Those present attended various workshops presented by diocesan staff and church staff and also heard a keynote address by Kate Ristow, national catechetical consultant for RCL Benziger and frequent speaker at national and regional conferences.

Ristow spoke on the ABC and D of catechism.

“The A stands for Acceptance. You are a catechist because God called you to be a catechist. Not because you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is your job to accept each of your students,” Ristow said.

“Never again will they be this same group. One of the kids will move out; someone will move in. There will be a new sibling born into a family. All of these things affect the make up of our class. They grow and they change. The Lord gave them to you this year. This is your only shot, and you need to accept that you are called to be their catechist,” Ristow said.

The B in her presentation stood for Building a community.

“Jesus built his own community when he began his ministry. You have to invite your students to follow you. You have to form a community in your classrooms. Greet your students at the door and be ready to teach,” Ristow said.

She then moved on to the C which stood for Communicating your story with joy. “I don’t mean faith joy;

I mean joy that comes from deep within you. Our Church has stood the test of time. It is an institution that really does reflect the Lord’s love,” Ristow said.

“You need to be happy about your faith. Everyone feels things in different ways, but that should not inhibit you from communicating your story,” Ristow said.

Ristow finished her presentation with the D which stood for Daring to Dream

“We plant seeds, and we need to dare to dream that the Lord will water those seeds. You hope the seeds will form roots,” Ristow said.

“Break out of your routine and try to reach your students in a new way. If an activity falls on its face, laugh. The kids will appreciate the fact that you tried something new,” she continued.

After the keynote those in attendance split off into different workshops with topics ranging from “Multi-cultural Classrooms” presented by Jesus Abrego, to “Groomed for Success” presented by Chuck Baldwin.

The event was sponsored by the Office of Lifelong Catholic Formation/Education for the Diocese of Beaumont.