This year’s Diocesan Catechetical Conference drew more than 400
catechists for Mass, workshops and fellowship Nov. 16. Father William P.
Saunders, episcopal vicar for faith formation and director of the Office of
Catechetics, led the conference, which began with Mass celebrated by Bishop
Michael F. Burbidge.
The theme, “Stay with us,” was inspired by the story of the two
disciples on the road to Emmaus.
In his homily, Bishop Burbidge explained the theme. “All of us
involved in the work of Catholic education, faith formation, catechesis and
evangelization can learn from the disciples on the road to Emmaus. For like
them, we can often get disappointed when our hopes and dreams are shattered,” he
said. “It occurs when our programs, plans, and best ideas seem to have little
impact on our students, parishioners and those we seek to serve. It occurs in
our personal lives when we experience setbacks or are given an unexpected and
heavy cross to carry. It is precisely at those moments, like the disciples on
the road to Emmaus, that we must allow the Lord to walk with us and to teach
us.”
The conference featured 17 workshops that ranged from new online
teaching tools and scripture studies to the growing sexual and technological
crisis.
The discussion on gender and sexuality was led by Deacon Marques
Silva, diocesan director for child protection and safety, and Frank Moncher,
diocesan victim assistance coordinator. During Deacon Silva’s talk he showed a
picture of a unicorn with no set gender to illustrate the current secular
understanding of gender and sexuality.
“The only thing that is missing from all of this is, what does
reality tell us?” he said. “There are four really important questions that
everyone needs to answer for themselves. Who am I? Where did I come from? How
do I live and where am I going? … (These answers) can be known and must be
known.”
A couple of the workshops proposed incorporating online materials
in religious education. This is part of the effort to meet parents and students
where they are online. According to Bishop Burbidge, many of these initiatives
echoed the words of Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Robert E. Barron, chairman of
the USCCB Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis, at last week’s fall
general assembly in Baltimore. He encouraged creative and appropriate social
media tools to engage the next generation in the faith.
On the other side of the technology usage spectrum was a sobering
talk on the growing epidemic of personal technology addiction by Peter Ryan, who
is in the process of founding a non-pro?t organization focused on technology
use called LookUp4Life.
“The problem with a child or student that becomes increasingly
attached to the screen is that they give up the friends and activities,” said
Ryan. “They lose their peer groups, their connections. They begin to feel more
awkward around people. This creates stress. Stress makes them want to go back
to their comfort thing, which in this case is technology consumption and the
downward spiral continues.” He encouraged families to take the time to develop
a technology strategy.
The diocese’s first coordinator for special needs ministries,
Nancy Emanuel, gave a talk about the need for parishes to actively seek out
people with disabilities, as mandated in the catechism. According to Emanuel,
having Special Religious Education Development (SPRED) not only helps people
with disabilities receive the sacraments, but also creates a community that
encourages them to participate in the liturgical life of the parish.
Catechist Charles Groom from All Saints Catholic Church in
Manassas said he has enjoyed attending the conference for the past eight years
and always encourages others to come.
“There is so much you get from it,” said Groom. “It is so
enriching.”
Groom was encouraged by the reading from Romans during Mass.
“If not me, then who?” said Groom, “It reminds us that it is our
responsibility as Catholics, as Christians, to share the good news with
others.”
Kassock is a freelance writer in Fredericksburg.