Evangelization Precedes Catechesis
There are presently 64 million Catholics in the United States which represent a retention rate of 67 percent; Baptists, 60 percent; Episcopalians, 45 percent; and Jehovah's Witnesses, 37 percent.
Some speculate that adult Catholics have left the Church because of poor religious instruction received by Baby Boomers and their children over the last 40 years. That is one explanation but if our Gen X children suffer from religious illiteracy, another question is “Why should anyone be interested in religion or anything else which does not effectively communicate the positive and aspects of participation?”
The American culture is one that provides freedom of choice. No one is likely to choose anything intolerant or served up with a “take it or leave it” attitude.
According to Bishop Blasé Cupich of Rapid City, S.D., keynote speaker at the recent 2008 National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) annual convention in Indianapolis,
We need to capture, once again that at heart of what we do is a sense of mission, a mission that is driven by our experience of the risen Lord. How can we provide an experience of God and of Christ and of the Church that shapes our hearts and enriches us.
Bishop Robert Vasa of Baker, Oregon said, “Without an evangelized heart, without falling in love with Christ -- which is really what it means to be evangelized -- the practice of the faith redounds to duty and obligation. There is only a slim possibility of persevering in the practice of a faith that is viewed primarily or exclusively this way. Perhaps those properly evangelized would not so readily leave the One they love.”
Auxiliary Bishop Salvatore Cordileone of the Diocese of San Diego noted,
The need for better catechesis and ongoing adult formation is widely acknowledged. To keep our people in the Church, their Catholic identity must result from deep love for and cultural connection with their faith tradition. They must also find inspiration and spiritual nourishment in their faith communities, and in a way that accords with Catholic-defining elements. If they don't, and if they are unhooked from this deep-seated Catholic identity, then it is not surprising if they go elsewhere to find it.
Yes, we need good catechesis but we also need to be evangelizers and animators of our Catholic faith, ...
Evangelization always precedes catechesis.
Some speculate that adult Catholics have left the Church because of poor religious instruction received by Baby Boomers and their children over the last 40 years. That is one explanation but if our Gen X children suffer from religious illiteracy, another question is “Why should anyone be interested in religion or anything else which does not effectively communicate the positive and aspects of participation?”
The American culture is one that provides freedom of choice. No one is likely to choose anything intolerant or served up with a “take it or leave it” attitude.
According to Bishop Blasé Cupich of Rapid City, S.D., keynote speaker at the recent 2008 National Catholic Education Association (NCEA) annual convention in Indianapolis,
We need to capture, once again that at heart of what we do is a sense of mission, a mission that is driven by our experience of the risen Lord. How can we provide an experience of God and of Christ and of the Church that shapes our hearts and enriches us.
Bishop Robert Vasa of Baker, Oregon said, “Without an evangelized heart, without falling in love with Christ -- which is really what it means to be evangelized -- the practice of the faith redounds to duty and obligation. There is only a slim possibility of persevering in the practice of a faith that is viewed primarily or exclusively this way. Perhaps those properly evangelized would not so readily leave the One they love.”
Auxiliary Bishop Salvatore Cordileone of the Diocese of San Diego noted,
The need for better catechesis and ongoing adult formation is widely acknowledged. To keep our people in the Church, their Catholic identity must result from deep love for and cultural connection with their faith tradition. They must also find inspiration and spiritual nourishment in their faith communities, and in a way that accords with Catholic-defining elements. If they don't, and if they are unhooked from this deep-seated Catholic identity, then it is not surprising if they go elsewhere to find it.
Yes, we need good catechesis but we also need to be evangelizers and animators of our Catholic faith, ...
Evangelization always precedes catechesis.
posted by Evangelization at 6:09 AM
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