Welcome to St. Anthony Faith Formation! I am so excited you have heard and an-

swered the call of God to be a catechist! My hope and prayer is that this vocation will

be fruitful for your own growth in faith and relationship with Christ as you journey with

the students in your classes as they grow and develop in theirs. This manual is de-

signed to be a resource for you to learn from and to look back and reference when you

find yourself needing a fresh perspective. It is not a set of rules and obligations you

need to follow. It is some insights into the craft of catechesis to which you have been

called. You may have classroom experience as a teacher, you may have experience

training others in your career, you may have coaching experience, you may have no

experience teaching. Whatever your level of expertise, this manual should hold some

new information specific to catechesis, which is different from traditional classroom

teaching, though your time in a learning environment will be called upon as you reflect

on these topics and techniques.

Blessings, Beth Cowles

Coordinator of Elementary Religious Education

St. Anthony Catholic Church

Bryan, TX

This manual has some unique features: each

section begins with a short prayer, scripture verse,

or quote from a saint and ends with questions for

reflection. The purpose of these is to help keep you

focused on the fact that we are all here for the pur-

pose of ministry…to bring others to Christ and His

Church.

Welcome

St. Anthony...pray for us!

Catechesis is the passing on of our faith to others in a systematic and orderly way

(General Directory of Catechesis, 66). There is a pedagogy of God that we strive to

emulate when teaching the faith to others. God revealed Himself and the essential

truths of our existence slowly and in stages “so as to draw even closer to man” (GDC,

38). Pope St. John Paul II, in his apostolic exhortation Catechesi Tradendae, tells us

that fundamentally, the aim of catechesis is to put people in intimate communion with

the Person of Jesus Christ (5).

This manual is designed to help you in your vocation as a catechist to achieve these

high ideals in your individual classes, with individual students. We need to remember at

all times that this is not simply a class to teach certain objectives for recollection on a

test. Our purpose is to journey with our students, our brothers and sisters in Christ, on

our way to heaven. Passing on the faith to others is a high calling within the Church.

Let us all help one another to succeed in this purpose and bring each other, our stu-

dents, and whole parish community closer to Christ and His salvation.

We follow Christ as Teacher, allowing Him to guide us in our task that He sets be-

fore us. So, let us begin as He taught us, calling on the name of our Father in heaven:

Introduction

The first proclamation of the Gospel is our first task

when catechizing. This is also known as the Kerygma. Re-

minding ourselves and our students what the big picture is

where our faith is concerned is important. ‘On the lips of the

catechist the first proclamation must ring out over and over:

“Jesus Christ loves you; he gave his life to save you; and

now he is living at your side every day to enlighten,

strengthen and free you” (Evangelii Gaudium 164, Pope

Francis, 2013).’

Here is an example of a simple statement of this Truth:

Jesus Christ, Son of God, became Incarnate in the fullness of time. He suffered,

died, rose again, and ascended to Heaven for the forgiveness of all sin. He is the

redeemer of the world.

You can formulate your own statement of this central core of the Good News. It

should be the one thing you return to with each lesson…how does this lesson tie into

this central core? Having your Kerygmatic statement on a poster or wall hanging is a

good reminder for everyone who walks into your classroom that this is the focus of

our faith.

"To restore the kerygma to its full power and clarity into one single

message proclaiming with joy and love the beauty and the promise of

the kingdom of God is the task of the kerygmatic renewal. Its chief aim

is to present the truths of the faith as an organic whole. The core is the

Good News of our redemption in Christ. It's fruit should be our grateful

and loving response to God's loving call (Jungmann, “Theology and

Kerugmatic Teaching, Lumen Vitae, 5).”

This proclamation demands a response. If I were to say to you, “I did all of your

chores today” what would your response be? Most likely, a “thank you” or “you

shouldn’t have!” or “what can I do for you?” In the same way, Jesus’ life, passion,

death, resurrection, and ascension should elicit a response from us. We can seek a re-

sponse from those whom we teach. Our desire for them is to develop a relationship

with Jesus Christ, so we begin with helping them to understand the relationships they

F or God so

loved the

world that

he gave

his only Son, so that

everyone who be-

lieves in him might

not perish but might

have eternal life.

