Pope Francis instituted the lay ministry of catechists through the Apostolic Letter Antiquum ministerium [Ancient Ministry], issued on 11 May 2021. The pope intends the new ministry to respond to the urgent need for evangelisation in modern times, free from clericalisation.
Responding to the pope’s call to establish the ministry in all dioceses, Bishop Stephen Chow Sau Yan, sj, appointed an ad-hoc working group to conduct necessary consultations and research. The group is headed by vicar general, Father Peter Choy Wai-man.
The diocese’s intention to assign at least two catechists to each parish is welcome news, especially for many small parishes where finding qualified and committed people is a challenge. The new ministry will ensure continuity in their catechetical and pastoral projects.
However, the tradition and teachings of the Church constantly remind us that the primary responsibility for faith formation in the Church rests with parents and families. The efforts made by the pastors and catechists in the parish, although extremely important, can only supplement but never replace the catechesis that takes place at home.
Parents are the primary catechists of their children. The grace of the sacraments of baptism and marriage equip them to fulfil the responsibility of passing on their faith. Having a mother and father who are faithful witnesses of love builds in a family the nucleus of the Church, and hence, the family is a school of virtue for children. Catholic families should expose to their children to the richness of faith in Jesus, the Word of God and the sacraments, and the virtues of generosity and selfless service.
However, the notion of parents as the first catechists is often confronted with the excuse of parents having insufficient knowledge in matters of faith. Parents fail as primary catechists because they feel they are not well catechised themselves and, therefore, not equipped to pass on the faith. Another excuse is a lack of time at home after long work hours. The children are also very busy with their school assignments and spend little time at home for catechism. When the parents and children are at home, everyone is glued to social media—they all live in their own worlds.
Thus, the task of children’s faith formation is often left to priests and catechists. Therefore, the diocese should prioritise the formation of parents to serve as catechists in their homes as it moves forward with the programme for the establishment of catechists. This will enable us to turn our homes into primary schools for faith formation for our children. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that “Family catechesis precedes, accompanies, and enriches other forms of instruction in the faith” [CCC 2226].
Faith is caught, not taught. Parents should assign time to pray with their children instead of ‘teaching’ them to pray! They will learn from seeing their parents pray. Prepare for Mass as a family and go to Sunday Mass and the Sacrament of Reconciliation together. Subscribing to religious reading materials is vital for good faith formation. Apart from having a copy of the Bible at home, parents should also have copies of YOUCAT, DOCAT and other resources to read and discuss at home during family time, family meals, and so on. jose, cmf
