A NATIONWIDE research on the state of catechesis was launched by the UST Research Center for Social Sciences and Education and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Catechesis last March 18.
The National Catechetical Study 2021 Pastoral Action Research and Intervention project aims to deepen the Church’s understanding of the “catechized, catechetical ministry and catechetical centers” in the country.
Representatives from dioceses and catechetical centers answered questions on their understanding of the situation of the catechetical ministry in the Philippines.
Sociology professor Clarence Batan said catechists are the key to evangelization in the country.
“If you want to have a sample of those who are really serving the Church… [w]ho are getting out of their way to really proclaim the good news and engage in the new evangelization, it’s the catechists,” he told the Varsitarian in an interview.
Batan, the head of the research team, emphasized the reinvention of catechetical approaches to provide a standardized module that suits every diocese.
“The core issue here is education in the faith process… [I]t seems that this is one of the inherent, fundamental ministries that we did not give attention to in the past many years,” he stressed. E. D. V. Aboy, O.P