Seminar for Sunday School and Catechism Teachers

Kolkata: A Catechesis Seminar was held on 16th July 2017 for Sunday School and Catechism Teachers of the Archdiocese of Calcutta. A record number of 326 teachers enrolled for the seminar which was held at Loreto Day School, Elliot Road. The day began with the Holy Eucharistic celebration by Fr.Dominic Gomes, Vicar General. Expanding on the Word of God for the day, Fr. Dominic eloquently emphasized the work of the Word - its nurturing and life giving role; if we only allow ourselves to be ‘good soil’. A catechist must savour the‘Word’, turn to the Word of God for nourishment and be eager to share this love and knowledge with others. He spoke of the trait and characteristics of a catechist. The first session was by Sr. Bernadette, IBVM on the ‘Aim of a Sunday School Teacher’. We are called, not just to give book knowledge, but to initiate the students into the fullness of an experiential Christian life. The syllabus for Sunday school was a ‘route map’ but the methodology and systems to be followed, would depend on the teacher and the learning abilities of the class. Various text books were displayed for the teachers to go through and recommend for their classes in their respective Parishes.

Mrs. Sandra Singh spoke about ‘The Christian Educator’. She stressed on the great responsibility of every Catechism Teacher to be able to transmit faith through the Word of God. It calls for a personal commitment to prayer life so that our lives are lived genuinely. It is only then that we can convey that faith with conviction. She spoke about the need to teach children about the Kingdom of God. Children needed to be taught that the world we live in contains darkness and light. Children are confused by materialistic messages that tell them everything is okay along the way to achieve their ambitions. They need guidance to help them to discern right from wrong. They need to know how to turn to the Scriptures for help – even when they fall and feel helpless – it’s the Word of God that will be their hope. The two action songs got people involved and on their feet and were thoroughly enjoyed. Mrs. Pamela Ryan and Mrs. Dolly Jacques spoke on ‘Faith’ and the need to share testimonies and short stories to get the attention of children. They spoke of the need to understand our children, their backgrounds, their challenges and disabilities. As Catechists we need to go beyond just classroom teaching and even beyond the classrooms. They shared about children who came from disturbed families and how going the extra mile brought about understanding and healing. The audience was moved by Mrs. Dolly Jacques’ family faith journey. We are all called to go beyond being Sunday Catholics and involve ourselves in other spiritual encounters, to deepen our faith experience. Unless we have a personal faith experience – we cannot give it to others.

In the work session, the teachers were put into 20 groups and given questions ranging from personal faith, OT and NT faith examples, problem children, etc. The sharing was intensive and informative and reflected the level of interaction and trust among the group members. The post lunch session had Mr. Paul Jacob teach a demo-class through music, dance and media, for senior children. He stressed the need to relate the subject to understandable life experiences and use methods that engage the children. Mrs. Roselyn Miles used the regular classroom methods to teach a demo- class for younger students. She explained Jesus’ kindness using the miracle of the Wedding Feast at Cana. At the end of the class, the children were assigned two tasks (a) to observe acts of kindness at home, school, neighborhood, etc. and (b) to do an act of kindness, and report back at the next class. 

Thus, the lesson got translated into the practical and tangible; thereby leaving a more lasting learning experience. Both teachers emphasized that each teacher would have to adapt and adopt methods depending upon the resources available. Mrs. Roselyn D’Cruz spoke about the need to be systematic in preparing and maintaining a ‘work diary’, thus ensuring that sufficient classes and time had been allocated to cover the syllabus. Thereafter there was an Evaluation Session. The Vote of Thanks was given by Fr. Dominic Gomes. Heartfelt thanks went to Sr. Marila, IBVM, Principal, Loreto Day School and her staff for so readily opening their doors for hosting the Seminar and providing all the infrastructure, support and hospitality. He specially thanked Mr. Joseph Chacko, President, Teachers’ Guild and his team who took care of all the administrative support and logistics for the programme. He also thanked Mr. Dominic Saldahna, Charles Sassoon and his group who sang so beautifully at the Holy Eucharist. A wonderful guitarist was ‘discovered’ in Sr. Maria Ruah MC, who played melodiously and joyfully. Fr. Dominic thanked all the Catechetical Commission members with a token of gratitude and a card that said it all. At the end of it all – we say ‘thank you Fr. Dominic for your enthusiasm and zeal that motivates all of us ’! Appropriately the day ended with everybody joining in to sing ‘O Give Thanks to the Lord’. Indeed He is Good!