Adolescent Catechesis Report
Catechetical Models

Rationale

In response to the challenges and opportunities for ministry to adolescents in the Archdiocese of Chicago, all parishes and educational institutions are called to effective ministry to youth (junior high – senior high) by implementing the goals and incorporating the comprehensive vision expressed in "Renewing the Vision – A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry".

"The comprehensive approach uses all of our resources as a faith community – people, ministries, programs -- in a common effort to promote the three goals of the Church’s ministry with adolescents." (Renewing the Vision, NCCB, 1997) 

What are the goals of youth ministry?

"The challenge of discipleship—of following Jesus—is at the heart of the Church’s mission. All ministry with adolescents must be directed toward presenting young people with the Good News of Jesus Christ and inviting and challenging them to become his disciples. For this reason, catechesis is an essential component of youth ministry and one that needs renewed emphasis. If we are to succeed, we must offer young people a spiritually challenging and world-shaping vision that meets their hunger for the chance to participate in a worthy adventure." (Renewing the Vision, NCCB, 1997)

 What is the aim of adolescent catechesis?

"The aim of all catechesis is a deepening and maturing of initial faith. It’s purpose is to make a person’s faith become living, conscious and active…"(NCD, #32)

In order to enkindle a faith which is living, conscious and active in our young people, it is necessary to present an intentional systematic catechesis incorporating faith themes. It should incorporate a variety of learning experiences responding to varied learning styles. These themes and other themes should be introduced as one of the components of a comprehensive youth ministry. The framework presented in Renewing the Vision is organized around the four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church – The Profession of Faith, The Celebration of the Christian Mystery, Life in Christ, and Christian Prayer. These themes and additional themes to address local needs can be introduced, developed and deepened for young and older adolescents as they mature in faith.

As an example, one would explore understanding the role and experiencing the Church’s celebration of sacraments with younger adolescents. As the young person matures, one would explore the understanding of sacraments and how they evoke a personal and ecclesial response from us.

It is our goal to educate adolescents as true disciples of Christ by means of a deeper and more systematic knowledge of the person and the message of our Lord Jesus Christ. In designing models, one needs to look at the adolescent being called to faith with the hope that they will someday come to this deeper level of understanding Jesus. This deeper understanding will lead the adolescent to a better and more profound meaning of being a disciple.

What is the goal for Catholic youth?

The ministry of catechesis helps adolescents develop a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ and the Christian community, and increase their knowledge of the core content of the Catholic faith. The ministry of catechesis also helps young people enrich and expand their understanding of the Scriptures, the sacred tradition and their application to life today. This expanded understanding allows them to live more faithfully as disciples of Jesus Christ in their daily lives, especially through a life of prayer, justice, and loving service. Genuine faith is a total response of the whole person -- mind, heart and will. The ministry of catechesis fosters growth in Catholic faith in all three dimensions -- trusting (heart), knowing and believing (mind), and doing (will). The goal is to have all Catholic youth involved in some program of catechesis. (Renewing the Vision, NCCB, 1997)

We are concerned about an essential component of a comprehensive youth ministry, that of catechesis. This is only one facet of youth ministry. A comprehensive youth ministry should offer a balance that includes components for advocacy, community life, evangelization, justice and service, leadership development, pastoral care, and prayer and worship in addition to and in union with catechesis. This synthesis will enable us to be effective in our endeavor for youth.

What are the models of catechesis currently implemented?

We have been researching the models in use with youth both in the Archdiocese of Chicago and around the country. The committee has limited the research to intentional, systematic programs not connected to preparing for the sacrament of Confirmation.

The following have been surfaced as models of intentional systematic catechesis. Some of these models may stand-alone, others work together and compliment each other. Each parish needs to determine which models will be best for their particular parish community. All parishes should minimally expect to use two to three models at any one time in order to meet the needs of the youth.

Each model contains its own strengths and weaknesses that might influence the success of any particular program or model in a parish setting. The following questions should be considered in the context of any parish environment when selecting a particular model of catechesis.

Who will be engaging the adolescents in catechesis?

Whether full-time or part-time professionals, trained volunteer catechists, untrained volunteers or peer ministers; often the choice of one model over another will depend on the experience and expertise of those directly involved. Would someone with little or no experience of working with youth be better situated in a small group model with 8 to 10 adolescents or a large group exercise with 100 youth?

