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Faith Formation
Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Letter Laetamur Magnopere
"… authoritative exposition of the one … apostolic faith, … a "valid and legitimate instrument for ecclesial communion" … a "sure norm for teaching the faith," … (cf. Apostolic Constitution Fidei Depositum, no. 4).
Catechesis … systematic presentation of the faith and of Catholic doctrine … to the people of our time. … communicating the one, perennial deposit of faith … with the help of the Holy Spirit, to link the wondrous unity of the Christian mystery … the People of God, … an extraordinary commitment to evangelization is urgently needed so that everyone can know and receive the Gospel message and thus grow "to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Eph 4:13) ..."
From the Prologue to the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
"FATHER, . . . this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." [1] "God our Savior desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." [2] "There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" [3] than the name of JESUS.
The Life of Man-To Know and Love God
1 ... For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek Him, to know Him, to love Him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of His family, the Church. … heirs of His blessed life.
2 … Christ sent forth the apostles He had chosen, commissioning them to proclaim the gospel: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, … teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." [4] Strengthened by this mission, the apostles "went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it." [5]
3 … All Christ's faithful are called to hand it on from generation to generation, by professing the faith, by living it in fraternal sharing, and by celebrating it in liturgy and prayer. [6]
The Apostles responded to the words of Jesus, " … you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses … to the ends of the earth." [7] With similar devotion, we are called to learn of God through the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Church. Jesus tells us to "Follow Him" on a journey of faith beyond the limits of our own resources, to the ends of the earth. "And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation'." [8]
Today, 2000 years later, God calls men and women to follow His Son and to discover His loving plan for them. Each of us must seek God through a continuous search for knowledge and truth. Seeking God is a lifelong endeavor for each person, a voyage of continuous enrichment, an opportunity to draw closer to God in our lives.
The Catechetical School is dedicated to the faithful teaching of the principles and doctrines of the Catholic Church. Its principal sources are the Sacred Scriptures, the Fathers of the Church, the liturgy and the Church's Mageistrium. [9] All courses use the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1992) and the Holy Bible as the foundation texts for instruction. All instructors follow Jesus in "… teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." [10]
The Catechetical School is designed to nourish your Catholic Faith. Classes use adult learning methods: lectures, group discussion, personal reflection, individual application and projects appropriate to the course subject matter.
[1] Jn 17:3
[2] 1 Tim 2:3-4
[3] Acts 4:12
[4] Mt 28:18-20
[5] Mk 16:20
[6] Cf. Acts 2:42
[7] Acts 1:8
[8] Mk 16:15
[9] CCC pg 9 par 11[10] Mt 28:20