U.S. Catholic Bishops - Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us: A Pastoral Plan for Adult Faith Formation in the United States

UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS
WASHINGTON, DC

AA Apostolicam Actuositatem: Decree on the Apostolate of Lay People

ACCC Adult Catechesis in the Christian Community: Some Principles and Guidelines

AN Aetatis Novae: A New Era. Pastoral Instruction on Social Communication

CCC Catechism of the Catholic Church

CCEO Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches

CGTM Called and Gifted for the Third Millennium: Reflections of the U.S. Catholic Bishops on the Thirtieth Anniversary of the Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity and the Fifteenth Anniversary of Called and Gifted

CIC Code of Canon Law

CT Catechesi Tradendae: On Catechesis in Our Time

DV Dei Verbum: Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation

EN Evangelii Nuntiandi: On Evangelization in the Modern World

GC Guide for Catechists

GCD General Catechetical Directory

GDC General Directory for Catechesis

GS Gaudium et Spes: Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World

LG Lumen Gentium: Dogmatic Constitution on the Church

NCD Sharing the Light of Faith: National Catechetical Directory for Catholics of the United States

PO Presbyterorum Ordinis: Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests

RCIA Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults

RM Redemptoris Missio: On the Permanent Validity of the Churchs Missionary Mandate

Were not our hearts burning [within us] while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us? (LK 24:32)

W e are filled with great joy and expectation as the third millennium of Christian history dawns. Before us, in the wonder of Gods gracious plan, stretch new opportunities to proclaim the Good News of Jesus to all the world. We are eager to witness and share the word of life about the reign of God faithfully, so that each new generation can hear this word in its own accents and discover Christ as its Savior.

Every disciple of the Lord Jesus shares in this mission. To do their part, adult Catholics must be mature in faith and well equipped to share the Gospel, promoting it in every family circle, in every church gathering, in every place of work, and in every public forum. They must be women and men of prayer whose faith is alive and vital, grounded in a deep commitment to the person and message of Jesus.

The Churchs pastoral ministry exists to sustain the work of the Gospel. One way it does this is by nourishing and strengthening lay men and women in their calling and identity as people of faith, as contributors to the life and work of the Church, and as disciples whose mission is to the world. To grow in discipleship throughout life, all believers need and are called to build vibrant parish and diocesan communities of faith and service.

Such communities cannot exist without a strong, complete, and systematic catechesis for all its members. By complete and systematic we mean a catechesis that nurtures a profound, lifelong conversion of the whole person and sets forth a comprehensive, contemporary synthesis of the faith,

Adult faith formation, This can be done specifically through developing in adults a better understanding of and participation in the full sacramental life of the Church.

To make this vision a reality, we, as the Catholic bishops of the United States, call the Church in our country to a renewed commitment to adult faith formation, positioning it at the heart of our catechetical vision and practice. We pledge to support adult faith formation without weakening our commitment to our other essential educational ministries. This pastoral plan guides the implementation of this pledge and commitment.

The Gospels show how Jesus communicated the Good News. In the familiar story of Emmaus (Lk 24:13-35) we find the model for this pastoral plan.

To be effective ministers of adult faith formation we will first, like Jesus, join people in their daily concerns and walk side by side with them on the pathway of life. We will ask them questions and listen attentively as they speak of their joys, hopes, griefs, and anxieties.

We will share with them the living word of God, which can touch their hearts and minds and unfold the deep meaning of their experience in the light of all that Jesus said and did. We will trust the capacity of prayer and sacrament to open their eyes to the presence and love of Christ. We will invite them to live and share this Good News in the world.

This is the way for us to acknowledge the life-giving power and evangelizing dynamic of encountering Jesus todayjust as the two disciples felt their hearts burn within them and returned in haste to Jerusalem to tell their story of meeting Jesus.

Why were their hearts burning? They were burning because in Jesus the disciples caught a glimpse into the heart of God and found their world made new. They saw for an instant the full scope of the Fathers loving plan and its high point in Christs death and resurrection. In that perspective, the pathway of their lives opened from confusion and despair into conviction and hope, and they began to grasp the height and depth of Gods mysterious love. What a profound learning experience that must have been!

The passage offers us a model for our ministry and shows the need we all have for ongoing formation in faith. For in it we see two adult disciples who, encountering the risen Lord, grow stronger in love, knowledge, commitment, and zeal. As then, today, Those who are already disciples of Jesus Christ... [need] to be constantly nourished by the word of God so that they may grow in their Christian life.

Such lifelong formation is always needed and must be a priority in the Churchs catechetical ministry; moreover, it must be considered the chief form of catechesis. All the other forms, which are indeed always necessary, are in some way oriented to it.

We are well aware that placing ongoing adult faith formation at the forefront of our catechetical planning and activity will mean real change in emphasis and priorities. In refocusing our catechetical priorities, we will all need to discover new ways of thinking and acting that will vigorously renew the faith and strengthen the missionary dynamism of the Church. Although the task may seem daunting, we need look back no further than the implementation of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults twenty years ago to find a model for success. Today, most parishes participate in the catechumenal process, which has brought the Church in the United States great benefit. We seek similar fruits from adult faith formation.

As bishops, we will walk this journey of discovery with you. We write now to offer encouragement and to guide the reorientation of ministerial priorities and practices that we know this plan entails. At the same time, we rely upon your pastoral creativity and dedication to implement the plan effectively. We must go forward firmly rooted in prayer, open to the mystery of Gods love, and in touch with the realities of the world. Our dedication and efforts, then, will bear fruit in Gods way and time restoring all things in Christ.

This plan builds upon the work already being done by the Catholic community in adult faith formation. The catechumenate is a blessing for those becoming Catholic and for the entire faith community. Renewal programs touch the lives of millions of adult Catholics. Countless Scripture study groups meet regularly to share the word of God and apply it to their lives. Faith-sharing communities are taking root and flourishing around the country. Lay ministry and catechist formation programs each year form tens of thousands of committed adults for service to the Churchs mission to proclaim Gods reign. Catholic universities and colleges welcome adults into a variety of programs designed to foster their personal growth and to help them develop ministerial skills. Catholic schools and parish religious education programs have enriched the faith of adults who are parents and catechists. Parents in sacrament preparation programs grow in their appreciation of the sacraments and learn to share their faith with their children. Catholic media outlets and publishing companies provide a consistent stream of resources that promote spiritual growth. We offer heartfelt thanks to all who have contributed so generously to these and similar efforts of evangelization and catechesis.