John 3:16

The Kerygma –

our catechesis must be kerygmatic

already have with their family, friends, classmates, neighbors, and people at church.

We help them to see how those relationships are images of the relationship God desires

with them. This can look very different in each classroom with each grade-level, and

even with each individual person!

By putting what Jesus did for us in terms the children can un-

derstand, we help them to begin that relationship. We are representa-

tives of Christ in our faith formation classrooms. How do you develop

the relationship with the children? How can they make the leap from

relationship with a catechist to a relationship with Christ? This is our

job. By relating with them lovingly, telling them how you love them

through your love for Christ, and in your desire to teach them the

faith He called the “pearl of great price” (Mt. 13:45-46) you are accomplishing this

goal, this Task of Catechesis (General Directory for Catechesis, 85).

The story of salvation history is our story - it is our learners’ story. Knowing The

Story and being able to articulate it, to tell it in an engaging manner is important to

helping the children understand their place in God’s family. Human beings learn best

through stories; this is evidenced by how information was passed down through the

ages: oral tradition, clay tablets, papyrus, plays, poetry, novels, radio shows, television

series, movies are all storytelling ways and means. Ask a student to tell you about their

day or their grandpa and you’ll get a story! Ask anyone what their favorite book is and

you can bet it’s NOT a textbook! Stories

are who we are, it’s where we’ve come

from and where we are going. Making

The Story a central part of your faith

formation lessons and showing the stu-

dents how you and they fit into it will

create a sense of curiosity and wonder

that can prove invaluable when teaching

the truths of the faith that, on face

value, may seem dry or formulaic.

Using methods appropriate for the age

group, we should tell the story, asking them to put themselves into it. One way to ac-

complish this is imaginative guided meditation.

Some of the resources available include:

Guided Reflections for Children, Volumes 1 & 2, Loyola Press

http://www.cominghome.org.au/

“It is not enough to

love the young; they

must know they are

loved.”

St. John Bosco

I Talk with God: The Art of Prayer and Meditation for Catholic Children, Janet P.

McKenzie

Another way to include the children in the story is to have them tell it, either with

words or pictures, role-play, skits, or other body movement. When the children are ac-

tively engaged in telling the story, they will more likely make it their own and be able

to articulate it to others. This process of growing in faith and discipleship is a major

task of catechesis because it ties so closely to our Baptismal call to spread the Good

News.

Cultivating Wonder –

curiosity brings focus to lessons

If I were to begin a lesson with the lights off and quiet mu-

sic playing in the background, would that pique your curi-

osity? What if the room is brightly lit with flood lights and

rock music playing? How about silence? What if I met you

at the door with a smile and my finger to my lips to indi-

cate that we are beginning in silence? Or, if I’m wearing a

silly hat, or have a nametag on that reads “Hello My Name

is: St. Mary Magdalene”? Would you be curious to see what

was in store for the lesson? I probably would.

What’s the point of piquing the children’s curiosity?

Firstly, it draws them into the environment that you have

set for the class. Secondly, curiosity puts them in a questioning and open attitude, as

opposed to closed and withdrawn. Thirdly, curiosity is the first step to learning. Even if

you don’t begin with greeting them in a manner that is curious, your opening statement

to them or in transition from the regular class openers can elicit similar results. We

I n the begin-

ning God cre-

ated the heav-

ens and the

earth...the spirit of

God swept over the

waters and then God

said, “Let there be

light.”

based on Gen. 1:1-3

Questions for Reflection

1. When did you first hear the Kerygma proclaimed?

2. What is your favorite story? Why?

3. Who is your favorite story-teller? Why?

4. Craft your own Kerygmatic statement.

always want to bring our learners closer to Christ. Christ Himself used techniques to

bring about curiosity that made his hearers question and desire more (cf. Mt. 13). Even

reading a single verse or statement from Scripture and letting it hang in the air for a

moment can be the attention grabber that brings focus to the lesson.

