Catechesis As Pastoral Praxis for Developing Mature Faith in Karuri-Banana Hill Parish of Nairobi Arch Diocese
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. MLIL:Slie • TANGAZA COLLEGE THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF WO FASTERN AFRICA THIS IS INCORRECTED WORK. IDEAS OR OPINIONS EXPRESSED BY THE WRITER ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF TANGAZA COLLEGE. CATECHESIS AS PASTORAL PRAXIS FOR DEVELOPING MATURE FAITH IN KARURI-BANANA HILL PARISH OF NAIROBI ARCH DIOCESE LONG ESSAY FOR B.A IN RELIGIOUS STUDIES /41;Wr It Le PRESENTED BY: GICHUKI GEORGE (i \ SUPERVISOR: FR. WILFRED D'SOUZA, FEBRUARY 1997 --OFtt NAIROBI KENYA DECLARATION I, the undersigned, declare that this is my original work. It has not been submitted to any college or university for academic credit. The topic of the work is; CATECHESIS AS PASTORAL PRAXIS FOR DEVELOPING MATURE FAITH IN KARURI - BANANA HILL PARISH OF NAIROBI ARCHDIOCESE Sighned: C. Date • )(41114:145is.44” , en* iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I admit humbly that this study has reached its present state because of the efforts and the co-operation of several people whom I am indebted to and owe them gratitude. I am deeply grateful to God for the many gifts He has given to me, particularly good health, and the ability to concentrate in my studies. The author wishes to thank everybody who has contributed in one way or another in this endeavour. I am sincely grateful to Rev. Fr. Wilfred D'souza SDB, who undertook the responsibility of supervisor of this Long Essay His generous and scholarly assistance, love and concern at all stages in organizing and writing this Essay is deeply appreciated. My gratitude to Rev. Frs. Cesare Molten, the parish priest of Karuri parish and his assistant Citterio Antonio, for the permission for the research, the leaders and the faithful in Karuri for their generosity, encouraging contribution in the field work. Sincere thanks to Consolata Fathers who gave me this opportunity of formation and study. My unique thanks and love are due to the persons who introduced me to the Lord, taught me to let go and to love; my dear parents, Mann and Baba. TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION III ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IV 1. INTRODUCTION 1 2, ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION 4 2.0 INTRODUCING KARURI PARISH 4 2.1 GEOGRAPHIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC 5 2.2 SOCIAL-ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL SITUATION 5 2.3 RELIGIOUS AND PASTORAL SITUATION 7 3. PRINCIPLES AND VALUES INVOLVED 9 3.0 CONTENT OF CATECHESIS 9 3.1 TRINITAPJAN CHRISTO-CENTRIC CATECHESIS 10 3.2 SOURCES OF CATECHESIS 10 3.3 SOCIAL CULTURAL VALUES - AUTHENTIC NEED OF 1NCULTURATION 12 3.4 ECUMENICAL DIMENSION OF CATECHESIS 13 3.5 IMPARTING CATECHESIS 14 4. MINISTRIES OF SPECIAL PASTORAL CARE 18 4.0 INTRODUCTION 18 4.1 A VISION OF YOUTH MINISTRY AND CATECHESIS 19 4.1.0 Goals of Youth Ministry in Karuri 19 4.1.1 Components of Youth Catechesis 19 4.1.1.1 Word 20 4.1.1.2 Worship 21 4.1.1.3 Creating Community 21 4.1.1.4 Guidance and Healing 22 4.1.1.5 Justice and Service 23 4.1.1.6 Enablement 24 4.1.1.7 Advocacy 25 4.2 The Sick, Dying and Bereaved 26 4 2.1 Pastoral Moments 27 4.2.2 Formative Moments 27 4.2.3 Liturgical Moments 28 4.2.4 Moments of Animation 28 4.3 UNDERSTANDING AND HEALING THE ALCOHOLIC 28 4.3.0 Who is an Alcoholic 28 4.3.1 Attracting the Hidden Alcoholic Out. 30 4.3.1.1 Educational Seed Planting 30 4.3.1.2 Pre-Counseling and Paitoral Care 31 4.3.1.3 Counseling 31 4.3.2 The Local Congregation in Karuri Strategy 32 4.3.2.1 Alcoholism Education 33 4.3.2.2 Preventive 33 5. PLAN OF ACTION 35 5.0 GENERAL OBJECTIVE: FAITH COMMITMENT AT GRASSROOT LEVEL; THE FAMILY, SCCS AND ENTIRE PARISH THROUGH CATECHESIS AS CLIMAX OF PASTORAL PRAXIS 35 5.1 OBJECTIVE I. TO FORM TRULY AFRICAN AND CHRISTIAN FAMILIES 35 5.2 OBJECTIVE II. TO MAKE THE EXISTING SCCS REAL DYNAMIC FORCES OF PARTICIPATION AND TRANSFORMATION 37 5.3 OBJECTIVE III. TO FOSTER CATECHESIS AS THE CORE OF PASTORAL ACTIVITY 38 vi CONCLUSION 41 APPENDIX 43 I.SOCIAL REALITY: SOCIAL - ECONOMIC - POLITICAL ANALYSIS 43 II. RELIGIOUS AND PASTORAL SITUATION 44 III. LAY PEOPLE SECTION 45 IV. PRIESTS WITHIN THE PARISH SECTION 45 BIBLIOGRAPHY 47 DOCUMENTS 47 BOOKS 47 ARTICLES 48 1. INTRODUCTION Modem man is experiencing a crisis in faith today. This crisis may not be felt with the same intensity everywhere, but it is there nonetheless. The crisis may evoke two reactions; one negative of an impending disaster. According to this view Christian faith is doomed to oblivion gradually. The other positive, one would see the crisis as an opportunity to rethink, re-plan, rebuild and reinterpret. According to this view, I