1. Parish Catechetical Check Up Welcome to a Parish Catechetical Check-up! This “Parish Catechetical Check-up” is an opportunity for your entire parish staff to pause and reflect upon how the parish as a whole catechizes or proclaims and teaches the Gospel. This is an excellent opportunity to be affirmed as well as challenged! Who should participate in this experience? The Service for Catechesis, the pastor, associate pastor(s), pastoral associate(s), deacon(s), catechetical coordinator, youth coordinator, principal, and anyone else directly involved in the ministry of catechesis in the parish should meet for an afternoon or evening. At least two to three hours should be set aside for this discussion. This is not an evaluation leading to a report nor is it an inspection. It is an opportunity for you and your staff, with the assistance of the Archdiocesan Catechetical Coordinator, to take a closer look at the ministry of catechesis in your parish and identify strengths and weaknesses so that goals and strategies for growth may be articulated. Honesty is the key to fully utilizing this check-up tool! Please look over this tool ahead of time and prepare your thoughts and insights for the meeting that will take place on: ________________from ________ to _________ at _____________________.

2. 1.Overall Parish Focus for Catechesis “Catechesis is nothing other than the process of transmitting the Gospel, as the Christian community has received it, understands it, celebrates it, lives it and communicates it in many ways.” (GDC #105) How does your parish define catechesis? How is catechesis integrated into the total life of the parish? What forms does communicating the Gospel take? Mission statement? Bulletin/newsletters? Homilies? How are liturgy and catechesis connected? What are the ways your parish catechizes beyond the traditional religious education program for children? Who are the catechists of your parish and what are their needs?

3. 2. Catechesis and Evangelization The Apostolic Exhortation Catechesi Tradendae places catechesis firmly within the Church's mission and notes that evangelization is a rich, complex and dynamic reality which comprises essential but different “moments.” “Catechesis,” it adds, “is one of these moments—a very remarkable one—in the whole process of evangelization.” (GDC #63) How does your parish understand evangelization and what are the concrete forms? How are catechesis and evangelization related in your parish? How does your parish invite/welcome people to deepen their faith? How does your parish call people to conversion and what resources do you provide to facilitate/nourish that conversion?

4. 3. The Catechumenate “The model for all catechesis is the baptismal catechumenate when, by specific formation, an adult converted to belief is brought to explicit profession of baptismal faith during the Paschal Vigil.” This catechumenal formation should inspire the ther forms of catechesis in both their objectives and in their dynamism. (GDC #59) Describe your parish catechumenate. Who is involved? What are the concrete forms? To what extent is the entire community involved? What materials do you use for the catechetical components of the RCIA? How is the catechumenate a model for all catechesis in your parish?

5. 4. Primacy of Adult Catechesis “Catechesis for adults, since it deals with persons who are capable of an adherence that is fully responsible, must be considered the chief form of catechesis. All the other forms, which are indeed always necessary, are in some way oriented to it.” (GDC #59) How is the primacy of adult catechesis evident in your parish? What are the goals for adult catechesis in your parish? How is adult catechesis planned and who is designated to lead it? What are the needs of adults in your parish and what forms of adult catechesis are offered to meet these needs? How is on-going systematic catechesis made available to adults in your parish? How can this become more of a reality?

6. 5. Youth Catechesis “In general it is observed that the first victims of the spiritual and cultural crisis gripping the world are the young. It is also true that any commitment to the betterment of society finds its hopes in them. This should stimulate the Church all the more to proclaim the Gospel to the world of youth with courage and creativity.” (GDC #181) How are youth invited to explore and grow in their faith? How does your parish reach out to all youth? How are adolescents engaged in a way that is age-appropriate, systematic and intentional while maintaining the integrity of the Gospel message (Word, Worship, Community, and Service)? Are youth allowed to plan and evaluate programs? Who is responsible for leadership? What are their qualifications?

7. 6. Child Catechesis “For various reasons today, rather more than in the past, the child demands full respect and help in its spiritual and human growth. This is also true in catechesis which must always be made available to Christian children. Those who have given life to children and have enriched them with the gift of Baptism have the duty continually to nourish it.” (GDC #177) What is the mission/focus of your parish’s child catechetical program? Where is the curriculum defined and articulated? How does the child program incorporate the elements of Word, Worship, Community and Service? How are those with special needs incorporated? How does your child program model the catechumenate? How can this tie be strengthened?

