is probably the time that you need one the most. Then do it. Take a two- to five-minute break. Dr. Etienne Grandjean, a productivity expert at the Swiss Polytechnic Institute, has studied human performance and he suggests that people who take short breaks have a greater number of total accomplishments per day and exhibit less distress and fatigue. Short breaks also contribute to an increase in energy for an entire morning or afternoon. During your break consider taking a walk around your neighborhood or office. Splash cold water on your face. Drink a cup of water. Visit with a neighbor or co-worker. Focus on your breathing. Imagine yourself breathing in energy and breathing out today’s worries. Stretch. Meditate. Walk to a window and get some natural light. These are just a few tips. Determine what works for you, do what energizes you and you will have more energy when you reengage with your kids or work project.

ADD

THE

ENERGY

OF

PLAY

TO

YOUR DAY

Did you know that children laugh about 400 times a day while adults laugh only about twenty-five times? If you need more energy for your life and career, then add a little play to your day. When you play your life flows more easily and you have more energy. If you have forgotten how to play, simply watch children. I have found that they show us the way.

Here a few tips I learned from the little people in my life: Play with your kids or pet. All they want is to have fun and be loved. Give them what they want and you will be the one who benefits most.

Often, my kids will laugh at the silliest thing and it causes me to laugh as well. With two children, ages five and three, having fun and not being stressed has been one of the big challenges in my life. I have often wished that someone would write, “Don’t sweat the little people.” But through this challenge I have learned that if I behave more like them and less like a stressed-out adult, I will be happier and so will my family.

Just experience the energy around you. Absorb it and let the ideas flow. My neighborhood is surrounded by trees and I often will simply walk around my neighborhood. It’s amazing how many great ideas flow through me when I do this.

Another strategy is to turn off the noise in our lives. Once in a while just shut the cell phone off. You’ll be amazed at the ideas you come up with when you don’t have someone talking in your ear all the time. And to really get lost take a day for yourself and do nothing but relax and read or watch rented movies.

KEEP

A JOURNAL

Creative energy is like muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it gets. Try getting up each morning and writing down your thoughts.

Don’t try to write the next great novel. Simply write what you feel and think. Let the energy flow from your heart and mind to your pen and paper. The paper is blank and this is your time to create. I recommend to my clients that they do this when they first awake in the morning; when they are more rested and their minds are clearer.

However, this is also a helpful strategy if you have trouble sleeping at night. If you are bombarded by worries at night, get your journal pad and transfer the worries from your head to you paper. This will help you clear the negative energy from your mind and allow your creative energy to flow. For more information on keeping a journal, read one of my favorite books, The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron.

Jon Gordon is an energy coach, professional speaker, and author of Energy Addict: 101 Physical, Mental, and Spiritual Ways to Energize Your Life.

For more energizing tips, visit www.EnergyAddict.com to sign up for Jon’s free email newsletter.

Remember to get back to your favorite hobby. Remember that thing that you loved doing. Make time once a day—or at least once a week—to do it. Play at work. My friend Teddy works on Wall Street.

Teddy is famous for having fun and playing games. Even at work Teddy finds a way to play. He tries to answer the phone quicker than anyone in his company. While this may be silly to some, Teddy finds it makes him sharper and makes his day flow faster. What can you do to make work more fun? You can also play after work. My friend Amy is a pharmaceutical rep by day and comedian by night. Doing what she loves after work makes her feel more fulfilled and productive during the day.

GET LOST Give your mind a break. Take the time to visit the places where you get your best ideas, such as the beach, park, or mountains. Connect with nature while you are there. Try not to think about anything.

24 July 2005

|

Volume 16, Number 4

cl

BOOKS IN THE NEWS continued from page 17

In a loving sacramental sexual relationship, he says, we receive, give thanks, break and share, just as we do in celebrating Eucharist.

Rolheiser explains how it is possible to be lonely in the midst of a marriage, if the hearts of both partners are not equally open. He traces this to a lack of blessing and affirmation by one’s elders.

Such insights that make this book speak powerfully to people’s lived experience, and Rolheiser makes frequent reference to the lives of people he has met in his years of pastoral practice to bring his theories to life.

In his discussion of death, Rolheiser connects terminal illness to the passion of Christ and to rebirth into resurrection, using his experiences of the deaths of his own family members and others with whom he has shared a glimpse of the process of dying.

ences of other people, but about Rolheiser’s own losses and longings as well. His storytelling is authentic because he is invested in his stories.

