Parish Planning
The mission of the parish is evangelization and catechesis. With this in mind, an effective parish catechetical plan involves not only the pastor and parish catechetical leader, but leaders from all parish ministries. The parish plan seeks opportunities for parishioners of all ages to hear the Gospel message, celebrate it in prayer and liturgy, and live it in their daily lives (NDC 60). The plan needs to be comprehensive, placing a priority on adult catechesis and providing special accommodation for cultural, racial, and ethnic groups, and persons with disabilities. A calendar of events should encourage participation of all and not compete with local municipal or school calendars. The parish needs to properly fund the catechetical initiatives of the parish and support the retention of a properly trained, competent catechetical leader.
Proper planning is intentional and takes time. The Department of Lifelong Faith Formation recommends the use of the Parish Faith Inventory to begin the planning process. This tool will give the faith formation planning team an overview of the parish’s current catechetical efforts. The second tool, the Parish Faith Assessment , leads the team through a evaluation process to discover both the strengths and needed areas for growth with regard to providing for the catechetical needs of all members of the parish. As the planning team develops its overriding goals and objectives for its plan, the focus for programming can become clearer using these tools. For assistance with using these tools or in developing a parish catechetical plan, please contact mcoates@buffalodiocese.org.
Parish Models
The Diocese of Buffalo does not mandate one parish model of faith formation/religious education over another. What is required is that each parish provide on-going faith formation for parishioners of all ages in a systematic and comprehensive manner. The planning process described above is recommended in order to effectively assess and grow parish catechetical efforts. Described below are several models for consideration or view this power-point
Age-specific programming Generally this refers to grade-level or the classroom model for catechesis with children. The Diocese of Buffalo does outline guidelines for its implementation in the “ For Catechetical Leaders ” page of this website.
Family / Intergenerational An intergenerational model for catechesis includes parishioners of all ages, together, in the learning setting. Generally, sessions are planned monthly for approximately 3hours. The value of this model is that it cultivates a sharing between young and old and best models lifelong learning. Care must be given to using a methodology that respects the learning styles and levels of all involved. Visit www.generationsoffaith.org for a detailed description of one type of intergenerational programming.
Home-schooling: As the primary educators of their children, parents may opt to home-school their children. In doing so, they must follow the diocesan curriculum and utilize the same resources/texts that are used in their parish program. Home-schooling is permitted with the pastor’s approval and under the guidance of the parish catechetical leader. They are encouraged to honor the right of the parent to provide for their child’s religious instruction while at the same time, encouraging the family to maintain involvement with the parish at-large. Religious instruction should not be done in isolation, therefore the parish catechetical leader must clearly articulate the expectations for the child/family’s participation in parish formation events during the year.
Home-based: Some parishes organize faith formation in small groups that meet in an informal setting in an adult’s home. Care should be taken to ensure for the safety of all those involved. Homeowners need be aware of the limits of their homeowners insurance should an accident occur. In addition, adults who are working with groups of young people must be in compliance with the Safe Environment Mandates. Adults should never meet alone with children in their home. The parish catechetical leader should also make a home visit to visually inspect the home for other safety issues.
Summer/Vacation: Many parishes use summer or holiday vacations to offer catechetical programming. This often appeals to families whose schedule during the academic year is busy with other commitments. Plans which include a summer/vacation catechetical program must also include events for the students to participate in during the rest of the year. These support and strengthen the relationship of the family/student to parish life.
Whole Community: Emphasizing an event-centered curriculum across the entire parish utilizes a ‘whole community catechetical approach’. Care is taken in the development of the curriculum to ensure alignment across ages and parish organizations to support the curriculum. In the parish the whole community learns the same thing, often in different settings, but, at times, together. Using intergenerational methods and age-specific groups in this model strengthens and deepens the on-going conversion of the whole parish community.