Our own wonder and curiosity about God should be the jumping off point to bring

about wonder and curiosity in our students. What is it about the topic for the lesson

that YOU are curious about, or that causes you to sit back and say “Wow, God is AWE-

SOME!”? Identify those things and you have the start of a really great lesson. When the

catechist is excited to share the mystery of our faith with others, it is contagious. Chil-

dren need to catch the excitement about our faith.

Beginning each lesson with a question to answer is another way to spark interest.

For older students, maybe 4th, 5th, and 6th grades make your year’s calendar out with

the lesson topics for each week phrased as a question. Send this home the first night,

post it in the room, send it out as an email to the parents. Make your students curious

about what’s next in the Story. How in the world is God going to make this topic con-

nect to that topic?

The Catholic faith is rich with mystery…the

Mystery of the Most Holy Trinity, the Paschal

Mystery, the mystery of miracles, saints, angels,

Creation, etc. The word mystery comes from the

Greek word “mysterion” which translates to

“secret”. These are the secrets of our faith that

God has revealed to us in a way that draws us

in, closer to Him, curious, desiring to know

more. We emulate the revelation of God in our

own class lessons. Reveal the truths of the faith

in small bites, leave the class desiring to know

more, to come back next week hungering for the

next bite. And so a lesson that begins with the

question “what is she up to?” ends with the

question “what will she be up to next week?” A

lesson that begins with the question “what is

Jesus up to in our lives?” ends with the ques-

tion “what will Jesus do this week in my life?”

and the desire to share the answer to that

question the next week in class.

Rublev’s Icon of the Holy Trinity (ca. 1411) Tretyakov

Gallery, Moscow

Questions for Reflection

1. What makes you feel awe and/or wonder?

2. List 3 ways you can illicit wonder from your faith formation students.

Memorization –

Learning by heart has real benefits

We look to the Apostles for examples. How did they be-

come intimate with Jesus? What was their relationship with

Him? More like brothers or a club than teacher and student,

or a classroom. BUT, Jesus did expect them to know some

things ahead of time – Scripture, right worship in the Temple,

the Law. These were things the Apostles knew from their own

schooling when they were children and young men. Jesus as-

sumed they knew the doctrines of the faith in which they

grew up. In the same way, the children we teach must learn

Scripture, liturgical practices, prayers, and certain doctrines,

so that as they develop their relationship with Christ, He can

build on what they know. To learn that Jesus Christ died for

our sins without knowing the story of the Fall of Man from

Genesis, or know about sacrifice from Old Testament stories

like Abraham and Isaac, or the sacrifices made by the priests

in the Temple in Jerusalem, means that our knowledge is incomplete. Our understand-

ing of the significance of what Jesus did for us is less than it could be. Learning the Be-

atitudes in light of the Ten Commandments is important because Jesus taught the Be-

atitudes as a continuation of the Law, a fulfillment of the Law, a new interpretation of

the Law. And only the Son of God can do that. So, learning certain doctrines, Scrip-

tures, and liturgical practices by heart will help lead the children we catechize into an

intimate relationship with Jesus.

H ail

Mary,

full of

grace,

the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou

among women and

blessed is the fruit of

thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother

of God, pray for us

sinners, now and at

the hour of our

death. Amen.

All of us learned the Mass by heart, simply

by attending Mass regularly. The repetition of the for-

mat, prayers, responses, and gestures all make the

Mass easy to learn by heart, but only if one is present.

Once a person knows the “what” and “how” of the Mass,

it is easier to teach the “why”. It is very difficult to teach

a child what the Eucharist means and is if they have not

been to Mass often and can recognize the references of

the priest, altar, host, chalice, etc. It makes no sense to

explain WHY we kneel at the consecration if a child has

not experienced kneeling at Mass. It makes no sense to

talk about consecration if a child has never heard the

words “The Body of Christ”. So, there must be some

memorization of vocabulary, a common language that

can be used in catechesis to hand on the deposit of

faith.

