Religious Education

NEW LOGO for the
OFFICE OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

The trinitarian design of the logo for the Office of Religious Education was inspired by the "Introduction" in the General Directory for Catechesis. Joseph Roy, a liturgical artist, created the logo. The role of a religious educator or catechist is appropriately linked to the parable of the sower of the seed (Mark 4:3-8). The seed is the Word of God. The sower (hand) is Jesus Christ. He shares the love of God the Creator (sun) with us through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit (dove). As Jesus proclaimed the Good News, we too are sent as disciples to sow seeds in our world today. As we scatter the seeds, we have no control over where they land. Some seeds may fall by the wayside, others on stony soil; they may fall among the thorns or may fall upon good, fertile soil. It is our responsibility to tend the soil so that people who hear the Good News may deepen their personal relationship with God and manifest it in a love and concern for both neighbor and self.

As religious educators, we are challenged to be aware of the intimate connection between the eternal seed of the Word of God and the soil of the culture in which it is planted. Catechists have the dual responsibility of knowing our faith (the seed) and the cultural context of the communities in which we minister. In the name of the Church, catechists/disciples are called upon to sow the seeds of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in God's field of today's world. Rooted in a spirituality of prayer and service, this ministry is characterized by gentleness and respect for the movement of the Spirit of God in peoples' lives.