Jubilee for Catechists bears witness to an active, joyful faith

On Nov. 23, the Solemnity of Christ the King, hundreds of catechists and their families traveled to the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, NJ, to celebrate the Jubilee for Catechists as the special year of grace draws to a close.

Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark, celebrated the Mass. He was joined by Auxiliary Bishop Michael A. Saporito and Father Stephen Fichter, Episcopal Vicar for Education, along with numerous parish priests and deacons from parishes across the archdiocese.

Twelve Ministries supported by the Office for Lifelong Faith Formation were represented in a procession of banners before the Mass: Parish Catechetical Leadership Formation, Catechesis for those in the Catechumenate (OCIA), Catechist Formation, Preparation for Infant Baptism, Family Catechesis, Preparation for Eucharist, Catechesis with Children, Preparation for Confirmation, Catechesis in Catholic Schools, Adolescent Catechesis, and Adult Faith Formation.

Passing on the faith

“How wonderful to pray with you as we near the conclusion of the Jubilee of Hope,” said Cardinal Tobin in his homily, delivered in English and Spanish. “How wonderful to pray with you in a year when we celebrate the seventeen centuries since the first ecumenical council, the Council of Nicaea.”

The cardinal pointed out that Pope Leo XIV will soon be making his first foreign trip since his election, traveling to Turkey and Lebanon, and stopping in Nicaea. There, the pope will appear with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople and other Christian leaders. “They will pronounce together the words that we will say together in a few moments,” Cardinal Tobin said. “The creed that begins with the words ‘We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty…’”

“Someone has passed that on to us: our parents, our catechists, our pastors,” he said. “And today we accept the loving burden of passing on the faith to others in this Jubilee of the Catechists of the Archdiocese.”

He reminded the catechists that the roots of faith were not planted “in a beautiful garden,” but “in the barren soil of that terrible mount, Calvary.” In giving his life on the cross, Jesus “makes hope spring up,” the cardinal said. “From the barren wood of the cross, he produces salvation.”

“Jesus, remember me”

Cardinal Tobin reflected upon the story of the Good Thief recounted in Sunday’s Gospel reading (Luke 23:35-43). He pointed out how many of those around the cross were spectators, including leaders, “there to watch the grim spectacle, the humiliating end of the Christ,” along with the soldiers, “who wanted the execution to be over quickly so they could go home,” and “one criminal who heaped on Jesus all of his anger, all of his rage.”

He noted how, in the text, all the spectators repeat that if Jesus is a king, he should save himself. “It is precisely the opposite of what Jesus is doing,” the cardinal said. “He thinks not of saving himself, He thinks of saving them and us.”

“This is the lethal infection of indifference,” he said, “an infection that penetrates even into our time. It stands apart from the misery of others — and waves of evil always begin this way. It starts with standing apart, watching, without doing anything, being unconcerned.” In this way, “we think only of what it has to do with us, and we get used to turning aside.”

Cardinal Tobin said that this was “a danger for our faith, because that faith withers and remains just an idea, just words on a page if it doesn’t go into practice,” and “we remain aloof and uninvolved.”

In contrast, he pointed to the example of the Good Thief, who, amid all the jeering spectators, asked Jesus to “remember” him. “He draws near to Jesus for an instant, and the Lord will keep him at his side forever,” the cardinal said. “The Gospel speaks of the Good Thief for our benefit, to invite us to overcome evil by refusing to remain as onlookers.”

“The catechists of this archdiocese are not simply spectators,” he concluded. “Like the Good Thief, you point out Jesus. You call Him by name and help others to find Him. You roll up your sleeves and make every effort to pass on what you yourselves have received. You are a sign, an instrument, of the hope which does not disappoint, and I thank God for you.”

Hope and gratitude

Father Fichter and Patricia Rodriguez, Director of the Office for Lifelong Faith Formation, later thanked Cardinal Tobin for his “leadership and steadfast support” of the archdiocese’s catechetical ministries. Rodriguez also thanked all those who helped to organize the Jubilee liturgy and expressed her “deep gratitude” for the “amazing, faithful, generous, and courageous parish catechetical leaders, parish catechists, and Catholic school teachers of the Archdiocese of Newark.”

After the Mass, a team of nine catechists from Saint Francis of Assisi Parish in Hackensack, who attended the Jubilee liturgy with their families, spoke to Jersey Catholic about their ministries. As catechists, they serve the parish in many ways. “All those banners you saw at the beginning of the Mass, we have all those ministries in our parish,” a catechist said.

The team agreed that their experience in catechetical ministry has given them hope for the future of the Church in the archdiocese. “We see a lot of young people coming back to the church,” one catechist explained. “They know that the Sacrament of Confirmation is the first stop, not the last,” he added.

Another catechist stressed that the team “reaches out to the entire parish, and really beyond that, to the entire community,” touching the lives of hundreds of people. With so many activities, do they ever get tired? “No, we’re just grateful that we’re able to provide people with what they need,” she said with a smile as the other catechists nodded in agreement.

To view more images from the Jubilee for Catechists, click HERE.

Featured image: Banners of ministries supported by the Office for Lifelong Faith Formation are displayed in the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart during the Jubilee for Catechists on Nov. 23. (Photos by Julio Eduardo Herrera / Archdiocese of Newark)