By Rosemary Daniels | Correspondent

The root cause of many problems in our Church, said Bishop David O’Connell, C.M., lies in poor catechesis. But that crisis contains the seeds of great potential.

Click here to see photo gallery on this story.

Ensuring the truths of our faith are passed on in engaging and relevant ways is not just a responsibility, but an amazing opportunity, he told catechists from around the Diocese who were brought together for a meeting on sacramental preparation held in St. Robert Bellarmine Parish, Freehold, March 12.

“Every problem we experience in the Church concerns our ecclesiology: how we understand and relate to the Church in light of our understanding,” the Bishop said. And every problem we experience in our ecclesiology derives from poor catechesis.”

“As catechetical leaders, all these moments are in our hands, with the grace of God, to create, foster and engage in the lives of those God places in our path.  What a sacred trust has been given us, to you by and within the Church!  What an awesome responsibility!  What a profound opportunity,” said Bishop O’Connell.

The meeting, which was hosted by the diocesan Department of Evangelization and Catechesis, featured keynote remarks from Elizabeth Ficocelli, the host of “Answering the Call” on St. Gabriel Catholic Radio in her hometown of Columbus, Ohio, and the author of fifteen books for adults and young people.

In her introduction, she invoked the words of Pope Francis, who has said that the Sacraments are the answer to deepening our faith.

“Sacraments are a love exchange; Sacraments are about community. When you boil it down, God has given us two commands – love God, and love one another. Sacraments are a way to build this community,” she said.

The Bishop opened the conference with Mass, noting in his homily that the Sacraments are opportunities to “breathe deeply the fresh air of renewed energy,” and that the receiving and celebrating of these sacraments are core to “our identification as Catholics.”

The Bishop acknowledged the many obstacles catechetical leaders face, but encouraged them to remain on fire with the desire to spread the Gospel.

“You are the ‘good news.’  Your dedication and commitment and readiness to teach the true faith of Christ in its fullness as proposed by the Church can create an energy – an evangelistic energy – that will confront these challenges with strength and steadiness.  But you cannot back down,” he said.

“You cannot give in to discouragements although you must identify them as I have tried to do. The catechist teaches out of conviction not out of convenience.  And conviction is often not convenient.  Lead by example with truth at your side… Be a witness to Christ and inspire others to do the same.  That is the goal of evangelization.  That is the purpose of catechesis.”

For each sacrament, Ficocelli talked about how it related to a person’s faith journey, and how it related to the community.

With each topic, she gave the attending catechists new ideas about engaging their classes, as well as including the parents in the process. “Confirmation is the completion of Baptism. It deepens and intensifies the gift of the spirit. While many people treat it as the end of religious preparation, it is actually the beginning of a new stage of a person’s relationship with Christ.”

She likened Confirmation to marriage, saying “It’s not the end of a relationship; it’s the beginning of a whole new relationship.”

Many attendees said they came away invigorated by Ficocelli’s insightful remarks. Pat Brooks, director of faith formation for Resurrection Parish, Delran, said, “Her enthusiasm – there’s nothing like it! She gave us great ideas for parents, great ideas for the meetings. We just have to involve the families in the process.”

Helen Graziano, director of religious education in St. John Neumann Parish, Mount Laurel, said she would take away many “ideas for our classrooms. The idea of the Sacraments being gifts that have to be unwrapped – that’s really powerful.”

“She’s helping us with the real challenges that catechists face in presenting the sacraments to the children and their parents. It seems like faith is secondary in the lives of Catholics these days. She’s really uplifting me,” said Felicia Massari of St. Mary Parish, Barnegat.

Barbara Ust, of St. Catherine Parish, Farmingdale, was energized by the whole day, particularly by Bishop O’Connell’s remarks. She said, “The Bishop really knocked it out of the park. I’m always amazed at his sincerity and his appreciation for us.”

Ust now considers her job as catechist to be part of her own personal faith journey. “Before I started coming to these seminars, I thought I was just doing it for the kids. During one of these sessions, a priest told us, ‘This is an opportunity for your kids to encounter Christ.’ It’s changed the way I look at things. Now I realize that it’s changing my life, and I feel that way every time I walk in to one of these meetings.”