More than 70 Diocese of Cleveland parish catechetical leaders gathered virtually on May 12 to pray with and become better acquainted with Bishop Edward Malesic.
The opening prayer focused on listening to the Holy Spirit and was based on a children’s book, “Shhh … God is in the Silence” by Fiona Basile.
Gregory Coogan of the Secretariat for Catechetical Formation said the group gathers regularly to pray and stay abreast of developments in the Church – and they had a new development to discuss at this week’s session.
In a newly issued apostolic letter or “motu proprio," Pope Francis announced establishment of the lay ministry of catechist. According to the pope, this new ministry is intended to respond to a need for evangelization in the modern world and was undertaken in a secular manner.
Bishop Malesic told the diocesan PCLs that he is indebted to them for the work they do to bring the Gospel to people throughout the diocese. He said as the only child in his family to attend public school, some of his instruction in the faith came from catechists.
The bishop talked about how the teaching of religion – which used to be mainly memorization of the Baltimore Catechism – has changed over the years.
“I take what you do seriously and appreciate what you do to pass on the faith,” he said noting that the PCLs teach about the sacraments and help deepen the knowledge and understanding of the Lord for their students.
“Your most important task is introducing them to Jesus and deepening that relationship with him,” he said.
Bishop Malesic also said the role of bishops is to decide what catechism will be going forward. In the United States, he said the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, also known as the USCCB, is determining that and will follow the pope’s guide with the new ministry of catechist.
“This is a newly instituted ministry,” he said, referring to the ministry of catechists. And while there are details to be worked out, he sees the ministry as a valuable tool for the Church as it looks beyond the pandemic.
“Yes, there will be a post-pandemic life,” the bishop said adding that he can see a light at the end of the tunnel, but there still are hurdles to cross.
“I feel like I’m flying a 747 (airplane), having never flown a plane before, and I’m trying to land it,” he said, referring to navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic. “But we’ll get through this together.”
Going months without being able to attend Mass in person and to receive the Eucharist gave many people a greater appreciation for these things, he said. People are being evangelized even during the pandemic, he noted, sharing one family’s story. The mother was not a regular Mass-goer, but the father and children were. During the suspension of public Masses, the bishop said they watched Mass on TV and the mother started paying more attention. When in-person Masses resumed, she started accompanying the family to Sunday Mass once again.
“You can’t discount the work of the Holy Spirit during this pandemic,” he added.
Bishop Malesic said he attended a virtual meeting of the diocesan Catholic medical association earlier that morning. “They told me we won’t be the same after the pandemic and I think that’s true. We have to communicate better about our biggest treasure: Jesus Christ. We must tell our own story better. We have to evangelize the world with the good news and the salvation of souls,” he said.
That means keeping up to date with the tools and resources available to help share our story, the bishop added.
He created a new position in the diocese – vicar for evangelization – that will be filled this summer by Father Damian Ference when he completes his studies in Rome and returns to Cleveland.
“He will represent me in all matters of evangelization,” Bishop Malesic said. “And he will excite the Church. We’re going fishing for souls and we need to have an attractive lure,” he said, referring to the good news of salvation. “We have our sins forgiven and can attain eternal life. Who doesn’t want that?” he asked.
“Your work can be difficult,” he told the PCLs. “We need to put our trust in the Lord. He told us he would be with us for all time.”
As stewards of the faith, he urged them to share that gift.
“Keep the faith, strive for holiness, lead families to Jesus and let him do the rest. Trust in him,” he said.