Catechesis in a parish setting

The Pax Christi Sisters were founded by Mother Teresa Santoyo in 1969 in the Diocese of Corpus Christi. Our apostolate, as that of all religious, consists primarily in the witness of our consecrated lives. The charism entrusted to Mother Teresa Santoyo is to serve as an enabling instrument of peace which leads each member in the pursuit of the attainment of perfect love, oneness with God.

We offer that witness by taking the good news of Jesus Christ to all mankind, through a dual ministry. First, the spiritual, which leads the people of God to a more profound understanding of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and through the sharing of the Pax Christi spirituality, “That all may be one.” Second, the Apostolic through which we share truth and love to all those whom we serve, both young and old, through parish programs, religious education, retreats and evangelization.

In 2004, Cardinal Edward M. Egan requested sisters from our community to help in the Archdiocese of New York with catechetical instruction due to Catholic immigrants coming from all over the world, and the number of children and youth moving out of Catholic schools into public schools. Our foundress responded to this request because she considered that catechesis is “not just about forming children, but it’s about forming the entire family, the entire parish, enabling them to form lifelong relationships with Jesus Christ in his Church through their participation of Sunday Eucharistic celebration as the heart of our Catholic faith.

She considered that the presence of sisters in a parish is essential to the formation of catechists and to the spiritual well being of all the members of the parish. She encouraged the Pax Christi Sisters to collaborate with the pastor of the parish in the organization of the catechetical formation following an integrated model rooted in oneness with Christ. She constantly reminded them that education in the faith is carried out in different ways in different places in the Church by catechists, and parents; mainly, education in faith will take place outside a classroom setting: in the family, in the neighborhood, in the parish community. It is in these settings that children see and experience the faith lived. Also, she mentioned that Liturgy in the parish community is where the proclamation of the Gospel begins and where we, regardless of age, are invited to conversion and to follow Christ. The way that the parish community responds to the Gospel, in worship, education and service will impact all members of the parish especially the children.

When the sisters began their new mission in the Bronx, the advice and teachings of our foundress became clear to them and they started their ministry preparing children for First Holy Communion as a very natural family affair. But above all, they affirmed that the important part of the sacramental preparation stresses participation at Sunday Mass. This is directed more to the parents than to the children since it is the parents who actually bring the children to Church. An important part of any religious education program is the opportunity to participate in parish prayer services, liturgies and service opportunities that are available in their parish program. Preparation for the other sacraments like baptism, penance, confirmation and matrimony are additional opportunities that the parish offers to enrich the spiritual participation in the parish.

The “General Directory for Catechesis” affirms this by declaring that: “Parents receive in the sacrament of matrimony ‘the grace and the ministry of the Christian education of their children, to whom they transmit and bear witness to human and religious values.’” At the same time, the Church realizes her vital responsibility not only to support parents as they pass on the faith to their children but to assist them as well. It is important to perceive that religious education is both instruction in the truths of our faith and a guide to a way of life that leads to communion with the triune God. To put it in another way, genuine religious education informs, forms and transforms.

A parish is one expression of the Mystical Body of Christ. To separate children from the life of the parish deprives them of rich spiritual benefits and wonderful faith experiences, as children experience faith, forgiveness, nurturing and service that occurs in the family. Bringing children for religious preparation to the parish further enriches their lives by bringing them into contact with other Catholic families and with peers on the same faith journey.

Finally, the sisters affirm that preparation for and celebration of sacraments with minimal engagement of the parish does a disservice to everyone. The child will not see or realize the importance of the parish as a community of faith. The parents will not see and feel the support, the prayers and the example of the parish, and the parishioners will miss the opportunity to have their own faith renewed by participating at the reception of the sacraments for all parish children.

The Pax Christi Sisters, throughout these years of service to the local parishes in the Bronx, and in other dioceses that they serve have followed an integration model rooted in oneness with Christ which is the center of our spirituality. Also, they have followed the steps of Mother Teresa Santoyo who instilled in us to break the bread with all our brothers and sisters, so that all may be one in the Lord. The sisters who are called to live a contemplative and apostolic life, and to balance prayer, study, silence and community life, every day make their best effort to be available to the service of others and to engage with the needs of the world.