By Father Peter Choy Wai-man
An ad hoc working group was formed in 1 April 2022 to deal with the establishment of a “ministry of catechist” within the Diocese of Hong Kong. The ad hoc group has conducted different consultations with people involved, including the Diocesan Pastoral Council, the Council of Priests and various deaneries. It has explained the plan to attendess and received valuable feedback.
Overall, the stakeholders expressed understanding and support for the initiative, with some expressing an urgent need for the assistance of catechists. The ad hoc group also organised public consultation sessions and conducted a survey for catechists now teaching in baptismal classes. The results showed that stakeholders generally supported the establishment of a ministry of catechist in the Hong Kong Diocese.
The reason for the support is that the ministry helps the diocese to evangelise through catechesis, and that a team of catechists sent by the bishop encourages the diocese to “go out” to fulfil its mission of evangelisation.
“Going out” is not only a matter of location and venue, but more importantly, it is a matter of having an open heart, a listening heart and a communicative heart, breaking down psychological, cultural and communication barriers and spreading the joy of the gospel, so that the evangelisation of the Diocese of Hong Kong can keep pace with the times.
The creation of this ministry is also a response to Pope Francis’ invitation to synchronise with the universal Church and to work together for the vision of evangelisation.
The creation of the office of catechist is undoubtedly a good intention, but there are still many details to be considered in its implementation. One of the challenges are the worries of current catechists who are concerned that the establishment of the ministry will create an additional layer of management for them.
During the consultation period, the ad hoc group expressed the diocese’s appreciation and recognition of the years of hard work and dedication of current catechists; this post is not meant to replace the existing system, but to “take it to the next level”, so that current catechists, inspired by the Holy Spirit, can reflect on their own willingness to take a step further, to build a closer relationship with the Church, and to walk side by side on the path of teaching the catechesis.
This seems to be generally accepted or recognised by the current catechists.
As this will be a new endeavour, it is expected that it will take time for those involved to gradually understand, accept and participate, and different challenges will arise. We will adopt an open, listening, negotiating and synodal approach in promoting the ministry.
