Catechists and Catechetical Leaders: How Often Do You Talk to One Another?

woman leading catechist meeting

During my years at Loyola Press, I have had the joy of working with and reporting to a number of directors who can vouch for the fact that one of the first things I ask from them is a regular meeting (weekly or bi-weekly) to ensure that we have open and ongoing communication. Without such communication, any relationship suffers.

So when it comes to catechists and catechetical leaders, I must ask the question: how often do you talk to one another? When I was a parish catechetical leader, I met with my catechists as a group monthly, dropped in on their classes weekly, and had individual interviews with them at the beginning and end of every catechetical year to ensure that we had good communication.

In her outstanding book, Cultivating Your Catechists (The Effective Catechetical Leader series), Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy reminds us of the following:

Supervision is about relationship building. There’s a saying in the corporate world: people leave managers, not corporations. In the same way, catechists often leave catechetical leaders, not programs. While you can’t please everyone, focusing on building and nurturing relationships with catechists is of major importance. The last thing you want to do is to assign them their duties and leave them alone.

I agree with Jayne’s assessment that one of the best ways for catechetical leaders to retain catechists is to foster regular and ongoing communication with them. Likewise, for catechists, one of the best ways for you to grow and improve in your ministry is to be in regular communication with your catechetical leader in order to seek feedback, insight, and wisdom.

How often do you speak with your catechists/catechetical leader?

About Joe Paprocki 2758 Articles
Joe Paprocki, DMin, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press, where, in addition to his traveling/speaking responsibilities, he works on the development team for faith formation curriculum resources including Finding God: Our Response to God’s Gifts and God’s Gift: Reconciliation and Eucharist. Joe has more than 35 years of experience in ministry and has presented keynotes, presentations, and workshops in more than 100 dioceses in North America. Joe is a frequent presenter at national conferences including the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, the Mid-Atlantic Congress, and the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. He is the author of numerous books, including the best seller The Catechist’s Toolbox, A Church on the Move, Under the Influence of Jesus, and Called to Be Catholic—a bilingual, foundational supplemental program that helps young people know their faith and grow in their relationship with God. Joe is also the series editor for the Effective Catechetical Leader and blogs about his experiences in faith formation at www.catechistsjourney.com.

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*