November 9, 2007

Director of catechesis writes lectionary-based adult catechism

By Sean Gallagher

Learning the faith is a lifelong journey.

Kenneth Ogorek, archdiocesan director of catechesis, says we need not look at the length of this trek with dread.

Instead, it should be as exciting as a football game.

Ogorek took this approach to adult faith formation recently when he spoke with The Criterion about his new book The Gospel Truth: A Lectionary-based Catechism for Adults, published by E. T. Nedder Publishing in 2007.

Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl of Washington wrote the forward for Ogorek’s book.

Continuing to study the faith as an adult and striving to integrate it into one’s daily life is for Ogorek a bit like the time that professional football players use during training camp doing the same basic drills that they learned back in grade school.

“Why would these adults who are at the pinnacle of their profession spend time [every year] revisiting these most basic of movements and maneuvers?” Ogorek asked. “There are two basic reasons. Number one, they’re a year older. Their bodies have changed. They’ve changed in ways that they’re oftentimes not even aware of. And so they’ve got to revisit some of these basics as people who are a year further on in life and everything that entails.”

The second reason that Ogorek listed was that the experience the players had in the previous season might give them a new appreciation of that age-old exercise.

“It could be that they never understood the significance of a particular drill or a particular move,” Ogorek said, “but maybe, in that season, one of them got burned on a long pass and now, finally, it clicks.”

For Ogorek, the connection between football and adult faith formation is clear.

“A lot of catechesis has to do with revisiting the basics as people who’ve had another year or two or three of life experience,” he said. “That’s why ongoing adult faith formation is so important.

“And that’s what I hope this book will help accomplish.”

The Gospel Truth helps readers explore all basic aspects of the faith in light of every Gospel reading for the Church’s entire three-year Sunday cycle of lectionary readings.

The text for each reading is included in the book. Following each reading is a brief catechetical reflection on a couple of Catholic beliefs.

Three questions are then posed to the reader. One helps the reader apply that doctrine to his or her life. The next is about how adults can pass that belief on to young people. And the last question challenges readers to see how that belief relates to the broader community in which he or she lives.

The other readings for each Sunday are also listed in the book, which is cross-referenced with the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults.

Ogorek made sure that his catechism would cover the faith in a comprehensive way by using a checklist with some 300 points developed by the U. S. bishops to determine whether or not a catechetical textbook is in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

“I took three years’ worth of Sunday Gospel readings, give or take, and I correlated those to the checklist items,” Ogorek said. “And it comes out to roughly two items per week. What doctrinal point does this Gospel call to mind? That forms the basis for the book.”

He said the book could be useful for individual, group study or the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults programs.

“My hope is that this book will acquaint or re-acquaint a lot of adults with the basic truths of our faith,” Ogorek said, “that it will help them apply these truths to their life, and that it will encourage them to dig deeper.”

(For more information about The Gospel Truth: A Lectionary-based Catechism for Adults or to purchase copies, log on to www.kenogorek.com. Copies can also be obtained from the archdiocesan Purchasing Office by calling 800-382-9836, ext. 1451, or 317-236-1451 or by sending an e-mail to sjames@archindy.org. The book is also available at most Catholic bookstores in the archdiocese.) †

Local site Links: