Catechists’ fire rekindled during conference; bishop praises their work
MERRILLVILLE – Dr. Scott Sollom told the room full of catechists to keep one key question in mind as they catechize, “What does this have to do with a personal relationship with Jesus?”
Catechists from across the Diocese of Gary gathered to listen to Sollom as he led the Catechetical Conference at Our Lady of Consolation on March 5. He is an associate professor of Theology and the Director of the Office of Catechetics at Franciscan University, where he also directs the campus Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) process.
“Our job as catechists is to really show how every doctrine is a refraction of the face of Christ. Our faith doesn’t boil down to a bunch of information, definitions or behavior mechanisms, our faith comes down to a person, Jesus and a personal relationship,” said Sollom.
Sollom spent the first session of the day leading the catechists through the Catechism of the Catholic Church and demonstrating how to use it as an invaluable resource for teaching.
He explained the Catechism is written in a way that helps catechists hand on the faith by revealing the face of Christ and the unity of the Trinity. “The Catechism does this work for you. Jesus is like the golden thread that binds the whole Catechism together,” said Sollom.
Sollom demonstrated how the Catechism can give a complete and true picture, by asking the group to explain angels. He walked the group through the Catechism, beginning with paragraph 331 – “Christ is the center of the angelic world.” From there, those in attendance navigated using the corresponding paragraph numbers located in the margin, much like connecting the dots, to get a clearer picture.
“When we hand on the faith, we want to hand it on as a whole. Whatever truth we hand on, we need to show how it’s rooted in the Creed, celebrated in the sacraments, manifest in our day to day living, and how that doctrine informs our prayer dialog with God,” said Sollom
He added, “We want to cultivate God’s life in us. We want people to believe more firmly, hope more confidently and love more charitably.”
When it comes to evangelization, it must be done slowly and in stages.
According to Sollom, students need a prior period of awakening before being thrown into the deep end. “They need a KISS (keep it simple stupid) method. Here’s Jesus, here’s who He is, here’s what prayer is like, and here’s what being a Christian is like. When they kind of get it and they want to go deeper, now they’re ready for catechesis and sacramental preparation. It’s like building a fire. Start with a little kindling, then add logs. You can’t start a giant fire with just logs,” he said.
For catechists, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut and spin your wheels. Sollom stressed that everyone needs a new evangelization, that invitation to renew their relationship with Christ and His Church. “We need to revisit our faith and rehear the Gospel proclamation. We need a new fire, he said.”
“I know deep down I need to be made new, a new spark,” said Sollom. He offered suggestions to help rekindle the fire, including to forget and forgive. He especially emphasized chapter 43 of Isaiah. He said obviously people want to forget their sins, go to confession and leave the sins there. Sollom suggested to forget good things as well, allowing more room so that, “Jesus can do something new in our lives. “There’s mercy in forgetting and forgiving.”
He added, “All of us, because we’re human, continually need a new evangelization to be rekindled, especially as catechists, because you can’t give what you don’t have.”
Tim Becker, a St. Edward parishioner and RCIA teacher, left the conference full of enthusiasm and excitement, “ready to share that with my students.” He felt some of the practical ideas shared by Dr. Sollom, such as infusing teachings from the Gospels and the Catechism of the Catholic Church into his teachings, are going to prove useful.
Becker admitted the students are not the only ones who are learning. “I’m learning as well,” he said. He explained that as he attempts to get a new subject across or answer any answers that may arise, it also proves to be a learning experience for him. “It’s always exciting,” he said.
“I absolutely loved it,” remarked Lauri Gomez, an Our Lady of Consolation third grade religious education teacher. She revealed she’s felt in her heart “needing a renewal of my own '' and Dr. Sollom’s talk was the right prescription.
“To renew your faith, you have to follow that path of hope and charity,” she said. “This renews my faith in being a sacristan and being part of the kids' journey in their faith. I get as much out of it as I hope I’m giving them. I’m excited. I’m revved up and ready to go.”
As Bishop Robert McClory celebrated Mass with the catechists, he stressed during his homily the invaluable role they play. He praised them for being essential workers who had to, especially during the pandemic “adapt, modify, and change on the fly to keep as many young people connected to Jesus. I know it hasn’t been easy.”
“In the life of the Church, you as catechists are exalted, are important and play an essential role in passing on of the faith. You may be for these young people the voice and witness that supplements, hopefully, the work of their parents,” said Bishop McClory.
He concluded by telling them, “Don’t ever diminish the important role you have. I thank you for being on the front lines in that most holy war,”