In the end, Rolheiser says, we need to accept the reality of God’s unconditional love and develop a true paschal imagination—intimating that if we understood the first and were fully possessed of the second, we would be much better off and would live much differently.

Against an Infinite Horizon is an adult guide to how to mend a broken life. As such, it has much to offer those who minister, and those to whom they minister. ❙ Joyce Donahue is associate director for child catechesis for the Diocese of Joliet, focusing on curriculum and resources for children and families.

Real tales of real people’s experience are what makes Rolheiser’s book so utterly engaging. Yet this is not just about the experi-

25 C AT E C H E T I C A L L E A D E R

www.nccl.org

CATHOLIC SOCIAL MISSION continued from page 7

a special concern for the vulnerable members of the community. The laws of the covenant included requirements to take care of those on the margins of society (Lv 19: 9–15).

In the Gospels we learn of Jesus’ special love for those who are poor (Mt 25:31–46, Mk 10:17–31, Lk 6:20–26, Lk 16:19–31). Through his own poverty, the parables and other teachings, and through his association with those who were outcasts or in need, Christ’s words and actions affirmed his commitment to the “least” of his brothers and sisters. Religious educators play an important role in sharing these compelling messages about how we are to treat those who are poor and vulnerable.

Through the centuries, the church has applied the lessons of Scripture to the events in human history. This process has led to the development of Catholic social teaching, particularly during the past century. The social doctrine of the church is a rich body of teaching that “proposes principles for reflection; it provides criteria for judgment; it gives guidelines for action” (CCC No. 2423).

Too often, catechetical programs do a better job of helping students participate in social ministry activities than teaching students the basic principles of Catholic social teaching.

Sadly, this doctrine has come to be known as the church’s best kept secret because too few Catholics know it. Too often, catechetical programs do a better job of helping students participate in social ministry activities than teaching students the basic principles of Catholic social teaching. This means Catholic students may learn that we are supposed to help those in need, but they often don’t have at their disposal the ideas that help us understand why we do it and that provide guidelines for our decisions and actions in a variety of settings. Principles like respect for the life and dignity of the human person, solidarity, the preferential option for the poor, and the common good should shape the lives of every Catholic. However, in too many catechetical programs, if students are asked to describe some of the key principles from Catholic social teaching, they are not able to do so.

One of the challenges involved in sharing Catholic social teaching is that much of it has been expressed through papal documents that are quite long and have Latin titles. While the length and complexity of these documents is necessary to communicate sophisticated ideas and address the nuances often associated with Catholic social thought, they are not always the best starting point for a group of thirteen-year-olds, or a group of thirty-year-olds. Few students or parishioners are anxious to read a long document that has a title they can’t pronounce or understand.

For this reason, a number of bishops’ conferences around the world have highlighted a selected group of themes or principles from Catholic social teaching that they regularly incorporate in their teaching documents [see box, p. 27].

The bishops emphasize how important it is to teach these ideas. A catechetical program may offer, or even require, social service activities. It may also have a culture that reflects a commitment to charity and justice. But this does not substitute for explicitly and consistently teaching Catholic social doctrine.

TRADITION

OF

ACTION

A second element of the Catholic social tradition is the tradition of action. As the letter of James tells us, faith without works is “dead”(Jas 2: 15–17). We must put our beliefs and principles into action in everything we do.

The tradition of action has two key dimensions. One focuses on direct service to those in need, such as providing shelter for homeless people or providing food for those who are hungry. The other focuses on working for justice and peace by participating in public decision-making and shaping the policies, programs, and structures of society. Direct service focuses on individuals and

26 July 2005

|

Volume 16, Number 4

cl

Incorporating Social Mission: Challenges and Opportunities SHARE

THE

SECRET

EXPAND SOCIAL ACTION

Like most Catholics, catechists may not have learned much about Catholic social teaching in their own formation process. We can’t ask people to teach something they don’t know. The first step, then, is to provide catechists with information and training about Catholic social teaching. Many dioceses are focusing catechist training programs and other gatherings on this tradition.

Most catechetical programs could do more to teach about working for justice and participating in public life in light of the values of our faith. If we want Catholics to understand their obligations in public life and how their faith can shape their actions as citizens, we must teach them about it and give them opportunities to act, just as we do with service projects.

DON’T REINVENT

Sometimes we think that only adults can work on public policies.

