OFFICE FOR EVANGELIZATION AND FAITH FORMATION

The directive to establish a catechetical office in every diocese was instituted by the decree Provido Sane in 1935. In 1971, the General Catechetical Directory stated, “The Catechetical Office, therefore, which is part of the diocesan curia, is the means by which the bishop as head of the community and authentic teacher of doctrine utilizes to direct and moderate all the catechetical activities of the diocese.”

Built upon the principles of Provido Sane, the section of our current Diocesan Strategic Plan that concerns evangelization and faith formation recommends to “Change the present Office for Faith Formation to the Office for Evangelization and Faith Formation and develop a clear, integrated and balanced theology and pastoral practice that will reflect this title.”

In the National Directory for Catechesis, published by the Bishops of the United States in 2005, an outline for a number of functions for diocesan catechetical offices is presented. In the Diocese of Greensburg, these functions, now under the purview of the Office for Evangelization and Faith Formation, are currently part of the formal responsibilities of that office and its staff.

These functions include the development of a diocesan catechetical curriculum based on the General Directory for Catechesis, the National Directory for Catechesis, and the Catechism of the Catholic Church; the provision of guidelines for the organization of Lifelong Faith Formation, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and other programs of sacramental preparation; the provision of access to catechetical resources, including textbooks and instructional aides that have been found to be in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Ad Hoc Committee to Oversee the Use of the Catechism; the consultation with parishes and schools on matters related to faith formation, especially by site visits; the establishment of norms for the training and certification of all involved in faith formation in parishes and schools of the diocese; the holding of an annual survey to determine the number of adults, youth, children, preschoolers, persons with disabilities, and others who are receiving formal catechetical instruction; the availability of training and continuing education of personnel; the manner in which the faith is transmitted and its effectiveness and the number of hours of formation being given; the encouragement and motivation of all involved in faith formation through commissioning rites and ongoing affirmation and the updating of catechetical personnel on important Church documents and issues on a regular basis.

These, along with other duties that may emerge, are each unique and have their own struggles and opportunities to embrace, in order to help pass on the faith in the Diocese of Greensburg.

Conference Homily
Bishop Brandt's homily from the Sept. 12, 2009 Catechetical Conference at Greensburg Central Catholic High School.

    Read the full homily.