43 minutes
Practical ideas about how we can make best use of the "lemons" we have been given in the pandemic. How can we be successful in catechesis with social distancing requirements and the unknown? What WON'T work this year and what can work? What approaches and resources are most likely to work with parents who aren't used to forming their own children?
Whether your formation this year will be at home, facilitated through streaming video, hosted at the parish, or a combination of all three, this workshop will help you to coach and empower parents and form families better than ever. We have stumbled into the "Year of the Domestic Church," whether we like it or not, and it's a great opportunity to truly help parents embrace their role as primary catechists of their own children. How could the Spirit stir things up during this challenging time? You know what they say about when life gives you lemons!
As the pandemic has forced us out of our comfort zones, it is time to seriously reflect. Now that we can't do ministry "as usual," we need to be clear about what is most important. If what we most care about is truly passing on the faith, so that children remain Catholic, the crucial ingredient is parents. It's all about parent-child "faith talk" and interactions. This doesn’t just happen. A flashy video, digital resource, or “parent page" will not necessarily help. Parents need intentional coaching to help them step into the role of catechist.
This year, we need to be pragmatic and realistic, meeting parents where they are at and not where we wish they would be. In this session, we will consider which approaches will not work this year and which have the best chances of success. We’ll also learn how the brand new Directory for Catechesis can guide us in this challenge.
Paul Canavese is the director of The Pastoral Center and its Growing Up Catholic ministry, along with his wife Ann. They live with their two daughters and five chickens in Alameda, CA, where they operate a mini-urban farm and look for creative ways to build community in their neighborhood. Paul has his MTS from the Franciscan School of Theology (then in Berkeley), and is the author of Living the Good Life: Parent Small Group Sessions on Catholic Morality and author or editor of dozens of other practical pastoral resources. He focuses his ministry on helping parishes coach parents, evangelize, and connect the Gospel with daily life.
The Pastoral Center and its Growing Up Catholic ministry have been leaders in whole family catechesis for over ten years. Their flexible English & Spanish resources help you to coach parents step-by-step to share faith with their children and grow in faith themselves. The Growing Up Catholic Faith Stories curriculum, sacramental preparation process, and other tools are the perfect resources to form families during this time and beyond. [Learn more at GrowingUpCatholic.com]