[NYer]

IMHO, catechesis is a truly humbling experience. Having completed my first year as Director for Religious Education, I can personally attest to prayers for these children who come from broken homes, mixed marriages, and indifferent families who entrust their children to our program because religion is not a topic in the home. It is truly a daunting and humbling experience to assume such a responsibility, limited to only 15 hours out of the entire year.

In our small Maronite Catholic community, we were truly blessed this year to have two girls (aged 9 and 12) enroll in the program, be baptized in January, receive the Sacrament of Penance in March and the Sacrament of Holy Communion in May. We have also been blessed with another family whose young children had little or no religious upbringing in the home, enroll the older pre-K daughter. She has brought the parents to church each Sunday.

My personal observation from this first year affirms what we all see in the world around us. We live in very difficult times and anything we can do to assist children and their families in passing on the faith, is like planting seeds. These must be watered with our 'prayers' with the fervent request that they will one day blossom. Catechesis is the anchor that holds the ship in place.

[Salvation]

**Willey: The Catechism is, beyond, doubt, an extraordinary gift to assist in the renewal of catechesis. **

Every Catholic should have a copy of the new Catechism of the Catholic Church as well as references to the Baltimore Catechism, in my opinion.