Missionary Catechists of St. Therese of the Infant Jesus

 

MCST Apostolate in the Diocese

 

The awareness of our vocation in the church makes us grow accustomed that all our activities should result from an intimate union with God. With this in our hearts, we start our apostolate with our community prayer and gathered together around the table of the Lord to celebrate the Eucharist so that what we receive, we give.

 

During the first years of our birth in the diocese, the four sisters were working in the parish as pastoral workers and catechists. One of them was full time catechist in the high school catechizing in Bataan Polytechnic State College. Every Sunday the teachers-in-charge of the student leaders of the two secondary schools, they meet and together planned out some activities. One was a full time kindergarten teacher who after her classes visited her pupils’ homes to meet their parents. Monthly, the parents were met in order to have a good helping relationship. Two of the sisters were with the catechists of the elementary schools and one of them with other catechists catechized in Bataan National High School twice a week.

 

In 1979, one of the sisters started to work in the diocese as the Diocesan Catechist’ coordinator. The sister teaching in the kindergarten of the parish CWL was pulled out to engage in the catechetical work of the parish. The catechetical office of the parish and that of the diocese was temporarily set up at the sister’s residence. The CWL used the space for their meetings and other activities so up to the present time, the diocese has no catechetical office, sad to say.

 

During those years, besides catechesis in schools, the sisters used to have home visitation including those in the barangays. Pre- sacramental instructions were given to adults to be baptized, confirmed and married. There were very few lay ministers so the sisters conducted Bible Service with communion in the barangays during Saturdays, Sundays, “Simbang Gabi.” One of the sisters was in-charge of the Knights of the Altar and another one of the lay ministers.

 

There was also a time when the parishes of Cupang, Samal and Balsik asked for sisters to help them in their parish catechetical work.

 

The Diocesan Catechists’ Coordinator coordinates the catechetical work in the diocese. For a better working relationship, once a month, together with the Director who was then Msgr. Vic, they held meetings with head catechists. The formation of catechists was done for five days in the diocesan level before the class start. Some basic doctrines of the church and methodology were given emphasis. For the new recruits, Basic Orientation Seminar was offered to give them an introduction regarding the work of the church that they want to embrace. Topics given were about the Church, Sacraments, Bible, Catechesis and Methodology. Deepening on those topics was done during the on-going formation in the vicarial level during the year. The Sister Coordinator visits the parishes and observes the catechists in their classroom teaching. She attends their parish meetings. Parishes requesting for special formation of catechists were attended to. Parishes requesting for special formation of catechists were attended to. Parishes with problems in catechetical ministry were visited more often. She also arranges three-day retreat annually during lenten season, a day off recollection before classes start, during advent season. Speakers were invited to assist them in their spiritual development. She also looks for funds from friends and benefactors to carry out the different activities.

 

Because of the growing demands of the apostolate particularly in the formation of catechists, the former bishop, Bishop Ness, requested the institute to send another three sisters who will help in the coordination of the catechetical work in the three vicariates. Unluckily only two were given due to lack of sisters so, the diocesan coordinator handles another vicariate. This is the third year of the sisters’ involvement in the diocesan catechetical ministry.

 

Each sister takes charge of a vicariate to assist the catechists in their work. As Vicarial catechists coordinators, they avail themselves to their intellectual, psychological and spiritual needs. They assist them in arranging schedule of classes especially when difficulties with school authorities are encountered. They attend their parish meeting and when there is a need of special formation in the parishes, they avail themselves. They visit the catechists in school and make friends with the school authorities, observe them in their teaching to help them catechize better. They journey with them especially when they could hardly see the face of Christ in their families, in their learners, in their fellow catechists and even at times in themselves. They visit them in their homes to understand where they are for a better accompaniment. They offer themselves to the priests and catechists their wholehearted assistance especially in giving seminar for the parents of the first communicants and confirmands. They strive to maintain a sound relationship with the priests, catechists and those they are working with.

 

The process of formation of catechists that was started before is continued up to the present but its necessity is given emphasis. No longer tolerated is the attitude of just teaching without undergoing formation. On-going formation is given monthly in the voters of the vicariate by the director and the sisters. The deepest dimension of the catechist formation deals with the very person of the catechist, his or her very being, but this was neglected forgetting that one’s being, both human and Christian is formed when one matures as a person, as a believer and as an apostle. In the process of their formation, we have to make a shift so that they maybe committed both to the message of Christ and to the human family.

 

The sisters also catechize once a week every Wednesday to the secondary students of Bataan Polytechnic State College. They stopped momentarily this year due to the adjustment of the two new sisters. They also avail themselves to those who some for consultation.

 

With the new direction that we have now, we are grateful that a new hope for a better program in the ministry will be drawn up. We know that our mission is just starting and with St. Therese we say: “ My mission is about to begin…”