Him better known.
Teaching ‘companionment’
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“That is great to be able to teach the faith, but also on a personal level, you have to show it.”
Carmen Navarro is the director of religious education at St. Paul Parish in San Pablo. She has walked with countless people who have learned about and experienced God’s love in their lives.
She has found in her ministry, including as part of a team for the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA), that knowledge of the faith is critical in teaching it. So is how you care for the hearts of the flock you’re helping shepherd.
“Trying to be compassionate to everybody, I think, is the key: Understanding the needs of everybody, because everybody has different needs,” said Navarro.
The Diocese of Oakland has trained Navarro and hundreds of other catechists and faith leaders to grow in their effectiveness of guiding parishioners in their Catholic faith through a pair of licensed programs: The Serra Catechetical Institute (SCI) and the Saint Francis de Sales School for Pastoral Ministry (SPM).
“Our ideal approach is mentorship. It's about a ‘companionment,’” said Scarlett Salaverria, the diocese’s coordinator of catechetical formation and OCIA, describing what SCI and SPM empowers participants to do.
“It's about building trust in everyone to be able to express their faith and with providing the tools needed so they are familiar with the Catholic teachings, our doctrine, all their documents and everything. But more than knowledge is experiencing the faith day-to-day,” Salaverria explained. “Our approach and our hope is that we are there to provide the support that people need to find value in their spiritual life and in purpose with God, side-by-side with God.”
Many students start with the Serra Catechetical Institute, a one-year program available to anyone from parish leaders to parents. Like the SPM, those who complete the program receive a certificate recognized in any California diocese.
Most who enter the school have the heart to minister but want to increase their competency in what they know about the Church’s teachings and tradition to effectively share the faith with their fellow Catholics.
“Most folks are really already in ministry work, so they already have that calling from God to serve in one way, one capacity or another. Or they've been asked to volunteer, and they're doing that already. They may or may not have any formal education in regard to the faith, especially when you've got folks that are volunteering with some of the younger kids. They're just doing that out of love versus having some type of formal background, like a theology degree or anything else like that,” said Richard Lopez, an SCI graduate who serves as an OCIA instructor at St. Paul Church in San Pablo. “What SCI does prepares everybody, gives you that practical guidance that everybody needs in regards to teaching the faith, to be able to give you the big picture of salvation history, to be able to talk about the different sacraments, to be able to lay things out in a structured and organized manner about the faith overall,” Lopez explained.
“There's so much beauty in our documents, in the teachings of the church that you can bring to your day-to-day life,” said Salaverria.
The SPM offers a three-year, formalized methodology that goes beyond intellectual formation to include teaching ways to be present to others.
Salaverria described it as “understanding where your path has been, identifying where God has been in your life. You're able to share that experience in your relationship with God, so that you can walk with others and give them the opportunity to encounter the same experiences that you have with our Lord,” said Salaverria.
“I think it opens the door to so many great things in a personal, spiritual way. It’s also identifying their gifts, learning more about who they are, what God has planned for them, and how they can give more to all the blessings that they receive.”
Lopez and Navarro, both currently SPM students, have experienced the combination of educational knowledge and personal formation that the school empowers them to give to those they catechize and serve.
“The first year is focusing on salvation history, the Old Testament, the New Testament. I'm looking at it and understanding, pulling bits and parts of salvation history with a whole different lens. Even though I was teaching OCIA prior to attending the course, there were a lot of different things in the Old Testament that I wasn't aware about that point towards precursors that lead to Jesus, that lead to the Messiah, that lead to all that, that I never thought about in those contexts,” said Lopez.“Most of the folks that are attending the classes don't have that background, want to learn, and want to get that background.”
Just as much as the School for Pastoral Ministry builds stronger foundations for teaching faith, its human formation element offers a place for ministers to more deeply understand how to let God use them in deeply present and compassionate ways – to serve others in a way that emulates the Christ they serve.
“You have to show it to the people, and how you show it is putting yourself in their shoes, in whatever situation they are in. I was taught in those classes that in order to show Christ in myself to other people, I have to be able to see or understand what they are seeing, and in order to do that, you have to know their story. You have to ask questions. You have to know where they're coming from. You have to know what their needs are,” said Navarro, an SCI graduate now in SPM.
“That is one of the things that has impacted my ministry personally, too, because it has given me the opportunity not only to be able to know more people and their specific situation, but then you also see how great the need for God is, but how their particular situation sometimes prevents them from getting to where they need to be.”
Navarro and Lopez are each seeing the fruits of their two-pronged education in ministry coming to life in how much more effective they are in teaching and embodying the faith in a way that’s deeply and personally present to those they serve. It’s leading to people staying with their faith, coming more to Mass and integrating Christ more into their daily life.
“Beyond the academics, beyond all that, you have to go and reach to the heart and focus on the conversion of the heart,” said Lopez.
“You pick up information that can help break down the hardness of hearts and walls, because a lot of the folks have questions, ‘Why or how come this happens? How does this work, and how does it interact with the faith?’” he continued. “When you start providing that historical background, the biblical background and the practical background, those three components, then they start engaging and they open up their eyes a little more, and they understand a little bit more.”
“It has been passed down for generations that you only go to the church when you need God, rather than you go to worship God all the time and you give thanks for everything and everything that He gives you. So that's been my challenge,” said Navarro.
“It is amazing to see how people react when you give them something that they were not expecting, when you're kind to them, when you give compassion, when you show them you understand what they're going through because our community is hurt. It is those things that I think make people come back to the Church,” he said.
In the end, the SCI and SPM fulfill so much more – in the lives of both the minister and those they serve.
“I've talked to people who are there for the very first time that are not even involved in [the] Church yet, that they feel the call to serve, but they don't know how. It's a moment of revelation that they maybe encounter for the first time,” said Salaverria.
“Fear is put aside. By the time they complete the program, they feel more confident about serving and going out there and talking about what they know, what they learned. It gives them a lot more confidence in themselves, in talking about their faith, and trust that they can go out there and they'll be welcomed. It really is the opening door to going into deeper understanding, experience of God, and love of God.”
The diocese offers the programs in both English and Spanish. Classes begin in September and take place once each month (except for July and December) on Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
What: Serra Catechetical Institute/Instituto Catequético SerraWho: Any adult can register. Classes are presented in English and Spanish.
When: Once a month on Saturdays (except December and July) 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m., beginning Oct. 11
Why: This one-year, 60 hours of instruction provides a solid introduction to the Catholic faith for any adult. Graduates receive the Basic California Catechist Certificate.
How much: $500, with $100 nonrefundable deposit due with application. Remaining balance due before May 15.
Learn More & Register for the Serra Catechetical Institute
What: St. Francis de Sales School for Pastoral Ministry/Escuela de Ministerios Pastorales San Francisco de Sales
Who: Any adult can register. Classes are presented in English and Spanish.
When: Once a month on Saturdays (except December and July) 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., beginning Oct. 11
Why: This three-year program covers scripture, church history, the creed, sacraments, moral theology, Catholic social teaching and more.
How much: A $25 nonrefundable registration fee is due with application. The course fee of $550 is due at the first class session. Financial assistance is available.