Pope St. John Paul II wrote, “A certain memoriza-

tion of the words of Jesus, of important Bible passages,

of the Ten Commandments, of the formulas of profes-

sion of the faith, of the liturgical texts, of the essential

prayers, of key doctrinal ideas, etc., far from being op-

posed to the dignity of young Christians, or constituting

an obstacle to personal dialogue with the Lord, is a real

need” (CT, 55). He went on to say that a variety of

methods is necessary to catechize properly, but memori-

zation must be one of them. Again, without a foundation

of knowledge from which to draw there is very little

catechists can do to bring learners into relationship with

Jesus Christ.

Some ways to encourage learning by heart are:

Repetition – by praying the same opening prayer

each class, or singing the same song during the

lesson, children will pick up on this simply through

repetition and remember it.

Flashcards – vocabulary flashcards or a “memory”

card game where children match the vocabulary

word to the definition by flipping over cards.

Beth’s Witness

I learned the Rosary as a

child, and was tested on it in

school. I can name the 15

original Mysteries, and now,

adding the 5 Luminous Mys-

teries to the repertoire has

been easy, because I KNOW

the stories from Scripture

that we meditate upon in

those Mysteries. These facts

about Christ’s life give me

something to put my own ex-

periences and prayers into

context. It becomes second

nature to recall them and

contemplate them, or to put

my petitions into that con-

text. For example, when pray-

ing the First and Second Joy-

ful Mysteries, I typically raise

up any pregnant mothers I

know, all those who are strug-

gling with unplanned or diffi-

cult pregnancies, an end to

abortion, etc. When praying

the Second Luminous Mys-

tery, the Wedding Feast at

Cana, I lift up all engaged and

married couples. The Rosary

is a comforting prayer and

meditation for me. Through

this sacramental and devo-

tion, I am able to grow closer

to Christ through Mary’s help

and intercession.

Positive reinforcement – offer prizes for students who can recite the assigned

prayers or doctrines to memorize. These can be very simple: a piece of candy, a

prayer card, an inexpensive medal or cross

on a cord, or tickets to save up for a larger

prize.

Teaching – Ask and allow the children to

teach a lesson on a particular prayer or doc-

trine. Give them material to read over and

create a teaching tool, like a poster, then

present it to the class.

There are many other activities and devices that can be used to help your stu-

dents learn by heart. I encourage you to think about and determine how you best learn

by heart and incorporating that method into your own catechesis.

“A certain

memorization...is a

real need.”

Pope St. John Paul II

Questions for Reflection

1. What prayers, teachings, or doctrines of the Church have you

memorized?

2. When did you memorize them? Why did you memorize them?

3. When have these things helped you in your faith?

4. Tell your students about these times or events.

Active Learning –

practical ways to involve learners in the process

of learning

According to Dictionary.com, to learn is to gain or acquire

knowledge of or skill in (something) by study, experience, or

being taught. To teach is to give information about or instruc-

tion in (a subject or skill). As catechists we are teachers of a

sort, but more than that, we are stewards of the deposit of

faith as revealed by God and passed down to us through

Scripture and Tradition. Catechesis is more than teaching it is

sharing what we have with another out of love and desire for

their eternal well-being. So, as important as it is to “give information”, it is more impor-

tant that the students in our faith formation classes “gain knowledge of” not only things

but the person of Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior. To do this, it is necessary for the

participants to take an active role in their learning.

Active Learning in the Catechetical Setting

Active learning is achieved when the participant is involved in the learning proc-

ess in ways that allow him or her to absorb the content of the lesson and retain it to

apply it in other environments and areas of his or her life. Many different activities and

methods can be used to allow for active learning in the catechetical setting. Our faith is

abundant with worship, sacramentals, music, and words that lend themselves to the

active learning environment.

