ATCO – A recent workshop at Christ the Redeemer Parish brought together parish catechetical leaders from across the Diocese of Camden for a day of discernment on how best to accompany those seeking to enter fully into the Catholic Church.
Titled “Catechesis in the Catechumenal Journey,” the Feb. 5 formation session in the parish’s Saint Rita of Cascia Hall was sponsored by the Diocese’s Office of Christian Worship and Initiation and led by the Chicago-based Liturgy Training Publications, with guest presenters Leisa Anslinger and Michael Ruzicki.
Nearly 70 catechists from 28 parishes took part.
Discussing the importance of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), the process by which individuals enter into full communion with the Catholic Church, Anslinger noted that many in the country and world “are thirsty for the Lord, and they come to us [catechists] with that initial, tiny little kernel, wondering about faith and wondering about Jesus.”
Anslinger is the founder of Catholic Life and Faith, a center for stewardship and servant leadership development.
“We need to think about how we can journey with people in different stages, whether they’ve been baptized … haven’t been baptized … [or] grown up in a household that never spoke about God,” she continued.
The way to best accomplish this, she and Ruzicki said, is through a year-round catechumenate, where individuals are introduced into the OCIA process at various times of the year, with their own life journeys and degrees of religious formation.
Recognizing that conversion happens in all seasons, catechists can best tailor their efforts to fit the needs of those they are forming, and ask questions of them such as where they are in their journey with Jesus, their comfort level with the Mass, and what struggles they have with Church teaching.
As catechists journey with these individuals, “we also deepen our lives of faith, and the lives of faith in our parish communities,” Anslinger continued.
Ruzicki, director of sacred music and liturgy at Saint Mary of the Lake Parish in Chicago, noted that “the ability to share our faith is synonymous with who we are as Catholics.”
He encouraged catechists to invite the seekers to immerse themselves in the “full experience of the Church,” such as taking part in Mass, parish fundraisers and events, and parish service projects.
“The only way [seekers] are going to want to be Catholics is if they are surrounded by Catholics doing what they do,” he said.
The idea of a year-round catechumenate process resonated with Al Cordasco, a catechist for the past 15 years at Holy Eucharist Parish in Cherry Hill. He said he would be taking ideas back to his parish, including ways to include more Scripture and faith testimony from parishioners in formation.
“There’s work to do in building an OCIA program better committed to helping others come to know and love Jesus,” he said. “I’m energized.”
Mike Bedics, director of the Diocese’s Office of Worship and Christian Initiation, called the daylong workshop an effort of continuing formation.
“I hope today raises awareness of how the Church emphasizes the importance of people spending a calendar year in the catechumenate,” he said. “The OCIA is a roadmap for catechists to take steps in immersing [seekers] in the life of their communities, and celebrating the deep rituals of the Church.”
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