Working together with the catechetical coordinatiors


"This time there is nothing you will learn. You will just... work!". Twice a year we have workshops with the catechists of the Vicariate of Ingwavuma. Normally they prepare and run them. I stay with them as much as possible. This time it was different for two reasons: the first one is that it was me who called for the workshop and prepared it. The second one, as I told them, I wanted it to be very practical.
The "chosen group" was the one of the coordinators in each one of our six parishes. They have been trained for three consecutive years (one week each year) at the Pax Christi Pastoral Centre in the neighbouring diocese of Dundee. 

On Friday evening they reflected together on the parable of the Good Samaritan. On Saturday morning I picked up some elements of the parable and invited them to make sure we have them at each catechetical meeting: a story, our own experience and journey of faith, the Bible... 

Twice in the passage Jesus says something similar: "do this" or "go and do the same" which gave us the idea that our journey of faith is not just about things we need to know but about a faith that really touches our daily life.

So, having chosen the book "Our journey together" which prepares adults to be welcomed in the Church (a journey of two - three years) they went through it all morning making sure that all these elements were present. They also added hymns, prayers and points from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. 

The afternoon was the to evaluate the journey of the last four - five years. "Having run workshops for such a long time... how have things improved? Has there been any change in us and in our catechetical journey?" Each parish worked on that, then identified a couple of challenges that need to be faced and ... indicated what they plan to do about it. 

Sunday we joined the community of "Star of the Sea" for the celebration of the mass. We thanked together for the service of all the catechists in the Vicariate and prayed God that others would join them in the near future.