However, there are many examples of even elementary aged students working on human life or justice and peace issues. Young people are very involved in efforts to end legalized abortion. They write letters and participate in marches across the country. Other students have gotten involved in such issues as sweatshops, aid for hunger relief, landmines, and international debt relief. Students love to get responses from legislators when they write letters about public policy. There is a growing body of information and classroom-ready resources to help catechists involve students in defending human life and working for justice and peace.

THE

WHEEL

Another way to support catechists is by providing them with readyto-use materials that make it easy for them to weave Catholic social teaching into their programs. Many tools for use in the classroom are available from a variety of sources. For example, on the U.S. bishops’ web site under “Faithful Citizenship” there are a number of lesson plans about our obligations in civic life as well as on themes of Catholic social teaching such as the dignity of human life, solidarity, and the preferential option for the poor.

INVOLVE PARENTS It is not uncommon for parents to be unfamiliar with Catholic social teaching. They may wonder why their children are learning about things they never heard about when they were growing up.

It can be helpful to send home information about the key themes from Catholic social teaching so that parents are informed about what this teaching says and where it comes from.

CONNECT THE TRADITION OF SERVICE TO THE TRADITION OF THOUGHT Many catechetical programs already involve students and other parishioners in service projects. Unfortunately, this doesn’t necessarily mean that parishioners are being taught the key ideas from Catholic social teaching. Each service project can also be an opportunity to teach about Catholic social doctrine. One catechetical program put together a list of all the service projects they were planning during the year. Then they identified one theme of Catholic social teaching that would be taught in connection with each service project. For example, the “Preferential Option for the Poor and Vulnerable” was taught when students and other parishioners collected toys for poor children at Christmas.

PUT SERVICE

IN A

LARGER CONTEXT

One of the best ways to help students and other parishioners understand our obligation to work for justice is through their experiences providing direct service. Each service project is an opportunity to help students consider the bigger picture. Why do people need our help? What might be done to address the causes of their need so that eventually they won’t require our help any longer? We can never assume that students will consider these questions on their own. Service programs must be designed to include the time needed to encourage participants to think about the justice issues that are related to their service experience.

KEEP

THE

END

IN

MIND

One of the reasons Catholic educators sometimes avoid involving students and other parishioners in public policy issues is their fear that it will cause controversy. This is not unreasonable. There certainly are examples of parents and parish leaders becoming upset over students’ involvement in “politics”. When involving students in working to defend human life and promote justice and peace, we must always keep the goal in mind. We may feel passionately about a particular issue. But if it is a highly controversial issue, it may not be the best one to address to help achieve our goal. If our goal is to give students and parishioners a positive experience of working on a public policy issue so they learn that working for peace and justice can be a valuable part of living our faith, we must choose our issues carefully. We must make sure students have choices about issues, that their parents are prepared and involved in the process, and that we avoid the most controversial topics.

SEIZE

THE

OPPORTUNITIES

At certain times, “teachable moments” occur that create ideal opportunities to share Catholic social teaching. For example, when there is a natural disaster somewhere in the world, students can be helped to understand that it is our belief in the dignity and value of every human being, our commitment to solidarity with all our brothers and sisters around the world, and our preferential concern for those in greatest need that lead us to send money and other goods to people who are suffering in other lands. Election years provide great opportunities to teach about the importance of connecting the values of our faith to our decisions as citizens.

–Joan Rosenhauer

27 C AT E C H E T I C A L L E A D E R

www.nccl.org

families while working for justice deals with broader challenges in society. Direct service addresses immediate needs while working for justice addresses long-term social problems. Direct service responds to the effects of social problems while working for justice tries to address their causes. Often, a problem is best addressed using both approaches. For example, a family that has been evicted needs an immediate, direct service response—help finding a place to live. But in the long run the family may be best served through changes in public policies to increase wages, expand educational opportunities, or provide more affordable housing. These two dimensions of our tradition of action are both important and complementary.

Most catechetical programs do an outstanding job of involving students in direct service activities. Throughout the United States, participants in parish religious education programs are regularly involved in volunteer activities, serving and helping those in need, and collecting money, clothing, food, gifts and other goods for those who are poor. This is essential to sharing the Catholic social tradition.

Unfortunately, the record is not as strong when it comes to providing students with opportunities to address the moral dimensions of public issues by working to shape public policies in light of Gospel values and the principles of Catholic social teaching. Too many catechetical programs do not give parishioners effective opportunities to work for justice and peace and the protection of human life so that they understand that this is part of the Catholic social tradition.

