On Sunday, I attended Mass at St. Emily parish in Mount Prospect, immediately before my Theology on Tap presentation. After Communion, a young man (probably in his twenties), came up to the microphone and gave a witness talk about his calling as a catechist. He did an excellent job of talking about the need for catechesis and the spiritual growth that comes with serving as a catechist. He also extended a powerful invitation to folks to consider the call to serve as a catechist.
As he spoke, I felt a sense of pride, listening to someone articulate what most of us catechists firmly believe about our ministry and our calling. I wanted to jump out of my seat and applaud him. I settled for sitting up tall in my seat, proud to know that the ministry I love was being so eloquently spoken about.
Many parishes use these types of witness talks (usually about 3 minutes long) as part of their recruitment of new catechists. I think it is not only a very effective recruitment strategy but it also serves to elevate the awareness of the vocation of the catechist in the parish.
If your pastor or DRE invites you to give a witness talk about serving as a catechist, please consider this wonderful opportunity to talk about a calling that is near and dear to the heart of a half-million people in the United States: the calling to serve as a catechist!
Hi Joe,
Thanks for the affirmation of this approach. I am going to try it this year for the first time(this coming weekend!). Is there an outline of points the witness talks should cover?
HI Sue. I would simply ask them how they became a catechist, what they enjoy most about the ministry, what the greatest challenges and rewards are, and why they would encourage others to consider becoming a catechist. Keep it simple! I hope this helps.