Catechism in the Diocese of Kalibo: Theory, Practice and the Chasm in Between



While the First Synod of Kalibo has decreed that “there should be catechesis in public and private kinder/elementary and High schools” (Acts and Decrees, First Synod of Kalibo, 106.1) making Parish Priests responsible in upholding this civic right as provided for by the 1987 Philippine Constitution, the current Diocesan Catechetical Program and Activities (DCPA) has caused difficulties among the volunteer catechists as well as the Parish Priests in implementing a sustainable catechesis in the parishes.

Considering their meager income, the parishes in depressed communities rely so much on volunteer catechists who are themselves poor and have their respective familial duties and responsibilities to attend to. The DCPA requires of these volunteer catechists several weeks of intensive training, which eventually deprived them ample time from attending to the needs of their respective families and in some instances has resulted to the “abandonment of family needs or to inefficiency in the actual performance of primary duties” (Acts and Decrees 9).

It is therefore imperative that a family and community based catechists be recruited as part of the attempt to sustain a continuing formation of family members as subject and object of evangelization towards Christian growth and integral living. Otherwise, parishes and their pastors need to tap their creativity and innovativeness to address this situation.

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Resources for catechists and Christian educators are available at the following links:

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