Perhaps this is because working for justice often brings us into the political arena. Catholics are often hesitant to connect their religion and their politics. They believe the two should be kept completely separate. Or they fear the controversy that might come with connecting them. Yet the Catholic tradition tells us that we absolutely must mix religion and politics, that we must bring the values of our faith into everything we do including our decisions as citizens. Our tradition tells us that we are to transform the world, to help bring about God’s will on earth as it is in heaven. We must seize the opportunities that we have as Catholics and as citizens to shape a world that respects all human life from conception to natural death, and that is characterized by genuine justice and peace.

John Paul II in Chtristifideles laici described our responsibilities in public life this way: The lay faithful are never to relinquish their participation in ‘public life’, that is, in the many different economic, social, legislative, administrative and cultural areas, which are intended to promote organically and institutionally the common good (No. 42).

In 2002, the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith stated: By fulfilling their civic duties, “guided by a Christian conscience”, in conformity with its values, the lay faithful exercise their proper task of infusing the temporal order with Christian values, all the while respecting the nature and rightful autonomy of that order, and cooperating with other citizens according to their particular competence and responsibility.

28 July 2005

|

Volume 16, Number 4

cl

In their 2003 statement, Faithful Citizenship: A Catholic Call to Political Responsibility, the U.S. bishops stated: In the Catholic tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue; participation in the political process is a moral obligation.

Our obligation to participate in public life is part of the teaching of the universal church. However, if most Catholics were asked to list the obligations of their faith, probably very few would list participation in the political process. Yet this aspect of the Catholic social tradition is vitally important.

Many catechists may not have learned about Catholic social teaching in their own formation process. We can’t ask people to teach something they don’t know.

The experience of leaders from parishes in rural Southern Maryland several years ago illustrates why this participation is so important. One of the most challenging social issues facing the region was the fact that thousands of people were living without indoor plumbing. At that time, the Governor of Maryland announced a budget surplus. Naturally, many groups began vying for part of the surplus. Social concerns leaders from Catholic parishes joined with other faith communities to urge the governor to use part of the money to help low income people install indoor plumbing in their homes. When they met with state officials about the problem, the officials were shocked to learn that there were people in Maryland living without indoor plumbing. Until that moment, this problem had no visibility and no one was trying to do anything about it.

The day after they met with state officials, one of the social concerns leaders noticed an article in the Washington Post. It explained that the horse racing industry of Maryland was trying to convince the governor to use part of the budget surplus to pay for a tax cut designed to compensate racetrack owners for putting running water in horse stalls. So there were people working to get running water for horses, but no one had been doing anything to get running water for people.

The problem in this situation is not that the racing industry was trying to shape the decision-making process to ensure that its interests were protected. In our system, that’s what they’re supposed to do.

But if faith communities are not also part of the decision-making process ensuring that basic moral values are protected, particularly a commitment to protect human life and promote justice and peace, we’ll always have situations like the one in Maryland, where horses might be cared for before poor and vulnerable people.

Taking the message of the Gospel and the principles of Catholic social teaching into the world is often a challenging task. Catechists play an essential role in helping Catholics of all ages learn about the rich resource we have in Catholic social teaching. By drawing on this teaching to shape all that we do in our public and private lives, Catholics can more fully live as disciples of Jesus Christ. ❙ Joan Rosenhauer is special projects coordinator for the USCCB Department of Social Development and World Peace.

Please notify NCCL of any changes in your address or email.

29 C AT E C H E T I C A L L E A D E R

www.nccl.org

Advertisers’ Directory Benziger strives to provide the most innovative and comprehensive catechetical material for the Catholic parish.

RENEW International • 1232 George Street Plainfield, NJ 07062 For 25 years, RENEW International has fostered spiritual renewal, evangelization and catechesis through parish-based small Christian communities.RENEW’s processes deepen faith and offer motivation to help people courageously live in witness to Jesus Christ.

Phone: 908.769.5400 • Fax: 908.769.5660 Email: renew@renewintl.org • www.renewintl.org www.WhyCatholic.org • www.ParishLife.com Since 1832, William H. Sadlier, Inc. has been a family owned and managed publisher dedicated to developing quality catechetical materials that address the needs of the Catholic community.

The Boston College Institute of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry has been offering graduate level theological education for ministry for more than thirty years. BC IREPM: Preparing Leaders for Today’s Church.

