Catechetical Sunday

On Sept. 15, the Catholic Church throughout the nation will mark its annual celebration of Catechetical Sunday ...

As the hustle and bustle of a new school year gets underway, parish catechetical leaders are busy preparing for another year of nurturing witnesses for Jesus Christ in their parish communities.

Remaining faithful to the call of all baptized Christians to spread the Gospel message, catechists worldwide will renew their dedication to evangelization on Catechetical Sunday, celebrated this year on Sept. 16.

Catechetical Sunday, observed this year on Sept. 16, is a time to celebrate those who serve their parish and school communities as catechists and catechetical leaders.

With the theme, “Enlisting Witnesses for Jesus Christ,” this special day provides an opportunity for reflection on the role each person plays, by virtue of their Baptism, in handing on the faith. Parents and guardians are also commended for their roles. Blessings and commissioning ceremonies for those in this ministry will soon take place during Masses in parishes across the Diocese.

Click here to view the digital version of the annual Catechetical Tribute supplement.

Michelle Angelo has a long history of catechetical leadership, serving in her home parish of St. John the Apostle, Linden, for four years as assistant coordinator and then coordinator of religious education, followed by eight years as director of faith formation in Holy Trinity Parish, Westfield.

Now ready to take on a position as director of religious education in St. Anthony of Padua Parish, Hightstown, Angelo feels blessed to begin her new ministry.

As Melissa Dayton arrives to St. Benedict Parish, Holmdel, as the new faith formation director, she brings a wealth of ministerial experiences that spans some 25 years.

“I think I have experience in many different ministries that work in a parish setting well,” she said.

Kay Hetherington, the new parish catechetical leader in St. Leo the Great Parish, Lincroft, has devoted more than 20 years to serving in faith formation and religious education. Most recently she was a catechetical leader in St. Joseph Parish, Keyport, which is now part of Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Keyport. 

Hildelise Limardo has served Christ the King Parish, Long Branch, as a volunteer in the bustling religious education program for five years.

That being the case, it came as no surprise when Limardo, who is also an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion at the parish, was named parish catechetical leader for the religious education program there.

Danielle Meosky, a 22-year member of St. John Neumann Parish, Mount Laurel, is quite familiar with the religious education arena.

Having spent 15 years as a religious education teacher, and five years as assistant to the parish’s coordinator for religious education, she was ready when the opportunity arose in July for her to assume her predecessor’s role.

Each year, the Church celebrates Catechetical Sunday on the third Sunday of September as a day for parishes to focus on honoring and commissioning catechists for their important role of handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel.

This year’s theme, “Living as Missionary Disciples,” also encourages each person, by virtue of their Baptism and as part of a community of faith, to rededicate themselves to this mission.

We celebrate and give thanks always, at all times and in all places, but most especially this month for those involved in faith formation and religious instruction in all our parishes.

Those include parish catechetical leaders, parish catechists, adult faith formation catechists, RCIA catechists and  those in our Catholic elementary and secondary schools – all those who provide instruction and formation in the faith for God’s people, who witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and his values. 

The theme for Catechetical Sunday 2017, Sept. 17 this year, is “Living as Missionary Disciples.” This theme permeated many of the sessions at the Convocation of Catholic Leaders gathering in Orlando from July 1-4. Several of the keynote speakers in the plenary sessions, panelists, and breakout session presenters addressed aspects of this topic. 

As men and women across the country who serve in the ministry of catechesis are recognized Catechetical Sunday, veterans of evangelistic ventures advise that effective evangelizing for ordinary Catholics means keeping it simple: Listen first. Then talk.

“There’s no one way to evangelize. I’ve become more and more convinced that evangelization is not built over large things, but rather, small events,” said Father Frank Donio, director of the Catholic Apostolate Center and a consultant on evangelization for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.