All NCCL members receive Catechetical Leader as part of their membership.

Not an NCCL Member? 
Join NOW!

What you will be reading in
the July/August 2010 Issue

At the Crossroads of Faith and Culture  by Bishop Jaime Soto, Bishop of Sacramento and 
Chairman of Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church (SCDC)

 The Catholic Bishops of the United States have established as one of their pastoral priorities, the Cultural Diversity of the Church.  This pastoral priority is not just about developing multi-cultural sensitivity or the inclusion of different ethnic and immigrant Catholic communities into the life of the Catholic Church in the United States.  These are important considerations.  They should be earnestly pursued but the priority points to something more urgent.  This priority recognizes the Incarnation as the fundamental abiding work of the Church.  Jesus, the Eternal Word of the Father, took on our humanity so that He could share with us His divinity.  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us (Jn. 1.14).  This was more than a matter of flesh and bones.  It was also a matter of language, habits, rituals, dress, and relationships.  A Jewish woman from Nazareth gave birth to Jesus.  She and her husband taught him to talk, instructed him in the manners and habits of the times, presented him in the temple and took him regularly to the synagogue.  Jesus learned to respect and obey them.  All this is the substance of a culture, an essential part of being human and therefore a vital part of the Incarnation.                                         

Read more of Bishop Soto's article beginning on page 4.

For hundreds of years the Mexican American family has had its own religious formation program in the home. While it is non-traditional, la familia’s rich faith-cultural heritage has transmitted faith across generations. Traditional catechesis is rational and textbook-centered.  La familia’s catechesis is relational, grace centered, traditoning in real life situations by catechists who teach a person to “be” in relationship with God and other members of the community. 

Traditional catechesis focused on a cognitive understanding of the faith so that a person would know the faith and be able to articulate these beliefs. La familia uses a lifelong, holistic approach that acknowledges the importance of catechizing the head (cognitive), the heart (affective), and the hands (active). All three components are vital to handing on a lived Christian faith to foster conversion, prayer, and a deeper relationship with God.

Read more of Dr. Rayas' article beginning on page 8.