Catechesis as an Evangelizing Moment: Singular Challenge to a Maturing Church

This book is intended for anyone who seeks to help people to embrace and grow in the Catholic faith. It is provided as a help to the reading of the new "General Directory for Catechesis" (GDC) as an aid to its reception and implementation in both Catholic parishes and Catholic schools. It presumes that churches and schools want to engage in evangelizing catechesis to promote adult faith for a mature church. Following an exploration of three practical situations or contexts for evangelization illustrated through three distinct life stories, the book reviews the evolution of the understanding of evangelization found in selected church documents. It also probes some specific practical ways to answer the two guiding questions: what is evangelizing catechesis, and how can it pervade and enrich the work and what effect can the "catechumenal model" have on the life of the church and all efforts to welcome and form people in faith? Chapters in the book are: (1) "Catechesis, Evangelization and a New Catechetical Directory"; (2) "Three Real Life Stories, Three Senses of Evangelization Treated in the GDC"; (3) "Catechumenate as Inspiration for Evangelizing Catechesis"; (4) "Some Questions and Implications for Parish and School Leaders: Challenges to a Mature Church"; and (5) "Conclusion: A Letter from the Future." Includes sources for further reading. (BT)