Newsroom (14/07/2025 20:38, Gaudium Press) In Vietnam, catechism classes are suspended during the school vacation period from June to August. Catechists use this break to improve their professional knowledge in teaching the catechism, and most parishes in the country hold short courses aimed at the ongoing formation of catechists.
Recently, at the Pastoral Centre of the Bac Ninh Diocese, the Diocesan Catechetical Committee organized a summer training course for catechists from some parishes in the diocese.
Dominic Nguyen Nhu Khue commented on the current state of catechism teaching in the diocese, emphasizing the need to innovate teaching methods and programs to adapt them to the current pastoral context.
“The essential role of the group of catechists,” stressed Fr. Dominic, “is to serve as a ‘bridge’ to bring the Word of God to the children, and catechists must become people who inspire catechism learning through their life witness and dedicated service.”
The Bible content and catechetical pedagogy presented by the sisters in the course not only provide basic knowledge, but also open up flexible approaches adapted to each location and each specific group of students.
In his homily at the opening Mass of the training course for 80 catechists in the diocese of Bui Chu, in northern Vietnam, Father Joseph Nguyen Trong Tinh, head of the Committee for Catechism, recalled the work of the Holy Spirit in evangelization.
“The Holy Spirit,” he said, “was the force that helped the apostles courageously preach the Gospel despite the danger. The same is true of catechists, who need the help of the Holy Spirit.”
According to available data, the number of Catholics in Vietnam is approximately 7,295,000 people, which is equivalent to 7.21% of the population. Catholic communities are organized into 27 dioceses, and there are more than 56,000 catechists.
Religious men and women are catechists.
Depending on the specific situation, the number of students and catechists varies in each parish. In addition to religious men and women, most catechists are members of the faithful who volunteer to teach the catechism. They play an important role in parishes, teaching catechism to children and young people between the ages of 4 and 18.
The training and selection of catechists in the Vietnamese Church is managed directly by the parish priest and under the guidance of religious men and women who have the specific knowledge and skills to teach catechism to the children of the parish.
The diocese of Hai Phong’s Catechetical Committee organized training courses on catechetical pedagogy for the diocesan parishes, in which 140 catechists participated.
Mrs. Maria Magdalena Pham Thi Thuy, secretary of the Catechetical Committee of the Archdiocese of Saigon, presented the fundamental contents of catechetical pedagogy: principles of teaching, skills in articulating the Word of God, and methods of approaching children in the present time.
In addition, the catechists delved into important topics such as the psychology of children, methods of preparing lessons, and, in particular, the presentation of the Word of God about the inner life of prayer.
Peter Hoang Van Do, head of the Catechetical Committee, exhorted and invited each catechist to become a living witness to the Word of God in the context of faith education.
“The mission of the catechist”, he stressed, “is also to be a companion, a sower of faith and a bridge that connects children to Christ, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to help children truly encounter the Word of God in a living way”.
With information from Agenzia Fides.
Compiled by Dominic Joseph
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