They will meet again Assisi from 10 to 12 May for three days conference on the topic “Do you celebrate the Lord because he is good? A Community that celebrates and bears witness to the Kerygma”. Are the responsible for the catechetical offices of the eight dioceses of Umbria and the thirteen of the Marchetogether with about ten catechists for each local Church, the regional representatives and some bishops of the two ecclesiastical regions.
The catechetical conference is organized by the National Catechetical Office of the CEI
The conference is organized and promoted in collaboration with the National Catechetical Office of the Italian Episcopal Conference. We talked about it with Don Calogero Di Leohead of the Catechistic Office of the diocese of Perugia-Città della Pieve and coordinator of the Catechesis commission of the Episcopal Conference Umbrian.
Don Calogero, how did this interregional event come about?
“This is an initiative that will involve the ecclesiastical regions of Umbria and Marche for the first time and in full synodal spirit. The conference is primarily aimed at directors of the diocesan catechetical offices with their respective teams but it is open to all catechists who want to participate”.
What are the objectives of this initiative?
“We want develop and reflect on four themes in particular, which today are more fundamental than ever for the life of our communities and local Churches. I’m referring to kerygmathat is, the first announcement, then to the liturgy seen from the perspective of Christian initiation, the mystagogythat is, those experiences that believers can have after the sacraments of initiation to approach the Paschal mystery through the liturgy and the testimony of their faith, and finally the theme of the important role of community”.
These are themes that are also very dear to Pope Francis…
“Yes, in fact they were delivered by the Holy Father to the Italian Church in 2021, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the National Catechetical Office of the CEI”.
What particularities characterize this interregional conference?
“We would like to put the analyzes aside, given that we have carried out various types of analyzes in recent years. Now is the time for concrete and innovative proposals to understand how to relaunch evangelization and catechesis in our parishes. In this sense, the laboratory activities will see the catechists of the dioceses of Umbria and Marche as protagonists, who will bring their experience and their contribution”.
The national catechetical office is also looking carefully at this path, right?
“Yes exactly. The results of the conference will also be useful materials for the Ucn, as a contribution to giving life to the new and future catechetical educational project and to the creation of new tools and texts for a catechism that is innovative and synodal, in order to face the challenges of ‘change in ‘era’ that Pope Francis spoke to us about, and for an engaging and convincing faith.”
The program
THEThe interregional catechetical conference of Umbria and Marche begins with the welcome to Domus Pacis Of Assisi from 5pm Friday May 10th. At 8.30 pm, the start of the works is entrusted to the president of the CEU and archbishop of Spoleto-Norcia, mons. Renato Boccardoto the bishop of Assisi and Foligno, CEU delegate for Catechesis, mons. Domenico Sorrentinoto don Alberto Zanetti of the National Catechetical Office of the CEI. The introductory report on the theme “Our communities still celebrate the faith” will be edited by the bishop of Gubbio and Città di Castello, Msgr. Luciano Paolucci Bedini.
Saturday May 11th, there are two main moments. At 9.30, the dialogue between Don Marco Di Giorgio and sister Gina Masi on “Celebration and life, which paths are possible?”, moderated by Alessandro Pacchioni. At 11.15, the dialogue between the bishop of Macerata and the president of the Bishops of the Marche region, Msgr. Nazzareno MarconiAnd Francesca Russo on “What word and what words to celebrate and bear witness to kerygma?”, moderated by Marta Bartolucci. There will then be workshops and a visit to Assisi, to conclude the conference Sunday morning May 12th with the meeting discussion.
