As the Coordinator of our Catechist Ministry in the Diocese, this is a big deal to me. Safeguarding children, vulnerable adults and catechists is paramount, and required in safeguarding our ministry. When two catechists serve together: • We reduce the possibility of misunderstandings, miscommunications and unsafe dynamics • We provide mutual accountability and support • We create safer spaces for conversations • We ensure that no catechist is left unsupported in a moment of vulnerability • We uphold the dignity, autonomy and safety of every person we encounter A Vision for our Ministry My vision is simple, grounded in Scripture and informed by safeguarding wisdom: Every Catechist Teacher should aim to have a Catechist Helper. When students see two catechists working side by side, they see the Gospel lived out: cooperation, shared mission and mutual respect. When school staff and families encounter a team, rather than an individual, they experience a ministry that is welcoming, trustworthy and grounded in shared mission. Jesus understood that mission is not carried alone. For the good of sharing the Gospel—and those we serve—we are called to walk, teach, witness and safeguard together. BY PETER GILMORE Sixty years ago, amongst the many treasures of the Second Vatican Council, we received a beautiful document: Dei Verbum, or God’s Word, the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation. At its heart, Dei Verbum is not simply a teaching about the Bible; it is a call to renewed relationship, reminding us that God desires to speak to each of us, heart to heart, through his Word, the Bible. The psalmist gives us the language of lovers: “O how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day long” (Psalm 119:97) and “Your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart” (Jeremiah 15:16) This is not the voice of obligation. They are the words of someone who has found the treasure of the Scriptures and discovered the Bible is not simply a book, but a place of encounter with God. He waits for us in his Word. Dei Verbum reminds us that “in the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven meets His children with great love and speaks to them”. It is Pope Leo’s heart and mind that all the faithful would have “easy access” to the Scriptures, “so that everyone may encounter the God who speaks, shares his love, and draws us into the fullness of life” (Pope Leo XIV, 17 November 2025). The Word of God is meant to be delighted in and savoured – like sunshine on the skin, a light in the darkness, or honey on the tongue – for it is within Scripture that we discover God’s desire for companionship with us. He is inviting us to sit with him in our joy, our confusion, our fear, and our longing, and hear him speak our name. Every time we open the Scriptures, the God who spoke us into existence comes close and speaks not of abstract ideas but of personal love and friendship. His Word is not ancient, or distant, or cold. It is the living voice, presence, and breath of God. When we let his Word become part of our daily life – even for only a few minutes – we begin to realise that even though we read the Scriptures, the Scriptures are reading us, they are reading me. Pope Leo, in celebrating the 60th anniversary of Verbum Dei, reminds us that our “mission is to become ‘living letters … written not in ink but by the Spirit of the living God,’ (2 Cor 3:1-6), bearing witness to the primacy of God’s Word over the many voices that fill our world” (Pope Leo XIV, 17 November, 2025). What then might we do? Perhaps we might pick up the Scriptures again. Open them slowly. Let a single line of God’s Word rest in your heart. Let the Holy Spirit breathe through it. Let Jesus speak. We don’t need to master the Scriptures. This isn’t an invitation to study, analyse, or read more. It is an invitation to receive more, to encounter, and to rest in the God who still speaks to us today. To read Dei Verbum in full, visit dow.sh/DeiVerbum Falling in Love with the Scriptures “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” PSALM 119:103 Catechists, have a think about whether or not you would benefit from having a helper in class with you — especially if you have a big class and feel a bit stretched and vulnerable at times. Maybe, start with a conversation amongst your parish catechist team and consider who from the team or broader parish you could ask to be a helper. Being a Catechist Helper is a non threatening way for parishioners to join our ministry. CATECHI STNET • DECEMBER 2025 | 15
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