GSC Children Helping Children

Mar 06, 2015

By Charmaine Amanda
The catechetical ministry of Good Shepherd Church (GSC) has embarked on a new journey for 2015 as they grow together in the faith and love of Christ, as students, parents and catechists. This ministry hopes to grow beyond the traditionally known method of imparting faith through the weekly catechism. With the firm support of the parish priest, Fr VA Michael, the team is geared to go beyond boundaries and has gotten their yearly plan endorsed by the parish.

With this mission in mind, the catechists started off the year by renewing their commitment to journey with the students. The catechists were blessed and commissioned on January11 to assume their task in the apostolate of catechesis, thereby taking on the responsibility to guide, teach and counsel their students with love, compassion, wisdom and knowledge like Jesus.

The catechists have jointly agreed to the change in the methodology of teaching, enabling a continuous learning process for the children. The major difference will be the emphasis of parents as primary catechists and how the parish catechetical programme will incorporate parental involvement in the faith education of the children to form a wholesome and enriching formation, both in the parish and in the home. ‘Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. The home is well suited for education in the virtues. Parents have a grave responsibility to give good example to their children. By knowing how to acknowledge their own failings to their children, parents will be better able to guide and correct them’ (CCC 2223).

The secondary level students started their first day of Catechism Classes with Praise and Worship in the Function Hall. They were joined by the parents and catechists. The catechists and parents took the opportunity to get to know each other and to establish contacts.

This was made even more amazing as some parents have volunteered to get involved regularly in the catechetical ministry’s programme, and some have even expressed their interest in being catechists themselves! Welcome goody bags were also given to students who were new to the parish.

The journey of engaging parents continued as the catechists, in collaboration with the parents, organised a charity Breakfast Sale and Car Wash on February 8 to raise funds for The Society of Holy Childhood (SHC) to directly help poorer children in other parts of the world. The children were excited as they walked around the parish with their little baskets, selling homemade local delicacies, balloons, loom bands and other hand-made accessories which were the direct labour of themselves and their parents. Aligned to the Lenten Campaign 2015 in seeking to address global climate change, the children were urged to use only biodegradable packing materials as their commitment to “Say NO! to climate change”.

The upper secondary students took the opportunity to wash cars of parishioners for a minimal fee. Not only did they sweat it out on that Sunday morning, they also had lots of fun and were filled with euphoria when Fr Michael lent a helping hand in washing the cars too.

SHC is a missionary body of The Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS). PMS are Roman Catholic mission societies active throughout the whole world. Almost every country has a national office for the PMS and a national director. PMS is made up of four missionaries: The Society for the Propagation of Faith (SPF), The Society of St Peter the Apostle (SPA), The Society for Missionary Union (SMU) and SHC.

The aim is to teach children that everyone is a missionary. Each one of us is created to share himself or herself with the rest of humanity. This is in line with the 6th fruit of Holy Communion, ‘The Eucharist commits us to the Poor’ (CCC 1397). As a result of the Breakfast Sale, Car Wash and the children’s weekly donations, the team has successfully raised RM 6,727.75 for the SHC. With that, the “Children helping Children” fundraising campaign was successfully brought to an end.

This journey will continue as both parents and catechists work together to address matters concerning the faith of the children. With the use of internet and instant messaging application, the catechists and parents stay up-to-date and share information on lessons, activities, camps, etc. Weekly activities and photos are also posted on the ministry’s Facebook page, ‘GS Church, Setapak Catechetical Ministry’.

Fr VA Michael, who is also the National Director of the PMS in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei, congratulated the catechists and encouraged their passion to bring about change in the catechetical ministry, which emphasises the importance of announcing the Good News to all people. He echoed the words of the Holy Father, “Christ has confidence in you and He entrusts His own mission to you: Go and make disciples!” He also welcomed the idea of the FBI (Faith Booster Initiators) unit amongst the catechists to specifically focus on formations and involvement of parents in the faith education of their children. It is hoped that these initiatives will help the children, parents and catechists grow deeper in their love for Jesus, whilst abiding by the directives of the Malaysia Catechetical Commission.