master catechists

Diocese Welcomes 18 New Master Catechists

By Gretchen R. Crowe
Herald Staff Writer
(From the Issue of 5/25/06)

Spring is filled to the brim with graduations, with high school seniors moving toward college and college seniors moving toward the workforce. On a smaller scale, but no less important, was the graduation last week of 18 parishioners from the Master Catechist Training Program at St. Mary of Sorrows Church in Fairfax.
Amid family and friends, Mary Baldwin, Krista Boucher, Diana Cangelosi, Joseph DiGrado, Dao Mary Do, Chris Hitzelberger, Maria Ho, Mary Lee, Evelyn Merlo, Martin Merlo, Margarita Navas, Hoang Nguyen, Penny Starrs, Domingo Tayam and Theodore Zeunges closed their two years of preparation at a Mass celebrated by Father Paul deLadurantaye, director of catechetics. Not present were George Nazionale Jr., Christine Sopko and Alphonse-Thanh Vu.
“Tonight we rejoice and we celebrate because 18 of our number have, for the past two years, prayed, studied, learned, spoke with each other, shared themselves with each other, all so they could become more effective witnesses to the world,” Father deLadurantaye said in his homily. “You have brought your different gifts, you have shared these gifts with one another, and now, graduating from our program, the Lord is sending you back into your communities to share those gifts.”
Through using their gifts and bearing witness, the new catechists are “intimately linked with the Lord,” he added. “My brothers and sisters, our soon-to-be-graduates, you certainly have opened your hearts to God’s grace, and it has been a joy to be with you over the last two years, to see how God has worked in your lives.”
For two years, the aspiring catechists studied theology, Scripture, adult development and education theory, and methodology. After graduation, they will be able to teach catechist training and formation, workshops and sacramental catechesis in the diocesan parishes.
During the Mass, which had music led by Linda Dupew and the Joyful Noise Folk Group, the guests of honor participated in the processions, proclaimed the readings and presented the gifts. Before the final dismissal, the soon-to-be graduates were called one-by-one to receive a certificate and a pin from Father deLadurantaye, before receiving a final blessing as a group.
Tayam, a parishioner at St. Lawrence Church in Springfield, took the training to effectively catechize children.
“It’s a big responsibility to be a witness,” he said. “Hopefully by the example that (the children) see from us they will be inspired. Hopefully what we’re telling them they’ll remember when they grow up.”
Hitzelberger, youth minister at Blessed Sacrament Church in Alexandria, said that a background in catechesis would help him better serve the youths and young adults at the parish. He also hopes to work to “find ways beyond just RCIA to bring adult faith formation to the parish.”
Starrs, a parishioner at Holy Trinity Church in Gainesville, said that her goal was to “learn the truths of the Faith and also to know Christ more.
“Because of our baptism all of us are called to be apostles, and without the proper background and formation I wasn’t equipped to do that,” she said.
A mother of four, Starrs will use her knew knowledge to help teach her daughter’s first Communion class this fall.
For more information on the next Master Catechist Training to begin this fall, call 703/841-2554 or contact parish pastors and directors of religious education.
Gretchen R. Crowe can be reached at gcrowe@catholicherald.com.