Department of Catechesis

Catechesis is a vital part of the Word of God and aims to nurture faith in the life of the Church (GCD 17). The Catechesis Tradendi document defines catechesis as:

"Catechesis is the education in the faith of children, youth, and adults by providing Christian teaching, which is usually delivered in a structured sequence touching upon life, with the goal of integrating them into the whole Christian life" (CT 18).

The Relationship Between Catechesis and Pastoral Mission

Catechesis is built upon the pastoral mission of the Church and is directly related to the pastoral situation of the Church.

• Main Objective: To deepen faith in the lives of the faithful (CT 20).

In the context of catechesis, we also use two other important terms:

• Catechism: A book created to help in the teaching of religion, i.e., catechesis.
• Catechist: A person appointed and sent to teach Christian religion.

Sources of Catechesis

Catechesis draws knowledge from the main sources of the Christian faith, which are:

• The Word of God: The Bible and Tradition.
• Liturgy: Christian worship services.
• Ecumenical Councils: Major meetings of bishops.
• Church Documents: Various writings related to catechesis.

Activities of the Catechesis Department of the Archdiocese of Mwanza

The Catechesis Department is responsible for planning, overseeing, and strengthening catechetical activities within the diocese. These responsibilities include:

• Planning and overseeing all catechetical and religious education activities in the diocese.