Some 60 catechists from the different parishes in Zamboanga City gathered in the three-day Summer Catechetical Seminar-Workshop hosted by the Religious Studies Department, from March 31 to April 2, 2016 at Carlos Dominguez Conference Hall, Ateneo de Zamboanga University.
Held in partnership with the Archdiocesan Catechetical Apostolate, the program theme was, “The Jubilee of Mercy and the Care of our Common Home in the Context of the present realities of poverty, secularism, radicalism and materialism”.
ADZU President Fr. Karel San Juan, SJ was the special guest who talked on “The Jubilee Year of Mercy and Compassion”. Fr. Salvador Wee, SJ, discussed Pope Francis’ Encyclical on the Environment, “Laudato Si, The Care of our Common Home”.
The Holy Sacraments were also presented in a different light, highlighting their relevance to present-day realities of poverty, secularism, materialism and radicalism: Junior High School Assistant to the Principal for Formation Honey Rod Alfaro, on the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and Ronela Mocoy, program coordinator of Silsilah, on the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. RS Dept chair Joseph Climaco, demonstrated to participants teaching strategies on how to present Bible stories creatively through art.
The catechetical seminar-workshop, already on its 8th year, is the RS department’s annual outreach program to the catechists of Zamboanga where participants are given updates on the Christian Faith and their teaching skills enhanced. The program ended with the distribution of school supplies and teaching aids to the participants donated by selected RS classes.