Who are the adolescents?

Are you working with Junior High or Senior High youth; grouped by grade level or multi-grade level; city or suburban atmosphere; in a public, catholic, or home school setting; evangelized; catechized or pre-catechumenal?

Is the catechetical model developmentally appropriate?

A weeklong intensive model of catechesis aimed at developing parish leadership skills among the youth, where as the empowerment of that experience might suit the needs of an eighteen-year-old exactly but not be suited to a thirteen-year-old.

What space is available at the parish or school, and does it correspond to days and times that are best for the young people?

Do most of your senior high school youth work nights? If so, then planning gathered activities for senior high youth in the evening is not going to be an option. Perhaps breakfast or morning activities would work better, use the evenings to gather the Junior High Youth. Be sure to look at the parish and school calendar before you schedule any events. Consider whether you could be present at a scheduled activity. Try to arrange small group meetings in smaller rooms and gathered meetings in large meeting areas. Be sure to reserve the room on the parish calendar.

Who will pay for the cost of a particular program?

Monetary considerations can often stop a program if accountability is not clear in the initial planning process. It is the responsibility of the parish to fund youth programming. Be sure to know how parish finances are handled and how you will be reimbursed for any out-of-pocket expenses.

Traditional Model

content: Faith content is arranged, organized and presented in a systematic manner often incorporating themes. Instruction methodologies are age appropriately geared to either younger or older adolescents. Thematic topics that lead to community outreach and Christian discipleship are increasingly introduced as the adolescent grows older. The ultimate goal is to model and mentor the adolescent into active participation in the adult faith life of the parish/Christian community.

organization: The program generally follows a school model and instruction is divided up into semester or trimester units around two or three topics covered in eight or twelve consecutive weeks.

Instruction is organized into daily or weekly units that can vary substantially in length depending on whether the instruction occurs in a school or parish environment.

Outreach programs such as experiential or immersion trips are generally arranged that can vary from a few hours to several days in length.

environment: The traditional model for adolescent catechesis is usually carried out in a school or parish setting. Instruction is accomplished by the catechist in both large and small group instruction. The movement between large group presentation and small group reflection is often accomplished by teams of catechists, prepared in advance, that allows for a collaborative sharing of expertise and talent.

Youth Group Model

content: Centers around lived experience and the relationship to faith. Experience in this model often consists of events or field trips. These events can vary greatly and can include everything from an evening of Scripture reflection to a trip to an amusement park. The challenge to the catechetical leader is to work within the parameters of the schedule of events to provide relevant and meaningful catechetical "bookends" for the event.

Catechetical moments will often occur during faith sharing discussion, planned moments of Theological Reflection or through Shared Christian Praxis. Occasionally a guest speaker or topic will be explicitly catechetical but this not the normative event of the youth group model.

Due to the dynamic and free flowing nature of the youth group model as well as the assumed faith experience and knowledge of the participants, it is not well suited to younger adolescents. It does provide an excellent environment for older adolescents to evangelize as they are evangelized and for them to experience peer ministry.

organization: This model is an event driven model in which a core group of older adolescents generally provide a great deal of input into the selection of events and provide the communal underpinnings of the group. Group size can and does vary widely based on the particular event. Generally the group gathers weekly where the focus can be on one theme or activity that might be social, community building, social justice, spiritual, liturgical, or pastoral in nature.

The gathering might occur at the parish, at a local community organization, at a social activity, or at a public function. The time allocated for the event can vary. One noted weakness of this model is the lack of continuity necessary to carry out in-depth exploration of any particular subject.

environment: The parish is the base of operations for the youth group, but due to the nature of the activities the setting for catechesis will vary widely. These settings will often include faith sharing discussions and/or reflections on a return bus ride or at a pizza parlor meal after an event.

Mini-Course Model

content: Faith topics are broken down into age appropriate themes that allow both younger and older adolescents to focus in depth on a particular area of instruction for a brief period of time. The themes are modularized, and taught concurrently. This allows students to cover the entire scope of instruction although not necessarily in sequence. The use of a mini-course model allows catechists or facilitators to be formed into teams where they may develop expertise in a particular area of instruction.

organization: The course of instruction is arranged by theme to occur over a number of meetings, which might comprise a 4 to 6 week period. This model might also be implemented in a modular fashion allowing students to complete a certain number of modules over a period of years. The model can also be non-grade specific with modules broken up into two tracks of instruction one for early adolescents and another for older adolescents.

environment: The mini-course model is usually offered in a school or parish setting. It can be structured in a number of different formats. The bulk of the discussion and reflection is usually done in small groups with a catechist or facilitator. If there is a large group or gathered component to the mini-course, the group of catechists or facilitators need to work together as a team to prepare the large group or gathered experience.

