Until recently, St. Edward Church in Jeffersontown had just one couple able to serve as catechists to the parish’s large Spanish-speaking population.
In the last four months, 11 Spanish speakers at St. Edward have been formed as catechists and another eight are in formation.
St. Edward is one of three parishes that have recently adopted a bilingual formation program from Loyola Press. St. Rita and St. Joseph are also using The Catechetical Formation Series.
It’s a response to a challenge in religious education: the lack of well-formed catechists who speak Spanish, said Eva Gonzalez, director of the Archdiocese of Louisville’s Office of Hispanic Ministry.
Available in both English and Spanish, the program enables both Spanish-speaking and English-speaking Catholics to earn diocesan catechesis certification through the Office of Faith Formation.
In the past, Spanish-speaking individuals seeking formation as catechists relied on Gonzalez and volunteer priests to teach them. But the busy schedules of the pastors often caused cancellations and scheduling problems, noted Gonzalez.
The program is for those interested in serving as catechists, but can also be attended by those who wish to learn more about their faith, said Gonzalez.
The program consists of 10 sessions, composed of videos, readings, and questions.
This is just the beginning of ongoing faith formation for Spanish-speaking Catholics, said Gonzalez.
“Once you are formed, you feel the hunger for nourishing your faith,” she said.
Gonzalez hopes that the catechetical formation will stir up a desire for more education in those who participate. She also hopes that increased interest will allow the archdiocese to offer Spanish speakers more certificates in specialized areas.
“Once you are formed, you feel the hunger for nourishing your faith”
— Eva Gonzalez, director of the Archdiocese of Louisville’s Office of Hispanic Ministry
Offering formation opportunities in Spanish is a way to get the Hispanic community more involved in parish leadership, said Gonzalez.
Volunteer parents of children in religious education programs are prime candidates for catechetical formation, she added.
Gonzalez noted that many parishes are seeing a shift in their parish’s youth population, as Hispanic youth form the majority of children seeking to receive catechesis in some parishes. Yet, the number of Spanish-speaking catechists has not been sufficient.
Father Murphy, who has been the pastor of St. Edward since 2020, explained in a recent interview that prior to the program, all of the catechesis for Spanish-speaking parishioners in the parish — from first Communion preparation and marriage preparation — was handled by two people.
As the number of Spanish-speaking catechists has grown, he said, so has the parish’s ability to offer children’s catechesis.
The number of Spanish-speaking youth receiving catechesis at St. Edward this year has more than doubled since last year. And the number is expected to grow even more, as the parish has not yet completed signups for confirmation preparation, said Blanca Hernandez, coordinator of Hispanic ministries at St. Edward Church, in a recent interview.
This year, St. Edward is able to offer catechesis for students in “intermediate years,” said Father Murphy, meaning the years between first Communion and confirmation.
In previous years, the parish has not been able to offer catechesis for Spanish-speaking children in non-sacramental years because of a lack of Spanish-speaking catechists.
The catechetical program also has the potential to integrate communities with both English and Spanish speakers, said Gonzalez.
Father Murphy said that he decided that both the English-speaking and Spanish-speaking parishioners of St. Edward Church would use the formation program, building a “greater sense of community in the parish.”
Eight English-speaking parishioners at St. Edward have completed the curriculum since May, almost doubling the number of English-speaking catechists in the parish.
Bringing the Spanish-speaking and English-speaking communities together — “not just for the picnic of the parish” — can revitalize parishes, said Gonzalez.
She hopes more parishes sign up in the future.
