Usccb Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis Activty Summary

USCCB COMMITTEE ON EVANGELIZATION AND CATECHESIS ACTIVTY SUMMARY

May 2011

The Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis includes: Bishop Richard J. Malone (Chairman), Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Bishop Robert J. Baker, Bishop Leonard P. Blair, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, Bishop Sam G. Jacobs, Bishop Gregory John Mansour, Bishop Jaime Soto, Bishop Daniel F. Walsh, Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes, Bishop David L. Ricken (Chairman-Elect).

Consultants to the Committee include: Rev. John E. Hurley, CSP, Msgr. John E. Kozar, Mr. Robert McCarty, Mr. Leland Nagel, Ms. Carole Obrokta, Ms. Diana Dudoit Raiche, Ms. Maruja Sedano.

Staff to the Committee include: Mr. Peter Murphy (Executive Director), Michael E. Steier (Associate Director), Jem Sullivan (Coordinator of Assessments), Jeannine Marino (Program Specialist), Adriana Vasquez (Catechism Specialist).

 Catechetical Sunday 2011

Catechetical Sunday is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the role that each person plays, by virtue of Baptism, in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel. The Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis provides resources to aid catechists in this endeavor. The Committee approved the theme: “Do This in Memory of Me” for Catechetical Sunday 2011, celebrated on September 18, 2011. Catechetical Sunday 2011 materials are currently available in Spanish and English online at http://www.usccb.org/catecheticalsunday/. For 2012, the Committee has approved the theme: “Catechists and Teachers as Agents of the New Evangelization”.

 Diocesan Educational/Catechetical Leadership Institute

The Leadership Institute is designed to provide professional development for new, nearly new, and veteran diocesan educational and catechetical leaders. Participants can select a single topic, or up to 22 topics from the Institute offerings for Track I and Track II. An additional integration session for each Track of presentations is also offered with Lee Nagel as presenter. Presenters facilitate participant question-and-answer sessions by teleconference. Diocesan leaders are encouraged to review the topics and presenters made available at http://www.usccb.org/evangelization/leadership/. The Committee has approved the 2012 Leadership Institute theme: “Catechists and Teachers as Agents of the New Evangelization.”

 Catechesis and Implementation of the Revised Roman Missal

Diocesan leaders are encouraged to continue efforts to prepare themselves and parishioners for the Third Edition of the Roman Missal. One means of assistance is the Leadership Institute webinar on this topic offered by Fr. Richard Hilgartner, Executive Director of the Office of Divine Worship. In support of various Conference initiatives for the implementation of the Third Edition of the Roman Missal, the Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis approved for Catechetical Sunday 2011 the theme of “Do This In Memory of Me.” Many resources are available at http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/.

 A video on the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults developed as a project funded by the Catholic Communications Campaign is projected for distribution on the USCCB website in 2011. The video is meant to serve as a companion to the USCCA, and to encourage its use in a variety of evangelization, catechetical, and pastoral settings.

 Curriculum Framework for High School & Conformity Reviews

The Subcommittee on the Catechism continued discussions on the implementation of the Framework and the conformity review process. A conformity review instrument for secondary level catechetical materials entitled Secondary Level Protocol has been prepared and approved by the Subcommittee on the Catechism. The use of this Secondary Level Protocol, based on the High School Doctrinal Framework, began on April 30, 2011. The Secondary Level Protocol is now available in online and print formats for use by all catechetical publishers of high school materials and conformity review teams reviewing high school catechetical materials. See http://www.usccb.org/catechism/PART%20I%20Protocol%20and%20Introduction %204.18.11.pdf to download the Protocol.