This particular model can have a utilitarian benefit for large programs by allowing for shorter and more specific commitments by catechists and facilitators, and can be arranged to make maximum use of scarce facilities.

Small Group Model

content: Faith content is arranged, organized, and presented in a systematic manner incorporating age appropriate topics for adolescents. Thematic topics include self-discovery and awareness of individual giftedness, relationships with others, personal relationship with God, and movement into adult Christian life.

organization: This model is based on the development of small faith communities in which adolescents meet regularly with adult mentors/leaders. This model generally follows the school year calendar with occasional social gatherings over the summer months. It is assumed that the same group will continue to meet over a longer period of time. Catechesis is organized according to the activities, discussions, and spirituality of the group.

environment: Group discussion follows a topic related presentation. Discussion can take place in pairs or small groups which then come together to share their new insights with the group as a whole. This small faith community develops a safe environment of trust in which adolescents cans question, explore and develop their faith.

Intensive Model

content: The content of this model for catechesis is usually focused on a specific theme or area of training. The specific topic is explored in a number of sessions usually arranged into instructional blocks. Normally the theme or area of instruction would have a practical application aspect that is developed during the course of instruction such as project or activity. Because of the depth of topic exploration this model is often used for leadership. While this model will work for both younger and older adolescents, it is best used with older adolescents who will benefit from the in-depth discussion found in this environment.

organization: The model is usually based on several days or a week of training away from parish. Training needs to be carefully integrated with the flow of each day and allow for organized recreation, personal down time, and a normal meal and sleep schedule. This model is often offered by a diocesan office or national organization.

environment: The environment for the instruction is potentially as varied as the topic. Justice topics can find themselves fitting into inner city service settings or rural communities. Usual sites for intensive instruction weeks include retreat centers, college or university campuses, and campgrounds. Safety and food service issues will vary with the program and site, but must be well thought out in advance. The normal instructional movement might be from large group lecture, to small group discussion, to project work. The importance of small group interaction with trained adult catechists cannot be over emphasized. Adult to youth ratios should be less than 1 to 10, potentially much less depending on the age of the youth and site safety considerations.

Retreat Model

content: While all retreats implicitly have a catechetical component, the focus of most retreats is spiritual in nature. The normal purpose of a retreat is for the participant to leave their day to day world in order for them to come in closer contact with God, themselves, and their community. This spiritual awakening often gives rise to a number of catechetical moments or questions. Where a theme has been assumed, a number of catechetical questions can be anticipated and instruction can even serve as a guide to the retreat experience. Catechesis in areas such as prayer and liturgy would be natural in a retreat setting.

Campus Ministry Model

content: The goal of a campus ministry program is to establish a faith community in a catholic school setting that allows students, staff, and faculty to develop their faith life in a way that imbues the campus with an ethos of spiritual presence. Ongoing formation of the students is explicit in this environment. The campus ministry setting generally contains formal classes in religion and theology and a retreat dimension is often scheduled into the school calendar. Special projects in peace and justice that reach beyond the campus proper into the larger community are also expected. Liturgies are celebrated on most feast days with the addition of local feasts or celebrations particular to the individual institution.

The establishment of a campus faith community also poses one of this model’s greatest challenges, the challenge to return the spiritual focus of the student to their home parish. Often there is no link or bridge formed to allow the student to move into active parish life.

organization: The campus ministry model generally features a single campus minister and a staff of school religion or theology teachers. Formal religion or theology instruction takes place as part of the scheduled school day.The campus minister may be assisted by or may also be the school chaplain, who is generally an ordained minister. Peer ministers are students who might also actively participate in both formal and informal ways in the various activities.

environment: The environment for a typical campus ministry model is the physical campus of the school. Classrooms are converted into chapels, prayer spaces, or drop in centers. If the school does not have its own formal church or chapel located on site, gyms and auditoriums are used for school wide and individual class liturgies. Off site programming is the norm for retreats and service projects.