Boston College Institute of Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry (IREPM) 31 Lawrence Avenue • Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 617.552.8440 or 800.487.1167 • www.bc.edu/irepm

William H. Sadlier, Inc. • 9 Pine Street • New York, NY 10005-1002 800.221.5175 Saint Mary’s Press is a nonprofit Catholic publisher administered by the Christian Brothers of the Midwest Province. Saint Mary’s Press is a contemporary expression of the Catholic Church’s mission to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ and the Lasallian mission to provide a human and Christian education for young people. With our partners in schools, parishes, and families, we share the Good News of Jesus Christ with Catholic Christian youth, ages 10-19, through publications and services.

Silver Burdett Ginn Religion publishes faith formation resources for children, families, and the whole parish community. Our consultants and sales representatives are ready to assist you with information, presentations and in-service training.

Silver Burdett Ginn Religion 299 Jefferson Road • Parsippany, NJ 07054 1-800-338-2150 • www.blestarewe.com Driven by a vision of lifelong catechesis, Harcourt Religion Publishers strives to involve all members of the parish faith community through resouces that are age-appropriate, systematic, and intentional

Resources for Christian Living P.O. Box 7000. • Allen, Texas 75013-1305

C AT E C H E T I C A L L E A D E R EDITOR: Joyce A. Crider EDITORIAL CONSULTANT: Mary Kay Schoen DESIGN: Rings Leighton Design Group PUBLISHER: Neil A. Parent Catechetical Leader (ISSN: 1547-7908) is published six times a year by the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership (NCCL), 3021 Fourth Street, NE, Washington, DC 20017-1102.

Authors’ views do not necessarily reflect those of NCCL. Letters to the editor and submissions of news items are encouraged. Send to Catechetical Leader at the address above or email nccl@nccl.org. Phone: (202) 6363826/Fax: (202) 832-2712. Contact NCCL for reprints.

Copyright © 2004 by NCCL Subscription rates: (U.S. addresses): One year $24; two years, $42; three years, $54. NCCL members receive Catechetical Leader as a part of membership. To subscribe, send name and address with check or credit card number to NCCL at address above.

Bulk rate subscriptions: 2–5 subscriptions, $22 each; 6–10 subscriptions, $20; 11–20, $18; 21 or more, $16.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to NCCL, 3021 Fourth Street, NE, Washington, DC 20017-1102.

30 July 2005

|

Volume 16, Number 4

cl

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN continued from page 2

other parts of the world? Do we judge people’s right to survival on their religion, their skin color, their language, their value system?

How do we address the global perspective of love?

■

Care for God’s Creation: What level of stewardship do we exercise regarding what God has given us? What does this have to do with our everyday lives in areas of food, transportation, shelter, leisure activities? Do we even think about this seriously? What more can we as individuals and we as a church do to provide a clean, healthy and abundant environment for those who will follow us as inhabitants of the earth?

My guess is that these issues would cause a lot of squirming in the pews of many of our parishes. This is a huge challenge we face as catechetical leaders. We must, by virtue of our ministry, continue to promote the social teachings of the church. As catechetical people we know that catechesis does not end with education on the issues but must include integration into the very lives of those we catechize. And perhaps the greatest challenge of all is to integrate all of these teachings into our own lives.

Challenge, challenge, challenge! Changing our own minds and hearts is always the greatest challenge of all. As we help others to reject the blindness of our age, we might do a check-in on our own attitudes and activities. As catechetical leaders we have the responsibility to live lives that are examples to our people and our world. To be passionate about social justice and passionate about cathechetical leadership is a wonderful combination to nurture in ourselves. Let us look inward and then minister to those in our sphere of influence. ❙

THE WORLD IN OUR HANDS continued from page 5

PEACE AND JUSTICE READING

AND

REFERENCE

Second Vatican Council: Constitutions, Decrees, Declaration U.S. Bishops’ Pastoral Letters: Economic Justice for All, 1996 (Update from 1986) Harvest of Justice is Sown in Peace, 93 (Update of Challenge of Peace) Brothers and Sisters to Us, 1979 (Racism) Confronting a Culture of Violence, 1994 Periodicals: America, Atlantic Monthly, Sojourners, Mother Jones Authors: Joan Chittister, James Cone, Michael Crosby, Donal Dorr, Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza, Ivonne Gabara, Diana Hayes, Elizabeth Johnson, Rosemary Radford Ruether, Jeffrey Sachs —Louise Akers

REAL WORLD STRATEGIES As catechetical leaders, how do we present catholic social teaching to help develop persons who will, in fact, become the Church in the Modern World?

Educating for peace and justice is central, not optional, to spiritual development. I offer some specific suggestions [see Apprpoaches That Work, page 5] based on my forty years of educating, advocating and working for justice and peace. I have used these approaches in a variety of settings—high school and university classes, faculty reflection days, parishes, study groups, and retreats.

