A
Brief History of Catechesis
 |
Growing
Faith arises in the Church of today as a comprehensive way to
provide both content and formation at the same time. |
The US Catholic Bishops have taken up both the spirit and the letter of the international and papal documents with great fervor.
Writing
in 1999 in Our
Hearts Were Burning Within Us, the bishops said this: "We
as the Catholic bishops of the United States, call the Church in our
country to a renewed commitment of adult faith formation, positioning it
at the heart of our catechetical vision and practice. We
pledge to support adult faith formation without weakening our commitment
to our other essential educational ministries. This pastoral plan
guides the implementation of this pledge and commitment."
The
bishops are serious. Here in the United States, we are seeking a way for
parishes to bring adults into the circle of catechesis within each
parish. We want to provide formation for the whole community. It is not
a shift away from children. It is a shift to a wider circle, a more
inclusive method which adults as well as children will appreciate.
The
US Catholic Bishops have taken up both the spirit and the letter of
the international and papal documents with great fervor.
Writing
in 1999 in Our
Hearts Were Burning Within Us, the bishops said this:
"We as the Catholic bishops of the United States, call the
Church in our country to a renewed commitment of adult faith
formation, positioning it at the heart of our catechetical vision
and practice. We pledge to support adult faith formation
without weakening our commitment to our other essential educational
ministries. This pastoral plan guides the implementation of
this pledge and commitment."
The
bishops are serious. Here in the United States, we are seeking a way
for parishes to bring adults into the circle of catechesis within
each parish. We want to provide formation for the whole community.
It is not a shift away from children. It is a shift to a wider
circle, a more inclusive method which adults as well as children
will appreciate.
Growing
Faith is a response to all of this history and philosophy. It provides
both the materials and the method to implement all the bishops’
documents, but especially Our
Hearts Were Burning Within Us.
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