Pakistan: Archdiocese of Lahore welcomes nine new catechists

The Archdiocese of Lahore in Pakistan welcomed nine new catechists on June 6.

Archbishop Benny Mario Travas, Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Lahore, welcomed new catechists to the archdiocese in a ceremony, reports Catholic TV Pakistan.

In his address, Travas told the new catechists to remain faithful to their call as catechists for the glory of God and the Gospel.

He also urged them to remain hopeful in their pastoral ministry despite challenges.

The prelate thanked them for their availability and generosity as catechists.

“You are called to be missionaries and witnesses to the Gospel, drawing people to God,” he said.

The new catechists underwent three-year training at St. Albert’s National Catechist Training Center in Khushpur in the Faisalabad district of the Punjab.

The center has provided a three-year curriculum for laypersons aspiring to be catechists since 1952. It has already trained more than 1,000 laypeople over the years who have subsequently devoted themselves to pastoral service throughout the several dioceses of Pakistan, in the Archdiocese of Karachi and Lahore, Dioceses of Islamabad-Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan, and Hyderabad, and in the Apostolic Vicariate of Quetta.

They assist as choir members during liturgies and help with spiritual preparation for the sacraments. Additionally, they visit homes to preach the Catholic faith. They pray with the people, thus facilitating and coordinating several groups of the church as ministers and readers. They support priests in parishes, therefore enhancing the Church's mission in Pakistan.

For missionary activity, catechists are rather important. They are the heralds of the Gospel. They prepare the faithful to receive the sacraments and provide catechetical formation at all levels and for all ages; therefore, they act as a link between priests and Catholics.

Frequently on missions in challenging or underprivileged conditions, they travel enormous distances to reach door-to-door villages and families living in far-off locations that nobody else can visit. Their efforts are vital for the development of the laity's faith.

These catechists will be critical in spreading the faith since many parishes in Pakistan cover large areas and contain many often-dispersed villages. The priests are too few and cannot visit everywhere at once.