ASIA/CINA - Priests and nuns of Guizhou study to "adapt" catechism to new pastoral needs

Saturday, 8 June 2024 local churches catechism inculturation

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Guizhou (Agenzia Fides) - Twenty-two priests and thirty-two nuns from the province of Guizhou took part in a "refresher" course to better adapt the transmission of Catholic doctrine through catechism to the needs of today. The course, which took place from 3 to 6 June, aimed to provide answers to new pastoral urgencies in accompanying people who begin their journey of faith in local Catholic communities. The course therefore addressed the adaptations that are useful to make the work of catechists effective, stressing that every catechism lesson must always have Sacred Scripture and the work of Jesus as a point of reference. The Archbishop of Guiyang, capital of Guizhou Province, Paul Xiao Zejiang, encouraged all course participants to always keep up to date, because "priests and religious are servants of the Church. We must constantly learn and grow. The diocese will help everyone to better respond to the pastoral needs of the baptized and to promote the path to a rich life of faith and spirituality."
This year, the formation of priests and sisters is again one of the priorities of the communities in Guizhou Province. Bishop Paul Xiao Zejiang and the Diocese's Education Center have identified a number of topics to be covered in each training course, stressing that "the people of God need priests and sisters who are always ready to serve the Church with enthusiasm and competence."
In Guizhou Province, the Catholic community is made up of baptized members of various ethnic minorities, while in the diocese of Anlong, most Catholics belong to the Buyi and Miao ethnic groups. There are about 155,000 Catholics in the entire province, cared for by nearly fifty priests and forty nuns. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides, 8/6/2024)