FAITH FORMATION Their eyes smile. It’s a response I see time and time again whenever I ask a catechist to share their vocation story, of how they heard God’s call and why they accepted the mission of passing on the faith and witnessing to the Gospel as a community of faith. Some say they […]
Hawaii pair publish booklet on ‘restored order’
By Patrick Downes Hawaii Catholic Herald Hawaii’s head religious educator and chief liturgist teamed up this year to write a guide for those who want to introduce to their dioceses and parishes the “restored order” of the three sacraments of initiation. “Planning for Restored Order: Reconciliation and Eucharist for Older Children: Tips and Advice for […]
Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy: Christ encounters of the parental kind
CATECHETICAL SUNDAY, SEPT. 20 When we think about parents as primary catechists of the Christian faith we often conjure up visions of formal instruction. But the new Directory for Catechesis states that “parents, with their daily example of life, have the most effective capacity to transmit the beauty of the Christian faith to their children.” […]
Catechists: commissioned to receive, and hand on, the faith
CATECHETICAL SUNDAY: SEPT. 20 By Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy Special to the Herald This year, the church will celebrate Catechetical Sunday on Sept. 20. The 2020 theme is “I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you.” Catechetical Sunday is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the role each person plays, by virtue of […]
At Kapolei parish, ‘missionaries’ venture into unfamiliar territory
By Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy Special to the Herald The brain likes familiarity. Familiarity is safe, effortless, easy. Unfamiliarity takes effort, is cognitively demanding, and can be stressful. Yet in their commitment to evangelize and catechize parents and children of their parish during the pandemic, the catechists of St. Jude Church in Kapolei, Oahu, are courageous missionaries […]
Jayne Ragasa Mondoy: ‘Go home. Cook rice.’
COMMENTARY New beginnings for fully initiated children (Jayne Ragasa Mondoy wrote this for the many Hawaii children waiting patiently for the coronavirus pandemic to subside, so that they can be confirmed and receive their first holy Communion.) A million years ago when I was a high school student at Sacred Hearts Academy, “TheBus” was my […]
Family faith formation webinars share parish success stories
By Anna Weaver Hawaii Catholic Herald “Stay with Us: Dynamic Ideas for Family Faith Formation,” is a new series of four webinars hosted by the Office of Religious Education and its director Jayne Ragasa Mondoy. “Developing strong Catholic families in which parents and children alike learn to give witness to Christ is a priority for […]
Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy: Stay with us
CATECHETICAL SUNDAY This year, the church celebrates Catechetical Sunday on Sept. 15. Across our diocese, those whom the pastor has designated to serve as catechists will be called forth to be commissioned for their ministry. We thank them for their commitment and dedication and, more importantly, for being a model of Christian witness in our […]
Commentary: Celebrating Asian and Pacific Island Catholics
By Jayne Ragasa Mondoy Special to the Herald In July I received an invitation from Bishop Oscar Solis of Salt Lake City to join an advisory board of Catholic leaders from Asian and Pacific Island communities from across the country. Our task: to meet in Salt Lake City in late August to produce a plan […]
Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy: Enlisting witnesses for Jesus Christ
CATECHETICAL SUNDAY 2018 A friend of mine recounted an experience on a recent trip to Israel. Traveling through the arid countryside, his tour group paused to admire a section of verdant pasture. There, he observed two shepherds conversing with one another. As the shepherds spoke, their flocks of sheep merged together, forming a large, single […]