Do catechisms help our children grow in the faith?

Feb 23, 2024

Echoing the Faith - Dr Steven Selvaraju

At the end of 2003, I completed my doctoral studies in Rome and returned home to Malaysia. In February 2004, I started work at the National Catechetical Office as Project Director. My main responsibility was to oversee the preparation of the Malaysian Catechetical Series (MCS), a local graded catechism series, for learners between the ages 7-16 years. The project was initiated by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Malaysia, and it was the first time that a local catechetical series was being produced for the entire country.

I was ably assisted in the task by Sr Maria Chan, FMM. She also wrote the text for the books for learners between ages seven – eleven years. A team of priests helped to review the theological content and some lay people assisted as proof readers, translators and illustrators. It was a huge project. But by the end of six years, we had produced a total of 80 books — 40 books for learners and 40 catechist’s guides. The MCS books were published in English, Tamil, Chinese and Bahasa Malaysia. Today, most parishes in Malaysia are using this catechetical series.

Although my commitment to the project ended almost about twenty-two years ago, many people still ask me about the MCS books. One common question I am asked is, “Do the MCS books help our children become mature and dedicated Christians?”

It takes more than catechisms and parish catechists
No catechism, however well prepared, is in itself adequate to help young Catholics grow in their faith. The catechism is only a resource that presents an organic and holistic synthesis of the essential contents of Catholic doctrine with regards to morals and faith, in the light of Scripture and Sacred Tradition. A catechism presents the basic contents of the faith to the learners in accordance with their age.

The main role of the parish catechists is to transmit the essential contents of the faith to the learners. However, they can do this only within the time they have each weekend when they meet the learners. Therefore, other factors have to be considered. These factors play an important role in influencing the faith growth of a child or young person. In this article, I will examine briefly four such factors. These are: the involvement of parents in catechesis; the involvement of the parish community in the ministry of catechesis; the training of catechists; and whether the catechesis in the Church is sacrament-centred or Christ-centred.

Are parents involved?
It has been said time and time again that parents are the first formators in the faith. I believe that many parents are aware of this. However, being aware and being involved are two different things. Studies in human development sciences clearly speak about the crucial role that parents play in affecting the physical, emotional, social, intellectual and moral, as well as, the faith growth of the child. Children start to learn about their faith from the moment when they are born. Parents become involved in the faith formation of their children by setting the proper environment in the home for the present and future religious development of the child. A loving and healthy relationship between the parent and child during the early years of the child’s life can either powerfully strengthen or weaken the foundations on which the child will develop in his or her faith in the later years. In fact, by the time children attend their first catechism class in the parish, they have already formed certain images or ideas about God, Jesus, Mary, the saints and other aspects of the Church, based mainly from observations of their parent’s words and actions.

Is the whole parish community taking responsibility?
While parish catechists and parents have their specific roles in the ministry of catechesis, the responsibility for the faith formation does not lie with them alone. The Church states that the responsibility for catechesis belongs to the whole Christian community which, in the context of the Catholic Church, also includes the parish community. Therefore, members of the parish, most especially adult members, are responsible in forming the younger members of the community in the faith.

Are we aware of this responsibility and are we involved? Are the parish catechists attending formation?
The Church is blessed with lay people who respond to the call of God and volunteer themselves as catechists in the parish. Many of them take their ministry seriously. The unfortunate fact is that most are not adequately trained to perform their responsibilities effectively. Quite a number of catechists have expressed to me that they feel unprepared to help the children entrusted to them to be formed in the faith because they themselves are unsure of their own faith. The key question here is: “Are the catechists attending the formation programs which are offered at the level of the parish and or dioceses?”.

Is catechesis Christ-centred?
For some time now, catechesis has been overly sacrament-centred. It means that emphasis is placed heavily on the child’s reception of the sacraments, especially Holy Communion and Confirmation. Often, this leads to parents, learners, catechists, and even some parish priests to think that the goal of catechesis is the reception of the sacraments. Since Vatican II, the Church has called for a shift in the way catechesis is understood. The Church states that catechesis is to be Christ-centred. The goal of catechesis is “to put people not only in touch but also in communion and intimacy with the Person of Christ” (Catechesi Tradendae, 5). Therefore, our catechetical efforts must help children and young people enter into a personal relationship with Jesus. However, we have to ask ourselves, “Do I have a personal relationship with Jesus?”

Conclusion
“Will the catechism books help our children grow in their faith?” I would say ‘yes”, provided we pay careful and serious attention to the factors mentioned above. In the next series of articles, I will elaborate on these factors, as well as on other aspects in catechesis that are essential in helping our children and young people to grow in their faith.
 
The key ideas of the article are presented in a simple illustrated format as below. The illustrations are my own. The images are from the MCS books.



Dr Steven Selvaraju, STD, STL, holds a Doctorate in Theology with Specialisation in Catechetics and Youth Ministry from Pontifical Salesian University, Rome. He serves as Director of the Archdiocesan Catechetical Centre, Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur.