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A rewarding experience
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September 15, 2023Each year, the third Sunday in September is dedicated to celebrating and praying for the Church's mission to teach the Gospel to all people. On Catechetical Sunday, many parishes commission those teaching CCD and give them a special blessing. Those who serve for several years get an award – and many CCD teachers in our diocese have taught for over 30 years.
Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Kingsville is small but has dedicated and passionate teachers. Norma Hinojosa, a retired High School teacher, prepares teens for confirmation – for 30 years. “I love teaching 10th graders,” she shares. While some catechists shy away from that age group, she prefers them: “They are a little bit lost, they need a deeper faith.”
She often uses videos by Fr. Mike Schmitz, who explains the faith well and noticed a change over the decades: “Teenagers are under a lot of pressure, and the percentage that believes is shrinking.” The children from families who are talking about their faith at home are the ones who get the most out of the classes. But she’d recommend everyone signing up to be a catechist: “It’s so rewarding because you realize that you made a difference in their lives.”
Mary Lou Pena instead prefers the first graders: “Always the little ones,” she says – for over 30 years, too. She loves instilling in them the love for God and the love that God has for each one of them. She and her husband didn’t have children, so she greatly enjoys teaching. Over all these years, the children changed – but the parents changed, too: “There’s less commitment to religious education.” Her favorite part is the Christmas pageant: “When I see them as Mary and Joseph, or shepherds, they are so excited!”
Myriam Garcia’s experience as a catechist adds up to 47 “amazing years.” A priest approached her, and she started assisting with the kindergarten classes. “Then the teacher left, and I stayed,” she remembers. “The children teach you more than you can teach them,” is her experience. At that age, “they have a natural connection with God.” She starts teaching them about creation, how everything and everyone is created out of love.
The attention span is now shorter; teachers are always competing with the internet and all kinds of gadgets. But she loves seeing when they become altar servers and are all excited to get involved. Lessons are always full of surprises: She remembers one time when she explained heaven, how it is such a beautiful place, and asked who would like to go to heaven. Everyone raised their hands but one boy. Why that? “I don’t want to die!” he exclaimed.
Myriam would encourage everyone who thinks about becoming a catechist: “Don’t be afraid – you can start with a mentor… And God is always helping you.”