realize that Christian faith is not irrelevant to the modem world, but its relevance must be brought out anew and presented in an idiom that a simple Christian will understand and appreciate. I believe that this is the vital role of catechesis today and my essay I hope will contribute positively. The first chapter in my long essay is an introduction, which give a general view or outlook of the essay. The second comprises the insertion of the pastoral agent in the life and pastoral activity of the people in question. Dialogue, questionnaire and close observation were my main tools to enter into their reality. The materials gathered in second chapter are backed-up and judged in the third chapter according to Christian principles and values involved in that society. Within the fourth chapter, I paid special attention to some pastoral cares and ministries that the pastoral situation is crying for. Fifth and the last chapter is a plan of action for that parish. The theoretical reflections proposed in the preceding second and third chapter are complimented with some practical suggestions. The procedure of objectives and targets is taken from the booklet of James O'Halloran, Pastoral Planning with Tears.' I O'Halloran. James, Planning mih Tears. SUB Media, Salesian House, Dublin, 1986, pp. 39-43 2 The aim of this long essay is also to encourage the use of social and religious analysis as a necessary tool to discover the needs of the people in the pastoral field. This requires the insertion of the pastoral agent in the social reality and his/her conversion to the human dignity and option for the poor and to the use of Christian and cultural values. The method of the "Pastoral Circle" is completed by the "Hermeneutic Mediation" and "Dialectic of Theory and Praxis" presented by Clodovis Boff in his book "Theology and Praxis". This combination of methods facilitates the process of working upon that reality to understand it and find its sense and meaning in the light of the History of salvation in that particular situation.2 The method of "Pastoral Circle" proceeds in this way: Insertion in the social reality, description of that situation, analysis of the same situation, theological reflection in the light of the gospel, social doctrine of the Church and cultural background of the people, planning for action to transform that situation and evaluation followed by starting again the process. This help to see the reality clearly and confront it with the will of God. Fundamentally if God's Word is revelation, humanity's response is faith. If the initiative belongs to God, the response belong to humanity. Therefore I consider revelation of God as a call for faith. Faith is a personal and vital encounter with the living God, a total acceptance of the revealing and giving person by a loving surrender of one's whole being and an unreserved commitment to live for him and to order one's life according to his Word. 2 Boit Clodovis, Theology and Praxis - Epistemological Foundations, Orbis Books, Maryknoll. New York, 1987. p.85. 3 In my pastoral experience for some four years in Karuri or Banana Hill Parish in Nairobi Archdiocese I realized that developing a mature faith is desperately needed and the means to achieve it is through catechesis as pastoral praxis. It is this special interest in Banana parish and likewise in many other places that led me to reflect deeply on the issues of catechesis for developing a mature faith as a pastoral commitment for Karuri Parish. For sure the theme is very general, no specific age, area or group of people. I intend therefore to limit myself within Karuri parish, just for the purpose of taking up a specific sample and reality. 4 2. ANALYSIS OF THE SITUATION 2.0 Introducing Karuri Parish Ruku Mission was entrusted to the Consolata Missionaries in June 1974. At the same time Karuri appeared forming part of Ruku. In the year 1980 Cardinal Michael Otunga requested the Consolata Missionaries to start a new parish, Karuri or Banana Hill, taking it out from Ruku and Riara. The new parish had six outstations; Karuri, the centre with 18000 inhabitants; Kiambaa 5000; Muchatha 8000; Gachie 7000; Karura 2500 and Ndenderu with 4000. Recently Rwaka was created between Ndenderu and Muchatha outstations. The parish priest is Fr.Cesare Molten and his assistant is Fr.Antonio Citterio both from Consolata Fathers congregation and Italian by nationality. The parish priest has a long pastoral experience in Kenya. He was ordained thirty-two years ago, and he have been parish priest in Karuri for the last four years. The parish priest and his curate are quite fine with their work despite the normal hardship they encounter especially in the process of involving the people fully in the life of the parish. Personally I have enjoyed working with them.