Diocesan Pastoral Congress: Summary of Father Serrano's presentation
SALT LAKE CITY — Fr. Sergio Serrano, OP was the presenter of the Spanish part of the 2021 Diocesan Pastoral Congress.
Fr. Serrano is well known in the Diocese of Salt Lake City; he has been the presenter at various retreats and previous Pastoral Congresses. He is a Dominican priest who works with the Congar Institute and currently serves in the Archdiocese of New Orleans.
For this year’s Pastoral Congress, Fr. Serrano titled his talk “The Ministry of the Catechesis.”
To begin his talk, he spoke of Pope Francis’ recent apostolic letter Antiquum Ministerium (Instituting the Ministry of Catechist).
“Our Holy Father invited all to make effective the ministry which means service … service to all, and all the bishops have to make it effective and have to be able to make this possible; they have to create an itinerary of formation with some criteria,” Fr. Serrano said.
The first step in doing this, Fr. Serrano suggested, is for people to reflect on what call they have from God, and how they can answer that call to service or ministry.
“Pope Francis is seeing the urgent need for evangelization,” he said. “You who are listening, help us in this task. … This time we have been asked to open this ministry to all. … It’s not just reserved for the clergy. We need you to help us in this matter.”
Some people may think asking the laity to evangelize is one of those revolutionary ideas from the pope, but “it is not,” Fr. Serrano stated. Rather, through Baptism, every Catholic is called to bring the Good News to all.
During the 2018 International Congress of Catechists, Pope Francis talked about catechesis being part of open communities so all the talents can be valued, Fr. Serrano said. “There is always an open invitation so you and I can to go out and evangelize all those people who are on the peripheries.”
In his apostolic letter on the catechist, Pope Francis wrote, “Some people God has designated in the Church to be, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then, mighty deeds; then, gifts of healing, assistance, administration, and varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work mighty deeds? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? Strive eagerly for the greatest spiritual gifts. But I shall show you a still more excellent way.” (1 Cor 12:28-31)
Referring to this, Fr. Serrano emphasized that there are many calls, but one in particular is the call to people who are teachers.
“That’s why the pope reminds us that the catechesis ministry has existed forever. … The service of teaching has always been there. The pope, in this [apostolic letter] tells us that these are the teachers that we need to institute,” the priest said.
He went on to talk about how different talents can be applied in catechetical ministry.
For example, “If I am very shy and cannot talk in public but I am a great musician, then I can evangelize with my music,” he said.
Recalling his first catechist, Fr. Serrano said that the lady taught him and his classmates to pray, she showed them Christ and how to love the Church. She also taught that “you are indispensable and cannot be replaced. You help to transmit the faith and help people to go deeper in the faith,” he said, adding that catechists offer service to God and service the people of God.
The people at the Pastoral Congress have to realize that “we all have the same calling to evangelize,” he said. “With different forms – mine as a priest, yours as laypeople – each one in their own mission. The pope tells us all of you to have the joy to have been chosen by God.”
The entire video of Fr. Serrano’s presentation can be found at https://www.dioslc.org/ under Pastoral Congress 2021.
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