Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 71 No. 1, 2001.
Original scientific paper
Catechist as the Main Factor in Promoting the Position and Quality of Catechism in Croatian Schools. The Importance of revivification of the Mentoring and Advisory Service in Profiling the New Role of the Catechist
Milan Šimunović
; Theology in Rijeka, Dislocated Studies of Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Zagreb, Rijeka, Croatia
Abstract
The presence of catechism and catechists in schools has opened a brand new and a challenging page of the activities of the Church in new social circumstances. While establishing the formal and legal introduction of catechism to the educational system, which has happened in a special way by signing a contract between the State and the Church, we must pay special attention to the catechist as one of the most responsible factors. After an enthusiastic beginning there was a period of more conscious confrontation with progressively demanding expectations on school systems in a world that rapidly changes, as well as the series of prejudices and misunderstandings that follow the subject of catechism in schools.
Since the beginning of the process of promoting a number of catechists into mentors and advisors and the appointing of school supervisors/advisors that started a year ago, the opportunity to systematically follow and improve the quality of catechism has been opened. That greatly increases the chances of better profiling and grounding of the specific qualities of catechism in schools, especially regarding its aims and the place and role of the catechist.
Ten year's experience invites for involved observervation of the basic contemporary tendencies in the field of pedagogics and schooling, as well as for the need for lasting theological/catechetic modernization of the contents and manner of performance of catechism through the devotion to God and man, which also means the discovery of the authentic picture of both God and man. Today, that cannot happen without lasting training on a continual basis nor without the better support of the Christian community in whose name the catechist transfers part of the upbringing in faith by means of school catechism. In that, the expert help from the catechist co-experts is of crucial importance, especially from mentors, advisors and the school supervisor/advisors, who we need to pay special attention to.
Keywords
school catechism; religious upbringing and education; catechist (new figure); contemporary pedagogics; new tendencies; picture of God and man; value system; mentor; advisor; school supervisor/advisor; lasting improving; Christian community
Hrčak ID:
29180
URI
Publication date:
12.12.2001.
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