AMERICA/CHILE - Train catechists for people with disabilities, to build an open and inclusive Church

Friday, 1 February 2019 local churches   catechists   formation  

Valparaiso (Agenzia Fides) - The theme of the Gospel verse "Rise, pick up your mat and go home" (see Mk 2: 1-12) for the X Course of formation for catechists with disabled people took place in Valparaiso from 25 to 27 January, and was attended by 40 catechists, representatives of 14 dioceses and 5 district vicariates of Chile.
According to information released by the local Church, sent to Agenzia Fides, "inclusive catechesis" is a challenge for the Church and is also a sign of the times of today, "because it calls us to break with some ecclesial structures and dynamics, it invites us to walk towards an open and willing Church to recognize in each person the face of Jesus himself". At the same time a specific preparation and training of catechists who take care of people in a situation of disability is necessary, so that they can carry out an adequate service.
The catechists in fact work with children, young people and adults with disabilities, after having trained from a pastoral and professional point of view, acquiring the necessary skills for this service. In some Chilean dioceses Teams of inclusive catechesis dependent on the diocesan catechetical Commission, have been trained.
This X Course, just concluded, aimed to deepen the basic learning for the work of catechesis with people with disabilities. The program that was developed touched on the following topics: main steps in the process of evangelization and catechesis with disabled people; developmental psychology and psychology of religiosity; families of people with disabilities; foundations of the catechetical service; construction of an organic pastoral...
The meetings and group works were led by members of the diocesan and national teams, and the work was facilitated by the deep motivations that prompted the participants and by the climate of participation and prayer. (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 1/2/2019)


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