Pope Paul VI in Evangeli Nuntiandi said, “Modern man listens more willingly to

witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are wit-

nesses.” (41) This witness must involve the participants, those being catechized, in

ways that will engage them in the life of the faith. The purpose of passing on the con-

tent of the faith is to bring others closer to Christ (CT, 5), and ultimately, Heaven. No

one will gain Heaven without some response on their part. This response can be invited

in the catechetical classroom through active learning.

Some examples of active learning activities are:

Skits – students act out the virtue or the Scripture story being presented.

Student teaching – assign small groups a single topic or objective to teach to the

rest of the class, give them resources and some time to put together a “lesson”

A ctions

speak

louder

than

words;

let your words teach

and your actions

speak.

St. Anthony

of Padua

and then allow them to present it.

Crafts or Student created artwork – have some sort of craft or artwork activity

that ties in with the major objective or theme of the lesson.

Music – sing songs that reinforce the objective or Scripture.

Reflection – a directed reflection of a Scripture passage that draws them into an

imaginative place allowing them to spend time in prayer in a way that very well

may be new to them.

Journaling – students can write or draw their feelings, prayers, questions, and

praise in a journal.

There are many other ways to involve the learners as you are doing lecture or direct

teaching from the textbook, too.

Stop every once in a while and check understanding by asking a question like

“why do you think the Disciples acted in that way?” or “How would you feel if you

were one of the lepers who was healed?” Drawing on more than a simple “yes or

no” answer or a simple recollection of the story.

Give them a chance to restate what you have told them in their own words.

Have other students comment or restate the first student’s response to keep eve-

ryone listening to each other, as well as the teacher.

Realizing that God’s wisdom is so much greater than ours and He set up how we

worship Him to be such that we are actively involved in all aspects. Just look at the

Mass for examples of how we can include certain appropriate activity to our lessons

without losing the reverence and honor due to the content we present. Utilizing the

postures, music, responses, colors, sights, and smells of Mass, your classroom can take

on a liturgical air that permeates all activities and participation by the students.

Questions for Reflection

1. Assess your learning style and your teaching style. Write down how

you best learn and how you tend to teach. In what ways to do see

these two being compatible and what ways are they incompatible?

2. Is there a catechist or teacher you had that incorporated active learn-

ing? What parts of those teachers’ lessons were most engaging for

you, as a learner? Are there ways you can incorporate some of their

techniques into your lessons?

3. Write down 3 ways you will incorporate active learning in your faith

formation lessons.

Reason, Religion, and Kindness–

the educational philosophy of St. John Bosco

St. John Bosco (1815-1888) is the patron saint of cate-

chists. One of the reasons for this is that he spent the major-

ity of his lifetime teaching young boys and men. As an Italian

priest, or don, he founded the Selesian Society religious order

for the express purpose of teaching and in doing so he formu-

lated a very distinctive philosophy. What Don Bosco did in the

19th century in education was ground-breaking, his methods

were so different from the traditional methods used at the

time. To study Bosco’s methodology now is to recognize some

of the standard classroom management techniques taught in

most college Education courses and practiced by teachers

across the world. The following comes from the book The Educational Philosophy of

St. John Bosco by John Morrison.

“The aim of Bosconian discipline, therefore, was akin to a family discipline,

based on respect, obedience, confidence, self-surrender, self-dedication,

fatherly and brotherly love….This family spirit was to be based on the four

principles of reason, religion, fatherliness and cheerfulness, the single

overwhelming factor being that of ‘agape’ or brotherly love (Morrison, 86).”

Reason—we begin with a respect for all others and within this respect we recognize

that each person has a mind that comprehends reason. This understanding of cause

and effect, if this...then that, can be used with our classes to help them develop the

Spiritual fruit of self-control. When developing classroom rules and expectations, in-

vite the children to be involved, they will have a better sense of ownership of the rules

and when correction needs to take place we can draw upon their sense of reason. “[A]

punishment is beneficial as soon as its reasonableness is perceived by the child

(Morrison, 92).” A loving, charitable attitude and commitment by us to our brothers

and sisters in Christ, will benefit all and bring about the conversion of hearts God de-

sires.

