Sunday, September 21, 2025
Catechists will be commissioned at the 10:30am Mass for their mission to nurture a living, conscious and active faith in others, and to witnesses to the faith by sharing his/her faith commitment through word, experience, prayer and liturgy.
The 2025 theme encourages us to be prepared to share the basis of our faith, the Lord, and the hope He provides. In the same manner Saint Peter encouraged the believers of his time, the scripture reminds us, the sharing should be done with gentleness and respect.
What is Catechetical Sunday?
The Church established Catechetical Sunday, which is always celebrated on the third Sunday in September, to recognize and celebrate the gift that catechists give to their parish community by volunteering their time for the faith formation of children. We come together as a church community to acknowledge the dedication of those who serve as catechists in our parish family.
The day also reminds all Catholics to consider ways we are witnesses for Jesus Christ. All Catholics have the opportunity to rededicate themselves to the mission of passing on the faith, and being a witness to the Gospel as a community of faith.
Who are Catechists?
The word catechesis is from a Greek word meaning “to echo.” All those who teach the Catholic faith and share the Church’s teachings, by word and by the way they live their lives, are catechists. The catechist's goal is always to set hearts aflame for Christ.
We celebrate and pray for all who come forward for this ministry. They are people who are willing to share their own faith and have the courage to listen to the faith stories of others, without judgment but with a sense of wonder and awe.
In May 2021, Pope Francis established the lay ministry of catechist in the Catholic Church, officially declaring that catechists are to be recognized as lay ministers in the Catholic Church and are due the training and support they need to be successful in their ministry.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that parents have the mission of teaching their children to pray and to discover their vocation as children of God. (CCC 2226) Therefore, moms, dads, stepparents, grandparents, foster parents, godparents, and all who form the faith of children at home, in the domestic church, are the first and most important catechists of their children.
