Annual Gathering of Diocese of Tucson Directors of Religious Education
Our Mother of Sorrows Parish, Tucson
Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009
Our Mother of Sorrows Parish, Tucson
Saturday, Aug. 22, 2009
Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas
Monday Memo of Aug. 24, 2009
Almost every parish Director of Religious Education attended this year's annual gathering at Our Mother of Sorrows Parish in Tucson on Saturday.
I am always inspired and impressed by the dedication and commitment of our DREs who exercise such an important ministry in the Church. They bear the responsibility to form our catechists, who in turn hand on the faith to our children.
I reflected with them our desire to strengthen our catechesis throughout the Diocese. This includes establishing required texts that will be used throughout the Diocese. It also involves intensifying our formation of catechists and exploring more effective ways to include families.
I mentioned my hope that parishes would decide if they want to hold their own Confirmation at the parish or participate in one of the combined Confirmations that will take place at the Cathedral or in a Vicariate parish. This decision is up to each parish.
We talked about the age for Confirmation and our diocesan policy that this sacrament would take place for young people 13-17 years old. We also spoke of the importance of adult Confirmations for those who missed receiving the sacrament. Finally we talked about the diocesan policy that the Sacrament of Reconciliation should take place before First Communion.
We hope to publish the new Sacramental Guidelines in the near future. The Guidelines have been developed collaboratively by a task force and will help our pastors and DREs to adapt their programs to coincide with diocesan policies.
I enjoyed very much the interchange of ideas at the session. The DREs had some very helpful comments and suggestions for which I was very grateful.
Monday Memo of Aug. 24, 2009
Almost every parish Director of Religious Education attended this year's annual gathering at Our Mother of Sorrows Parish in Tucson on Saturday.
I am always inspired and impressed by the dedication and commitment of our DREs who exercise such an important ministry in the Church. They bear the responsibility to form our catechists, who in turn hand on the faith to our children.
I reflected with them our desire to strengthen our catechesis throughout the Diocese. This includes establishing required texts that will be used throughout the Diocese. It also involves intensifying our formation of catechists and exploring more effective ways to include families.
I mentioned my hope that parishes would decide if they want to hold their own Confirmation at the parish or participate in one of the combined Confirmations that will take place at the Cathedral or in a Vicariate parish. This decision is up to each parish.
We talked about the age for Confirmation and our diocesan policy that this sacrament would take place for young people 13-17 years old. We also spoke of the importance of adult Confirmations for those who missed receiving the sacrament. Finally we talked about the diocesan policy that the Sacrament of Reconciliation should take place before First Communion.
We hope to publish the new Sacramental Guidelines in the near future. The Guidelines have been developed collaboratively by a task force and will help our pastors and DREs to adapt their programs to coincide with diocesan policies.
I enjoyed very much the interchange of ideas at the session. The DREs had some very helpful comments and suggestions for which I was very grateful.
