Close to 70 Catechetical leaders from across the Diocese of San Jose came together on September 27 at Holy Family Church for Welcoming and Commissioning Day for Pastoral Ministry Leaders.
Father John Hurley, CSP, Vicar of the Office for Evangelization for the Diocese, was the principal celebrant of the Mass for the gathering. It featured guest speaker Owen F. Cummings. Cummings is the Regents Chair of Theology, Professor of Systematic Theology and Academic Dean at Mount Angel Seminary in Mount Angel, Oregon.
This gathering was for those engaged in Faith Formation as Directors and Youth Ministers who were commissioned during the Mass. As part of this day the faith formation community gathers as a community building community, networking and ongoing formation.
During his talk, themed “Enlisting Witnesses for Jesus Christ” Cummings said that the essential marks of a catechist are: faith, hope and love. He added that “every year in our Church, at all levels, we recruit students and we recruit catechists for those students. Catechists-theologians are those people in the church helping to provide that Christian meaning that sustains life and is so deeply needed.”
Photos by Clarisse Balistreri
