Catechist: The Teacher of Faith

Mary Help of Christians Parish hosted a three-day seminar for both old and new catechists last July 21-23,2023. The seminar provided pertinent assistance to each participant as they nourished and enhanced their knowledge and skills through the various activities provided by the committee led by Mrs. Emalinda Baldos.

Three sessions were given on the first day. Mrs. Emalinda Baldos began by emphasizing the importance of a catechist. “Not professional teachers are the best,” she said, “but the experience we have.” She emphasized the difficulties of being a teacher, which should be taken seriously because what a catechist teaches young people is God’s word. After a short break, the second session was led by Rev. Fr. Ariel Arias, SDB. Throughout his speech, he centered on Mary and cited her interventions in the past and even in the present. This resulted in the conclusion that Mary has an impact on everyone’s salvation and that Mary was a great role model for the catechist. He continued his conversation after lunch where he emphasized the powerful cause of the Bible to the people, particularly the catechists, as it is the foundation of everything they teach. The final session during the first day was given by Mr. Aniceto Mamalis, who discussed the importance of prayers in establishing a relationship with the God the Almighty.

The second day was filled with discoveries and participant collaboration. Mrs. Annabella Loma led the session about the seven sacraments and how important they are in a Christian’s life. Parish priest Rev. Fr. John Cardinal, SDB shared various methods of teaching so that young people can meet their goals. “You must not underestimate a catechist because they are not ordinary teachers; they are the teachers of Faith,” Fr. John said. Everyone was challenged by those words, and of course with the idea that surrendering everything to God would help them fulfill their role as a catechist. That afternoon, a group of adults and youth were given the opportunity to demonstrate a specific topic. “The Teaching Team” was the name of the activity. The adults showed who the church is, and the youth showed how important prayer is. And, of course, there was an on-the-spot evaluation after the presentation.

The third day was a blessed Sunday, when the participants attended the Holy Mass. The last session was given by Mr. Lucio Sisneros which was about the church and how it was built, as well as who the church is. Lastly was the giving of the certificate of attendance to the participants.

Catechists play an important role. The seminar taught the participants that degrees are not as important in teaching as it is a person’s courage to extend one’s arms and share ones knowledge with others and allow the participants to deepen their faith. (Lycell Ann Batobato)