DIOCESAN NEWS
09/18/09
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Diocesan office offers lifelong formation
By Janna Avalon
     JACKSON – “What is a catechist?” That’s a question Alice Hughes has been asking for over 30 years.
     Her answer is simple. “Everyone is a catechist. A catechist is someone who echoes the faith, who witnesses the faith. Religion teachers are formal catechists, but all of us are called to be catechists,” she said in an interview last week.
     In her position as the director of the Office of Faith Formation in the Diocese of Jackson, Hughes says the department “strives to provide by example and through available resources the opportunity for people to form an ongoing personal relationship with the triune God and one another.”
     That’s the formal language of the office’s mission statement.
     “What we’re offering,” Hughes said, “is lifelong formation.”
     “We must take time to know and to fall in love with God,” she said. “This is not just something we read about in a book, but something we practice with people everywhere … at home, on the streets, in our jobs….”
     “If we think about it, we must echo the faith far more outside of the church building than inside. It’s harder outside of the professional setting. We need to remember that if one person touches another, it can and will make a difference. If it doesn’t, we need to ask ourselves ‘why continue?’
     “Our challenge is simple. We need to sit, read, reflect and know God. Psalm 45 tells us ‘Be still and know that I am God.’”
     Hughes’ Office of Faith Formation is about training people so they can minister to God’s people.
Catechetical conference
     This weekend the annual fall catechetical conference – “The Catechist and The Catechetical Leader: Models for Lifelong Learning” — will be held at Madison St. Francis of Assissi Parish from 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19.
Close to a hundred people have pre-registered. Hughes said onsite registration will open at 8:30 a.m.
     The conference features Marianne Evans Mount, president of the Catholic Distance University, who will address the conference theme. In addition she will speak about research in adult learning, myths, and the difference between secular learning and sacred learning.
     Nine breakout sessions will focus on a range of topics including the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, adolescent catechesis, prayer, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), intermediate religious education and whole community catechesis.
     The Office of Faith Formation oversees several other areas of adult formation and ministry development.
Extension programs
     Advanced theology is offered in two programs – the Spring Hill College master’s of theology extension program which involved classes at Madison St. Joseph School and the Loyola Institute for Ministry extension program (LIMEX) which is presently being offered in two locations, Natchez St. Mary and Bruce St. Luke the Evangelist.
Why Catholic?
     One of the largest programs under the umbrella of the Office of Faith Formation is Why Catholic? which begins its second year in 67 parishes and missions in the diocese next month. Theme for the new year is “The Celebration of the Christian Mystery.”
     Workshops in English and Spanish to train small community leaders will be held in five locations beginning Thursday, Oct. 1. Small groups will then begin meeting
     Why Catholic? aims to be a part of what the U.S. bishops have called “a lifelong process of total Catholic education that has at its heart, evangelization.” The faith sharing materials offer sessions on essential beliefs, sacraments, Christian morality and prayer.
Lay ministry formation
     For those not involved in Spring Hill or Limex, the office offers other programs.
     Basic Theology for lay ecclesial ministers and pastoral ministers is a series of eight courses presented by either Sister Michele Doyle, OSF, Mary Flessner or Alice Hughes. The dates and times of these sessions are established according to the needs of the requesting parishes.
     The eight courses cover Catholic Understanding of Scripture, Christology, Saraments and Worship, Mary and the Saints, Morality/Catholic Social Teaching, Church History, Ecclesiology and Ecumenism. Each course is 16 hours.
     Presently Basic Theology courses are being offered in Magee St. Stephen Parish and Yazoo City St. Mary/St. Francis parishes.
Certification of catechists is another area under the auspices of the Office of Formational Ministries.
     According to Hughes, the certification process has a three-fold purpose:
     1. to provide the catechist with an opportunity and exposure to life-long formation in the faith of the church.
     2. to provide the catechist with the necessary skills to prepare for the practical aspects of the catechetical ministry in a classroom setting.
     3. to provide the catechist with adequate theological knowledge of at least the basic concepts and teachings of the Catholic Church.
     To begin the process of certification, Hughes said a catechist should contact their pastor, the parish director of religious education (DRE), or the Catholic school principal.
     Another area of training in the formation office is Advanced Theology which is currently offered through the New Wine program in Deaneries 1, 3, 4 and 5.
     This program requires a 3-year commitment and includes the basic foundation of theology and pastoral skills, according to Hughes. More in-depth than Basic Theology, the program offers 12 courses including Human Development and Communication, Leadership and Ministry and Minister.
     Information about all of these program is available by contacting the Office of Formational, P.O Box 2248, Jackson, MS 39225-2248; calling 601-969-8473 or emailing Alice Hughes or Karen Brown.

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