The Catechetical Review - Communicating Christ for a New Evangelization

Why Catechize?

Authored by Brian Pizzalato in Issue #30.3 of The Sower
It is all too easy to lose track of the ultimate reason as to why we catechize. What is the purpose of it all? Our beloved late Pope John Paul II proclaimed the reason for catechesis profoundly, yet simply, in a single sentence: ‘The definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch but in communion, in intimacy, with Jesus Christ: only He can lead us to the love of the Father in the Spirit and make us share in the life of the Holy Trinity.’ (Catechesi tradendae 5) We want people to encounter Christ. We do not want our students only to accumulate facts about the life of Jesus; we also want them to have a personal relationship with the incarnate Son of God.

The rest of this online article is available for current subscribers.

Start your subscription today!

This article is from The Sower and may be copied for catechetical purposes only. It may not be reprinted in another published work without the permission of Maryvale Institute. Contact [email protected]

Articles from the Most Recent Issue

From the Shepherds— Four Pillars for Building a Eucharistic Life
By Bishop James S. Wall
At the end of his public life, Jesus sent his apostles into the world to preach, teach, baptize, and share the life he had given them (see Mt 28:16–20). This is the divine model: people are called to God to be formed by him and then sent to bring others to share in that joyful life. Teachers of the faith in particular enjoy both the joys and the... Read more
From Information to Transformation: Changing Approaches to Catechetical Texts
By Fr. Dan Mahan
Most catechetical texts and digital materials used in parishes and schools throughout the United States today are the product of thoughtful collaboration between the publishers who create them and the bishops who certify their theological and pastoral integrity. This collaboration yields catechetical materials that are not only doctrinally sound... Read more
The Story of the Church and Science
By Dr. Dan Kuebler
Near the end of the 19 th century, scientist and co-founder of the New York University School of Medicine John William Draper penned an influential polemic entitled History of the Conflict Between Religion and Science . In the book, Draper argued that “the history of science is not a mere record of isolated discoveries; it is a narrative of the... Read more

Pages