As catechetical leaders we are both challenged and encouraged by Vatican II teaching in the Church in the Modern World:

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR continued from page 3

Yet it is precisely the role of the church and of its catechetical ministry to offer an alternative vision to these kinds of messages.

In his book, The Prophetic Imagination, Walter Brueggemann observes that is the responsibility of the prophet (read homilist, catechist, indeed, all church ministers) to break through the accommodating complacency that often besets populations and offer an alternative vision to that presented by the prevailing culture or current rulers. Our job is to ensure that the vision of the Gospel is always front and center in people’s minds as they make decisions about the nature and direction of society. And the way we can best do that is by ensuring that we, ourselves, are thoroughly imbued with the church’s social justice message. If we don’t know it, we can’t teach it. ❙

We can justly consider that the future of humanity lies in the hands of those who are strong enough to provide coming generations with reasons for living and hoping. . . Above all, the education of youth from every social background has to be undertaken, so that there can be produced not only men and women of refined talents, but those great-souled persons who are so desperately required by our times. (No.31). ❙ Louise Akers, SC, has presented numerous workshops, courses and reflection days on justice-related issues. Her 1996 Doctor of Ministry project was entitled “Patriarchal Power and the Pauperization of Women.” Her ministry opportunities have included working with migrant farm workers, involvement with the civil rights and women’s movements along with international experiences in Africa, Latin America and Europe.

31 C AT E C H E T I C A L L E A D E R

www.nccl.org

CROSSWORD ❚

WHERE JUSTICE AND MEDIA INTERSECT? by Megan Anechiarico ACROSS 1 8 9 10 12 13 16 19 20 22 23 25 26 27 28 31 32 36 38 39 42 45 47 48 49 54 55 56 60

CST principle for communities MD for expectant moms Suggestion Angry CST principle for human beings w/11D A theme of this puzzle Not peace Downhill or water Patient for 50D CST principle Frightens 1982 Spielberg film A nod or a hand wave Peruse Hymn Being utilized CST principle for creation Poet Eliot Media piece CST principle with responsibilities Alert CST option for the poor 3.14...

Fourth Gospel Intersecting goal of CST and the media?

Socially acceptable lang.

Average grade Intersecting goal of CST and the media?

Biochemistry acronym

61 Intersecting method of CST and the media?

62 Correspondence afterthought

1

DOWN

12

1 CST principle for all humanity 2 __ Caritas 3 CST principle for humanity’s care of creation 4 “2” 5 Abbr. for 2 out in baseball 6 Most perilous 7 ___ Chi 10 A theme of this puzzle 11 CST principle for human beings w/12A 14 Sunny inst. of higher ed.

15 Sneaks up on 17 Limb 18 Hwys.

21 Predecessor of aah 22 Group of North Pacific islands, missing its middle 24 Point of view through which reality is seen 29 Jumble for a big, reddish-brown ape 30 Development 33 Snout 34 What a cloud might say 35 Model Banks 37 “___ Who Is” 40 Divinely favored

2

3

4

5

6

7 10

9

8

13 16

17

18

14

11

15 20

19

21

22 23

24

25

27 31

32 34 39

29

28

28

36

34

43

42 46

47 49

35

38

34 41

40

30

33

45

44

26

48 50

51

55

56

60

61

52

41 Veracity/deception exam options 43 Votes in 44 Assisted 46 Former upstate NY shoe co.

47 Treaty 50 MD for 20A

53

54 57

58

59

62

51 52 53 54 57 58 59

French friend # cruncher 1982 Turkish film Jamaican political party - abbr.

Upside down cry of pain Similar to i.e. __, myself, & I

✁

Subscribe now to Catechetical Leader (NCCL members receive Catechetical Leader as part of membership.)

Rates: One year: $24.00 Two years: $42.00 Three years: $54.00

Credit card: Fax information to NCCL at 202-832-2712

Please indicate the number of years you wish to subscribe. ❏ One year ❏ Two years ❏ Three years

❏ Visa ❏ MasterCard ❏ Discover ❏ American Express

Amount Enclosed or Charged $____________

Signature

Please send the subscription to:

Check: Mail to: National Conference for Catechetical Leaders 3021 Fourth Street, NE Washington, DC 20017

Name Parish Street Address City

PO Box State

Card no.

Zip

32 July 2005

|

Volume 16, Number 4

cl