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 Some 130 parish leaders from throughout the diocese kicked off the new catechetical year at the Diocesan Pastoral Center yesterday.

Laypeople and religious leaders involved in children’s catechesis, adult evangelization and marriage and respect life issues plus ministries serving youth, Hispanics and those with disabilities or needing pastoral care, gathered for a day of fellowship and prayer.

After celebrating Mass with Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, the leaders learned about the plethora of resources the Department of Family Catechesis extended to them this year including special sites to help them personally embrace and communally advance the liturgical Year of St. Paul:

• The Pauline Year site is a resource venue for catechetical leaders, said Ryan Hanning, coordinator of Adult Evangelization for the diocese. It’s filled with handouts, reflections on the second readings for Mass, links, bulletin inserts, pilgrimage information and more.
• The Saint Paul Web site is the parishioner’s version. It offers prayers, family activities, audio reflections, handouts and other resources to help local Catholics of all ages get the most out of the Year of St. Paul. It links local Catholics to pilgrimage opportunities as well.
• Yet another Web site, which organizes all of the Bible Study events for the Year of St. Paul, launched this week.

The gathering also gave parish leaders a sneak peek of formation opportunities for themselves as well as their communities. Hanning recommended inviting Catholics to a daylong event with renowned Catholic Bible teacher Jeff Cavins.

“If you or anybody you know was ever wanted to know the big picture of what’s going on in Scripture, send them to this,” Hanning said. More information, including registration, is available on the Bible study site.

At the end of the day, Larry Fraher, program coordinator for the Kino Institute, a program for theological studies and pastoral ministry formation, guided the catechetical leaders through a reflection on the Parable of the Sower from Mark’s Gospel.

“Catechesis is rooted in this parable,” Fraher said.

He used the illustration of the parable found in the Saint John’s Bible to guide their meditation. Fraher drew their attention to the direction the seeds in the icon fell.

“The seeds are falling through the text of the call of the Apostles,” Fraher said, not the story of the parable itself, which follows on the next page. “What is the text of your life?”

He asked the leaders to discern where — their seed, their life in ministry —  stands and reminded them to keep their own formation at the forefront.

“How will you be nurtured, cultivated and grow this year” he asked. That will make them of better service to others.

“That’s our call. To sow the seed of God with reckless abandon,” Fraher said. “You may not reap what you sow, but you have to sow the seed. We never know where the good soil might be found.”

-Ambria