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religious education: Parish catechists begin new year with their students

Story by LIZ QUIRIN
Messenger editor

Celebrating catechists and setting aside one day of the year during the fall as Catechetical Sunday has become a tradition in the church.

This year, The Messenger has spoken with a number of catechists and parish catechetical leaders to find out how they pass on the faith to the younger generation.

Parishes ask their catechists to meet students, engage them in dialogue and teach them about the many aspects of their faith and what the church has to say on a wide range of topics.

Each parish engages young people in similar but distinct ways. At the cluster of St. Augustine and St. Dominic in Breese and St. Anthony in Beckemeyer, Phyllis Mensing shared some information about their “Youth Faith Formation” gatherings.

Mensing has been the director of religious education (DRE) for the three parishes that meet Wednesday evenings at St. Dominic for the past four years, and before that at St. Anthony for five years.

While a friend has encouraged Mensing to give up her role as DRE and go with her to play BINGO on Wednesday evenings, Mensing has steadfastly refused.

“I get to watch these children blossom,” Mensing said, from first Communion through confirmation, “I see their enthusiasm for their faith and for sharing their faith.”

Mensing not only enjoys being part of young people’s faith formation, but she also sees the dedication of the catechists. “The catechists are amazing,” she said.

At Immaculate Conception in Columbia, DRE Janet Janson is equally impressed with her staff and her students. The parish religious education program meets for an hour and 15 minutes on Sunday mornings.

Sharing and passing on the faith includes teaching young people about social justice. Last year’s theme, Janson said, was “Go Make a Difference.” This year, they are working from a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., quote: “Anyone can be great because anybody can serve.”

As part of their service, students in the program have sponsored young people through Christian Foundation for Children and Aging, a non-profit organization that partners needy youth and elderly with a “sponsor” who provides monetary support as well as relational support.

For the past few years, the young people in Immaculate Conception’s religious education program have helped CFCA youth finish their educations when they lost their sponsors.

Janson said the experience of helping a young person finish school has been “really rewarding.” She talked of the young people as “ours” because they exchanged letters with them and encouraged them to finish their schooling.

Other projects completed throughout the year include replenishing school supplies in back packs for children in East St. Louis, adopting troops that are deployed to send packages overseas, collecting food for pantries and having a “birthday party for Jesus” at Christmas time.

“If we teach them service, we can show them how to be Christ to one another,” Janson said. “We receive the Body of Christ during our liturgies, and this is how we can be Christ to one another.”

More clustering and sharing of resources occurs with St. Clare and St. Nicholas in O’Fallon and Corpus Christi in Shiloh, Barb Furdek, DRE at St. Nicholas said.

The trio also share and discuss ideas with Diane Overmann, director of Faith Formation at St. Clare School. Students at St. Clare come from the three parishes.

Overmann said “the more we have unity (among the three), the better off we are. We share ideas from the school, and they adapt them to their time period.” This year at St. Nicholas, Furdek said they are concentrating on the saints, beginning with St. Vincent de Paul and St. Matthew the Evangelist, whose feast days are in September.
Furdek said she’s “always looking for fresh ideas and (Overmann) has them.”

At St. Joseph in Marion, DRE Bill Harper said the parish has its regular religious education program and on Sunday nights, the parish invites junior and senior high school students to gather for a catechetical program.
“We’re always looking for more ways to get the parents involved,” Harper said.

At the cluster of Holy Trinity in Fairview Heights, St. Augustine of Hippo in East St. Louis and St. Stephen in Caseyville, students preparing to receive the sacraments of first Communion and confirmation have classes on Saturday mornings, St. Stephen DRE, Carolyn Starr, said.

All of the parishes have their own religious education programs at their respective parishes, but “we join together for sacramental preparation,” Starr said.

When these Saturday classes meet, one parent stays in the class with the child and participates in activities.
“We believe it’s a better program,” Starr said. “It’s a kind of renewal for the parents.”

At St. Paul in Johnston City, Sister Catherine Wellinghoff, ASC the parish life coordinator, said: “Religious education is terribly important here, especially because we are seen as a vital part of Johnston City.”

Sister Catherine said the many Protestant denominations see all of the good work the Catholics are doing and respect them for their outreach and their contributions to the community.

As children in the diocesan parishes begin their religious education this fall, please take time to thank the many catechists who play an important part in every child’s faith formation.