Worship and Evangelization Outreach / Deacon James Wood

Who are catechists? All of us called to teach the Gospel

Several months ago, I was ordained a permanent deacon for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

In the Rite of Ordination, just after the laying on of hands by Archbishop Charles C. Thompson, the newly ordained deacons—now vested in the diaconal stole and dalmatic—kneel before the archbishop while he places the Book of the Gospels in the hands of each deacon and says: “Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach.”

Allow me to focus on the phrase “teach what you believe.” As a permanent deacon, my role is not only to proclaim the Gospel at Mass, but also to teach it outside the walls of the church.

But it is not that simple. All of us who are baptized in Christ are called to teach the Gospel in our own capacity, with God’s grace. Because we teach the Gospel, because we teach the truths of our faith in the Catholic Church, we can be called catechists.

So, who are our catechists? In the recently released book Directory for Catechesis from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, it states there are different types of catechists, yet each has a similar role—from the bishop, as the first catechist, to clergy, such as priests and deacons, and culminating in the role of catechist of parents and grandparents.

“The whole Christian community is responsible for the ministry of catechesis, but each one according to his particular condition in the Church: ordained ministers, consecrated persons, and lay faithful” (Directory of Catechesis, #110-111).

Allow me to briefly explain the role of catechists from the perspective of bishop, deacon and lay persons. “The Bishop is the first preacher of the Gospel by his words and by the witness of his life” (Directory of Catechesis, #114).

Among several prompts, the bishop concerns himself with catechesis by engaging directly in the transmission of the Gospel and keeping the deposit of faith intact. The bishop sees to it that catechists are properly trained and thoroughly acquainted with the doctrine of the Church.

The deacon as a catechist must “assist the Christian faithful to grow in knowledge of their faith in Christ, to strengthen it by reception of the sacraments and to express it in their family, professional, and social lives. Deacons are called to give much attention to catechesis of the faithful of all stages of Christian living” (Directory of Catechesis, #117).

The role of deacons in catechesis is particularly valuable in the life of charity and of the family. Their actions can be carried out among prisoners, the sick, the elderly, at-risk youths, immigrants and many others. Deacons are tasked with availing themselves to the work of charity to encourage the community of believers toward a true education of charity.

Lay catechists “through their presence in the world offer a valuable service to evangelization: their very life as disciple of Christ is a form of proclamation of the Gospel” (Directory of Catechesis, #121).

As I mentioned before, the vocation to the ministry of catechesis flows from the sacrament of baptism and is strengthened by confirmation. Because of our universal call to catechize and evangelize, the lay catechist bears witness to Jesus Christ and their personal relationship with him. The personal call of Christ to become a catechist stems not only from our love for him, but also from our love for the people of God, ensuring the deposit of faith is passed down to the next generation.

I encourage all men and women of faith to explore further the role of a catechist. Perhaps through prayer and the sacraments you have felt the call, the desire to teach the faith to others—be they children or adults and all members of our community of faith.

Allow our Lord to expand your heart and mind to offer others the beauty and truth of the Catholic Church. And one day, may we all be welcomed to paradise by the words of our Savior, “Well done, my good and faithful servant” (Mt 25:21, 23).
 

(Deacon James Wood is archdiocesan coordinator of catechetical resources. He can be reached at jwood@archindy.org.) †