8. 7. Family and Parents “Parents receive in the sacrament of Matrimony ‘the grace and the ministry of the Christian education of their children,’ to whom they transmit and bear witness to human and religious values. This educational activity which is both human and religious is ‘a true ministry,’ through which the Gospel is transmitted and radiated so that family life is transformed into a journey of faith and the school of Christian life.” (GDC #227) How are families encouraged to participate Together in their children’s catechetical formation? How are parents involved especially in sacramental preparation of their children? How is the role of parents as primary educators of their children respected and supported? Is family catechesis an option at your parish? Do we provide childcare for events not involving children? How can our parish create a means for young parents to be involved in the catechesis?

9. 8. Catechesis for the Elderly “…The condition of the aged calls for a catechesis of hope, which derives from the certainty of finally meeting God. It is always a personal benefit and an enrichment of the Christian community, when the old bear witness to a faith which grows even more resplendent as they gradually approach the great moment of meeting the Lord.” (GDC #187) How would you characterize the catechetical needs of the elderly of your parish? What forms of catechesis and outreach are offered for those homebound and living in retirement centers? How can/does your parish ministry of care provide catechesis for the elderly? How is your parish accommodating the elderly?

10. 9. The Marginalized “The catechesis of the marginalized must be considered within the same perspective. It addresses itself to immigrants, refugees, nomads, travelling people, the chronically ill, drug addicts, prisoners.” (GDC #190) Who are the marginalized of your parish? What catechetical needs do these people have and how is your parish addressing them? In what ways does your parish reach out to the alienated and un-churched? How inclusive is your parish? How are social justice and charity parts of the “curriculum” of your parish’s total catechetical program?

11. 10. Inculturation “The Word of God became man, a concrete man, in space and time and rooted in a specific culture: Christ by his incarnation committed himself to the particular social and cultural circumstances of the men among whom he lived.” This is the original “inculturation” of the word of God and is the model of all evangelization by the Church, “called to bring the power of the Gospel into the very heart of culture and cultures.” (GDC #109) How would you characterize the particular cultural demographics of your parish community? What cultural perspectives and practices are particularly important for your parish to recognized and assimilate? What is being done to “enflesh” the Word of God in the particular culture(s) of your community?

12. 11. Catechetical Leadership Yet, while the entire Christian community is responsible for Christian catechesis and all of it members bear witness to the faith, only some receive the ecclesial mandate to be catechists. Together with the primordial mission which parents have in relation to their children, the Church confers the delicate task of organically transmitting the faith within the community on particular, specifically called members of the people of God.” (GDC #221) Does your parish have sufficient resources (human and financial) specifically dedicated to catechesis? Who is primarily responsible for overseeing the catechetical ministry in your parish? How is this person qualified or what formation have they received? Does your parish provide adequate salary and benefits? How is he/she involved in more than child catechesis? How are catechists in your parish invited to seriously consider becoming a catechetical leader?

13. 12. Catechist Formation “All of these tasks are born of the conviction that the quality of any form of pastoral activity is placed at risk if it does not rely on truly competent and trained personnel. The instruments provided for catechesis cannot be truly effective unless well used by trained catechists. Consequently, diocesan pastoral programs must give absolute priority to the formation of lay catechists.” (GDC #234) How are catechists encouraged to continue their spiritual, theological, and catechetical formation? What resources are allocated for this? How is formation “rewarded?” Do parish catechists know the content of the Catholic faith? Do they have the skills to employ appropriate methodology for the age level they teach? How is the pastor/pastoral staff involved in catechist formation?

14. Catechetical Check-up Results Thank you for participating in this Parish Catechetical Check-up. No check-up is totally complete, however, until some conclusions are drawn and recommendations are made. Based on the conversation that was guided by this tool, please answer the following: What are the catechetical strengths of this parish and how might they continue to be affirmed and supported? 1. 2. 3. What are the catechetical challenges that our parish faces? Prioritize them. 1. 2. 3. What are 3 concrete goals and strategies for this parish in the area of catechesis for the coming year? 1. 2. 3. With thanks and acknowledgements to the Archdiocese of Chicago & Maria H. Sedano