BY PETER GILMORE During my time serving the SRE Catechists of this Diocese, I was acutely aware of the ever-present and growing need for more people who were willing to step into the breach for Catholic children and their families who choose to be educated in State Schools. As SRE Catechists, our mission stems from the belief that all Catholic children deserve the right to be educated in the faith of their families, regardless of the school they attend. Vatican II affirms this truth: “All [people] of every race, condition and age, since they enjoy the dignity of a human being, have an inalienable right to an education that is in keeping with their ultimate goal” — Vatican II, Declaration on Christian Education (Gravissimum Educationis), §1 Make no mistake, the “ultimate goal” of the human person is to enjoy union with God for all eternity. Perhaps then it would be appropriate to say our mission is two-fold – to serve the Catholic children who would otherwise not receive a systematic education in the Catholic Faith, and to actively and continuously grow our teams of SRE Catechists to meet the growing demands of SRE. But how might we accomplish this? In helping to form parishes in Bishop Brian’s vision, Come & See, Go & Make, with all the complexity of Catholic vocabulary, we have adopted a simple yet profound saying: We are called to be disciples who make disciples. It somehow captures the whole process of evangelisation – encounter with Jesus, becoming a disciple, and then going on mission – but makes it a little more memorable. Our hope should be to make disciples who, in turn, make disciples who, in turn, make disciples, and so on. If we are all called to make disciples, even those who have newly become Catholic, our growth should be exponential, not linear. What would happen if we adopted this attitude as Catechists? What if we became Catechists who make Catechists? How could we do things differently? If I may suggest three things we might do: Firstly, ASK - All Catechists could be encouraged to pray for new members of the ministry and listen to the Holy Spirit for who he might be putting on our hearts. It might be that we notice someone speaking clearly and with authority in our social interactions at Church, or someone expresses a love of children. However the person comes to our attention, having the courage to tell them what you noticed, whatever it is, and ask that most important question: “Have you ever considered being a catechist? You would be great for the ministry.” This could happen at any time, in any situation. Secondly, WALK - If God calls us to reach out to someone, then that’s usually an indication that it’s also our responsibility to ensure there will be someone to walk with them on their journey of becoming and being a Catechist. It may be the person who asked them to join the ministry, or there might be someone more suitable due to age, sex, or state of life (such as a mother with another mother, a young person with another young person, and so on). Walking with a new catechist is not simply about ensuring they start teaching, but about choosing to connect with them regularly to ask how they are doing, answer any questions, offer encouragement, and even set aside time to visit their class and provide feedback. The aim is not to make them like you but to help them discover their own gifts as an SRE Catechist. Commit to reaching out to a new Catechist at least fortnightly for the first 6 months and then semi-regularly after that. By being Catechists who walk with new Catechists, we model for them that we want to be Catechists who make Catechists. And finally, PRAY - Commit to praying with the new Catechist whenever you are together and for them daily, especially in the first year. Thank God for them and ask God to reveal his will for their involvement in the Catechist ministry. It might not be the right fit for them, but that’s ok! At least they dared to give it a shot. We can also pray that God would prompt them to encourage someone else to join the ministry. When you phrase it like that – ASK, WALK, PRAY – it almost sounds too simple, but if we are called to be disciples who make disciples, it stands to reason that we could also be Catechists who make Catechists. Can you imagine how the ministry of SRE Catechists might grow if we adopted this attitude? Catechists Catechists who make CATECHI STNET • DECEMBER 2025 | 17
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