Catholic Diocese of Austin
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Strategic Pastoral Plan of the Austin Diocese

Parish Religious Education, Formation and Evangelization

Planning Objectives

  1. Define the diocesan response to the purpose and need for Catholic education and formation and define the plan necessary to meet those needs.
  2. Develop a plan to educate or re-educate parishioners on the sacramental life of the church and to correct misconceptions about the nature of our Catholic traditions, especially with regard to the Eucharist.

“Go therefore make disciples of all nations; baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:19-20). The Catholic Church is called to continue this mission of Jesus’ first disciples. The ministry of catechesis is one of the central means for “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Through catechesis believers are educated and formed in the faith and called to “make disciples of all nations.”

The Diocese of Austin calls parishes to be vitally alive in faith, and to have a climate, activities and resources to help people understand and live their faith. Therefore, we will provide formation to children, youth and adults in the areas of word, sacrament and communal life to cultivate a lively baptismal and eucharistic spirituality and a sense of apostolic mission and witness to the family, neighborhood, workplace, school and global community. The diocese will support processes and leadership development for this faith formation.

Catechesis is the activity of the church whose aim is “to put people not only in touch, but also in communion and intimacy with Jesus Christ” (General Directory for Catechesis, No. 80). Catechesis is anything and everything the church does to form, inform and enrich a person’s life in faith. This formation can take place through a formal education process or through the celebration of the liturgy. It can take place through informal parish gatherings or in the home. It can take place in any setting in which knowledge of the Word of God and the church’s rich traditions are explored and understood.

For many years, this effort has focused on children and youth. For most of the 20th century, many children were educated in the faith by attending Catholic schools. Toward the end of the century, more children and youth participated in parish religious education and youth ministry programs. We must continue to implement “Renewing the Vision,” the 1996 U.S. bishops’ document concerning Catholic youth ministry. While many parishes offer a variety of activities for our youth, we must continue to develop solid catechesis for all our young people.

In October 1979, Pope John Paul II in his apostolic exhortation “Catechesi Tradendae” expressed the concern of the bishops worldwide about the challenge and opportunity we have in the education of adults. He said that the education of adults is to be considered a “principal form of catechesis” (No. 43), since adults have the greatest potential for achieving full maturity in faith and the ability to carry out their responsibilities for the mission of Jesus Christ. Succeeding papal and episcopal documents have affirmed the central importance of adult formation.

Since the Second Vatican Council, adult Catholics have come to understand that by their baptism all have a share in the mission of Jesus Christ and his church. One particular way that lay Catholics have become very involved is in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). Many of our parishioners serve on RCIA teams and as sponsors.

The Second Synod of the Diocese of Austin called for more adult education. One of the diocese’s responses to this concern was the Catholic Adult Formation program. The diocesan Catechetical Office administers this program and along with other offices provides additional adult training and formation. While many Catholics have participated in these programs and classes, the central challenge of the education of adults still remains. We will never minimize or abandon the formation and education of our children and youth, yet we have a great need for formation of all adults, especially parents. In the Rite of Baptism of Infants, parents are reminded that they are to be the first and best teachers of the faith to their children.

In addition to meeting their educational and formation needs, we also must offer ways for adults to grow in their spiritual lives. While there has been a great increase in lay Catholics involved in parish ministries, the laity’s primary call is to be the presence of Christ in the home and in the workplace.

Better parish leadership training on the primacy of adult faith formation will allow new opportunities for spiritual renewal. We must encourage Catholic family catechesis, Bible study, the creation of small faith communities, and improved adult training on the church’s teachings regarding the sacraments, particularly the Eucharist. We must develop strong leadership by providing the opportunity for lay people to pursue master’s of arts degrees in theology and quality training as spiritual directors. (Both of these were initiated in 2002.) Through initiatives such as these we can expect real progress in Catholic catechesis and evangelization for children, adolescents and adults.

Liturgical worship as a sacramental church calls us to the heart of what it means to be baptized into Christ. Vatican II’s Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy summarizes this relationship of the earthly activities of the church in relation to worship and liturgy, as we work together to foster the Kingdom of God among us. The liturgical life in our diocese is the source and summit of who we are, and who we hope to be as the people of God.

A missionary spirit must be fostered in order that we share our faith with others both at home and throughout the world. We must continue our partnership and faith sharing with the people of the dioceses of Saltillo and Juticalpa and renew our commitment to the work of the Society of the Propagation of the Faith. To be Catholic is to be missionary. We are a global church and must care for our sisters and brothers “to the ends of the earth.”

The goals and strategies set forth in this Strategic Pastoral Plan will guide the diocesan staff and parish leaders to build on and improve current formation initiatives, energizing the Catholic faithful of Central Texas to “go into the entire world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation” (Mk 16:15)