Religion—our system of discipline is based on Catholic ideals and doctrines. Christ’s

example of servant leadership (Jn. 13:1-20) is what we should keep in mind as we

lead our classes. By our example, more than the doctrines we teach, the children

learn how to live as Christians. Encouraging our young brothers and sisters to partake

in the “available means to grace: confession, communion, penance (Morrison, 111)”

D o you

want to

do

some-

thing good and

holy—indeed very

holy and divine?

Then work for the

salvation of all

young people.

St. John Bosco

should be second nature, because we do this

for ourselves. If Mass and Confession are a

regular part of our own faith lives, then dis-

cussing them with the children in our faith for-

mation classrooms will be natural and authen-

tic. God’s commandments and loving correction

are the foundation for our classroom manage-

ment.

Kindness—true Christian kindness is a fruit of

the Spirit (Catechism of the Catholic Church,

736). Don Bosco understood and we can learn

from him, how to utilize this fruit in our cate-

chesis to draw our students closer to ourselves

and by extension, closer to Christ. Charity and kindness go hand in hand and will bear

the fruit of friendship within the classroom that will ultimately help the children to be-

have well because they value the friendships they have developed and the respect they

have for the catechists.

St. John Bosco was very practical in the application of his Preventative System,

he knew that in all of this there needed to be a “firmness of the educator” to hold the

children responsible and bring them back to focus and learning when they strayed. Ad-

monition was still part of his system and he had this advice about correction:

1. Correct in private, never publicly (Morrison, 105). This doesn’t mean you don’t re-

mind students of their behavior, even a reproachful look can be enough of a punish-

ment for a student who loves his teacher, but if there is egregious misbehavior, then

correction should take place away from his companions, perhaps in the hallway.

2. Use reason and religion to patiently help the student understand their misbehavior in

terms of how it has affected others and his own relationship with those in the class-

room and with Jesus (Morrison, 105).

3. Never punish the whole class for the behavior of one or a few. (Morrison, 90)

4. “Be quick to forgive—and do so wholeheartedly—whenever a pupil shows he is sorry

(Morrison, 90).” We remember what Jesus said about forgiveness, “I say to you, not

seven times but seventy-seven times (Mt. 18:22).”

Questions for Reflection

1. Who were the teachers you worked best for and with as a child? What

sort of relationship did they have with the class? Was it authoritarian?

Kind? Respectful? Loving?

2. How do you see yourself as a classroom leader? What would your ideal

management style be? Do you practice this style now? How or what

would need to change to become what you desire?

Church Documents

Catechesi Tradendae, Pope John Paul II, Vatican, October 16, 1979.

Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis, Vatican, November 24,2013.

Evangelii Nuntiandi, Pope Paul VI, Vatican, December 8, 1975.

Article

Jungmann, S.J., Josef A., “Theology and Kerugmatic Teaching”, Lumen Vitae 5 (1950).

Books

Catechism of the Catholic Church, Libreria Editrice Vaticana, English Translation, 1997.

General Directory for Catechesis, Congregation for the Clergy, USCCB, January, 1998.

Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991,

1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of

the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced

in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Artwork

http://www.azquotes.com/author/23000-Anthony_of_Padua

- St. Anthony quote p. 9

https://www.catholicfaithstore.com/daily-bread/understanding-the-lords-prayer-our-father-line-by

-line/

- The Lord’s Prayer p. 2

http://www.fullhdwpp.com/space/sunrise-from-space/

- Sunrise from Space p. 7

http://www.standrewsroanoke.org/catechists.php

- Pope Francis quote p. 14

Salesian Family of Don Bosco, Province of St. Andrew (donboscowest.org)

- Don Bosco with Quote p. 13

Wikipedia

- Rublev, Icon of the Holy Trinity p. 6

Sources