Papal Intentions For September

Pope Francis during his visit to the Philippines earlier this year (CNS photo / Paul Haring)

As the month of September begins, let us remember Pope Francis’s intentions in our prayers.

His universal intention is for the young, that “opportunities for education and employment may increase for all young people.”

The Holy Father also asks us to pray for catechists, that they “may give witness by living in a way consistent with the faith they proclaim.”

So let us join Pope Francis this month, in praying for opportunities for the young and for all catechists.

Saint John Paul II, Pray for Us!  

Catechists for the New Evangelization

Today the Church celebrates Catechetical Sunday, a day to acknowledge the importance of the Church’s teachers and honor those who serve our communities as catechists.

The root of the word “catechesis” comes from a Greek word which means “to echo, or resound.” So catechists are those who resound Church teaching—our RCIA leaders, religion teachers, marriage preparation counselors, even our parents. And the role they play is vital for the life of the Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says:  “Catechesis is intimately bound up with the whole of the Church’s life . . . her inner growth and correspondence with God’s plan depend essentially on catechesis” (7).

Catechesis is also especially important this year as the Church kicks off the Year of Faith and moves toward a greater commitment to the New Evangelization. In fact, the theme for Catechetical Sunday this year is “Catechists and Teachers as Agents of the New Evangelization.”

For those catechists our there: thank you for your service to the life and the growth of our Church communities. The Church prays for you today, that you may continue to hand on the Faith and be witnesses to the Gospel.