HOME CATECHESIS
POLICY of the DIOCESE of RALEIGH

The Department of Evangelization and Catechesis of the Diocese of Raleigh supports those parents who provide home catechesis.

Parents receive in the sacrament of Matrimony “the grace and the ministry of Christian education of their children,” to whom they transmit and bear witness to human and religious values. This educational activity, which is both human and religious, is “a true ministry, through which the Gospel is transmitted and radiated so that family life is transformed into a journey of faith and the school of life” (General Directory for Catechesis 227). The rite of infant baptism clearly affirms the role of the parents as the first and best teachers of the faith. From their beginnings, Catholic parish and school programs of faith development existed to strengthen, develop, and add structure to the faith formation given in the home, the ‘domestic church’.

Some parents choose to provide home catechesis for their children for varying reasons:

1. as part of a total home schooling program;
2. as a personal choice to continue to be the primary educator of the faith;
3. as a result of circumstances such as distance, transportation, custody/visitation privileges.

While the home is the ‘domestic church’, every Christian is baptized into a community found in the local parish. Through the sacrament of Baptism each of us becomes an integral part of the wider Catholic Christian family of God. Deriving from this reality, participation in liturgical, catechetical and sacramental activities of the parish is an expectation, which flows from the communal nature of the Catholic Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states, “The home is the natural environment for initiating a human being into solidarity and communal responsibilities” (2224). It also states, “The parish is the Eucharistic community and the heart of the liturgical life of Christian families; it is a privileged place for the catechesis of children and parents” (2226).

It is important that children and youth be part of a community of believers and has an opportunity to build a small community of faith with their peers. This dynamic takes on special importance here in North Carolina, particularly in areas where Catholics are a minority. Parish liturgy, life and service assume great importance.

The model of catechesis endorsed by the Faith Development Department of the Diocese of Raleigh is an integrated process that promotes formation and transformation in addition to information. This model aims to form committed disciples of Jesus Christ through prayer, community, doctrine and service. The approach to Faith Development is that growth in the faith is a life long process from birth to death, one that encompasses the whole of life. All Catholic Christians, particularly adults, are called to continually nourish their understanding and living of the faith. “While aiming to enrich the faith life of individuals at the particular stages of development, every form of catechesis is oriented in some way to the catechesis of adults, who are capable of a full response to God’s Word” (Sharing the Light of Faith 32).

With this in mind, it is the role of the parish Faith Development Director to support all parents, particularly those choosing home catechesis, in effectively passing on the faith to their children. “It is for this reason that the Christian community must give very special attention to parents” (General Directory for Catechesis 227).

GUIDELINES for PARISH IMPLEMENTATION
of HOME CATECHESIS:

THE PARISH DIRECTOR of FAITH DEVELOPMENT:

• Assists parents in selecting appropriate catechetical materials for the youth
• Suggests catechetical resources for parent catechists
• Provides copies of the diocesan guidelines for catechesis and for sacramental preparation and celebration; these guidelines follow the Documents of Vatican II, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the General Directory for Catechesis.
• Describes the Diocese of Raleigh’s catechist formation process and its accompanying materials
• Provides a calendar of opportunities and resources for the formation of the parent as catechist
• Networks parents with other parents providing home catechesis
• invites, welcomes and includes the youth and parents in parish activities

Jim Hynes will communicate on behalf of the Faith Development Department with all Home Catechesis families.

PARENTS:

Prepare themselves to be effective catechists. The Bishop of the Diocese of Raleigh expects all those engaged in catechesis to achieve foundational formation and to participate in ongoing formation. “By means of personal contact, meetings, courses and also adult catechesis directed towards parents, the Christian community must help them assume their responsibility – which is particularly delicate today – of educating their children in the faith” (General Directory for Catechesis, 227).

• Meet with the parish Director of Faith Development to develop a suitable plan for Faith Development
• Register with the parish Director of Faith Development. This will guarantee inclusion in mailings and sharing of information. It will also provide some record of formation for the parish
• Become aware of the activities and ministries available to the children and youth of the parish and understand the importance of the children’s participation in parish life
• Follow the Diocesan Guidelines for Catechesis and for sacramental preparation and celebration; these guidelines follow the Documents of Vatican II, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the General Directory for Catechesis.
• Provide at least 30 hours of Faith Development formation for each youth in a year
• Keep some record of the youth’s progress. This data will ease transition if a family relocates or changes parishes. It will also provide official documentation on sacramental preparation and reception.

The pastor or his delegated representative together with the parish Director of Faith Development and the parents will determine the readiness of a child for the celebration of a sacrament as stated in the diocesan Sacramental Guidelines.