Bishop Lennon's column "Easter joy brings many blessings" from the Catholic Universe Bulletin
In our Easter Scripture readings, we hear of the faith of the Beloved Disciple. We don?t know for certain whom the disciple is, but we assume the disciple to be John. If you recall, it is the Beloved Disciple who runs to the tomb with Peter. Running ahead of Peter, it is he who arrives first at the empty tomb. It is he who views the linen left behind by the Risen Christ, and our Scriptures tell us, upon seeing the sign, the Beloved Disciple believed.
We all desire be the Beloved Disciple and to recognize the signs Christ gives us of his risen presence. Yet, to do this we need to be aware of Christ?s companionship and recall, as the Beloved Disciple did, Christ?s life and teachings.
Our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, aware of this need in our Christian people, has called for a Year of Faith beginning on 11 October 2012, the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, and ending on the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Universal King, on 24 November 2013. The starting date of 11 October 2012 marks the twentieth anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Holy Father makes it very clear that the purpose of the year is to illustrate to all the faithful the power and beauty of our faith through the study of the Catechism.
In our Diocese, aware of our need to revive our faith and truly renew our belief in the appropriate understanding of Church teachings, I requested the Office of Catholic Education to implement a revival of the faith life in our school communities using the Catechism of the Catholic Church. I am happy to say this initiative has been quite comprehensive.
Based upon the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops published their work, The Doctrinal Elements of a Curriculum Framework for Catechetical Materials for Young People of High School Age. Using this document as the foundation, our secondary school Religion curriculum has been revised. Additionally, to assist our teachers to become familiar with the theological content and catechetical approaches found in the new curriculum, six seminars on the core curriculum and five on elective courses have been offered all the secondary school religion teachers. These theological seminars were videotaped. For teachers unable to attend the live sessions, teachers are able to take the courses online through a content management system known as Schoology. By the end of this academic year, all secondary schools will have a plan in place to implement the new curriculum and every member of their Religion faculties will have been trained.
I did not want to neglect our elementary teachers who are so often called upon to prepare our children for the sacraments. They, too, needed to renew their understanding of the faith as captured in our Catechism. Consequently, I requested that the elementary school Religion curriculum be revised using the Catechism as its main source. In addition, over 2,300 faculty members were in need of being trained in the content understanding of the curriculum. Each of the teachers attended four daylong seminars founded on the four themes of the curriculum, Message, Worship, Community, and Service.
I am grateful to the Catholic School teachers of our Diocese who take so seriously their call to be catechists. Their faith life and willingness to renew their own understandings of the teachings of the Church through the study of the Catechism bode well for the preparation our young people will be receiving.
We often forget the sign Christ gives us of his presence. Christ has given us the Mass, the sacraments, and the teachings of the Church to support us in our faith journey. If we are true to them, we find ourselves to have faith to be Christ's beloved disciples.