Catechumenate Model

content: Faith themes are presented from the Lectionary for adolescents on an appropriate level. Most catechumenate models are based on the weekly scripture. These themes then become starting places to introduce doctrines and traditions of our faith. Through the use of breaking open the Word and the use of ritual, the adolescent is brought into full membership with the Catholic Church. This model can also be followed for those who are not in the process of initiation. It then provides the participant with a deepened understanding of what it means to be Catholic.

organization: The catechumenate model invites those seeking Baptism, Confirmation or Eucharist to enter the process. The period of inquiry is an ongoing experience allowing people to enter at different times. As they are ready to move into each phase there is a ritual to celebrate their acceptance, understanding and commitment.

The RCIA model includes: the period of inquiry, the order of the catechumens, the period of the catechumenate, the period of purification and enlightenment, and mystagogia. If this model is used for catechesis of those who are already full members of the Catholic faith, there are rituals that can be celebrated with the adolescent as they enter each phase.

If it is done as part of the weekly liturgy, there is a rite for dismissal as those to be catechized leave the Mass to break open the Word. Therefore, weekly meetings would be the best organization for the catechumenate model.

environment: There are several models that can be used to support this environment. One model is a large group with a catechist who acts as the facilitator. Another model using small groups could include sponsor mentors, catechists, and/or a catechetical team. Both environments would use the Lectionary to develop questions around the readings from each week to direct the topics.

Family Catechesis Intergenerational Model

content: Faith themes are presented and organized in a systematic method. For example, topics could include the Creed, the Liturgy, Scripture, and Social Teachings. Families gather around their areas of interest. Topics that lead to Christian service and outreach would involve the entire family in the catechetical process. This model assists the family in having discussions centered on issues of faith.

organization: While families meet individually or in small groups, gathered programs could meet monthly or bi-weekly. By meeting on Sunday before or after Liturgy, the family is brought together for worship and catechesis. Meeting during the week for shared meals allows families to gather for prayer and catechesis. Themes are presented on a cyclical basis.

environment: This model allows for home catechesis and/or gathering together in a large group. The families in this process meet with a catechetical leader on a regular basis around once a month for continued direction and leadership.

content: The content of the catechetical instruction in a lectionary model of catechesis are determined by the readings of the day. Faith themes and catechetical content are easily drawn from the readings and from the homily. When liturgy is part of this process, communication with the presider and/or any liturgy committees is helpful. This model necessitates bringing in outside resources for particular pastoral purposes such as sacramental preparation.

organization: The catechetical experiences can be arranged daily or weekly depending on the instructional setting. Regular liturgical planning sessions are an expectation in this model. Attention needs to be paid to the liturgical season and to the developed themes of the parish, diocese, and the church universal. Sacramental and pastoral issues need to be worked into the flow of the liturgical year.

environment: This catechetical model usually takes place in a parish or school environment. Instruction is generally accomplished in large or small group settings. Resources such as Biblical Criticisms, Commentaries, and other biblical tools are intentionally introduced as part of a well-rounded lectionary program.

Mentoring Model

content: The goal of a mentoring program is to help older adolescents gain skills and confidence. A mentor is an adult who offers the adolescent support, guidance, and concrete assistance as the adolescent enters new areas of experience and begins to take on adult responsibilities. In as much as the mentor exhibits an authentic adult response to the Gospel, through the living of a Christian life, the mentoring relationship will succeed on a spiritual level. To the extent that this is the focus of the mentoring relationship the faith dimension can become quite deep. Mentors may also provide academic or vocational support. The mentor generally finds themselves in listening, nurturing, and supporting roles in the adolescent’s life, however, mentors are not the adolescent’s parents or trained counselors.

organization: The program is simply designed by pairing an adolescent with an adult mentor in a one-to-one relationship for a prolonged period of time. The program is set up using inquiry or interest forms from both adolescents and adult mentors who wish to give of their experience and time. Because of the close personal nature of the mentoring relationship it is important that solid guidelines be instituted that provides for the security, safety, and privacy of the adolescent. Parental involvement and participation is mandatory in any formal mentoring program.

environment: The environment of a mentoring program is the real world and is limited only by the shared interests of the adolescent and their mentor. Some gathered activities, including liturgy or prayer, is recommended. The fact that the parish sponsors the program is an effective way of making Christian life explicit.