Rev. Fr. David Okolie
Dearest friends,
The MINISTRY of CATECHIST has taken new form in the Church beginning with Pope Francis’ Apostolic Letter: ‘Antiquum ministerium‘ in May, 2021.
Since that May, other documents relating to the ministry of the Catechist have been published by various Offices of the Holy See. We really need to translate this new vigour in our Dioceses and Parishes for effective evangelization in our time.
👉🏼 As a parish priest, do you still have a FUNCTIONAL CATECHIST in your parish?
Just take a look at this from the Holy Father:
It is fitting that those called to the instituted ministry of CATECHIST be men and women of DEEP FAITH and human maturity, active participants in the life of the Christian community, capable of welcoming others, being generous and living a life of fraternal communion. They should also receive suitable biblical, theological, pastoral and pedagogical formation to be COMPETENT COMMUNICATORS of the truth of the faith and they should have some PRIOR EXPERIENCE of CATECHESIS. It is essential that they be faithful CO-WORKERS with PRIESTS and deacons, prepared to exercise their ministry wherever it may prove necessary, and motivated by true apostolic enthusiasm (cf. Antiquum ministerium n. 8).
There is also a need for proper REMUNERATION of the Catechists. It is unfortunate that some priests do not take the above into consideration. The situation is too bad in some parishes such that it can be best described as: ‘DEFRAUDING Labourers of their wages’ which is one of the GRAVE SINS crying to heaven for vengeance (cf. CCD n. 327).
👉🏼Please, let us join hands to make the ministry of the Catechists shine out among our people. Let us not forget that ‘the CATECHISTS are the PRIDE of the missionary Church’.
Remain blessed🙏🏼
