By CCCB Communications staff

The English sector of the Office for Evangelization and Catechesis of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) will offer a four-part webinar series entitled Nurturing Friendship, the Directory for Catechesis in Dialogue with the Encyclical Letter Fratelli Tutti, during Lent.

Beginning March 2, 2021, individuals who are responsible for evangelization and catechesis – including, clergy, consecrated persons, laity involved in ministry, directors and coordinators of evangelization and catechesis, and Catholic educators – are invited to participate in the online four-part series.

Following the enthusiastic reception by the 265 participants of an initial webinar series to introduce key orientations of the Directory for Catechesis in October 2020, the new weekly sessions will explore how the themes presented in each of the documents call catechists to be people of hope who promote human dignity and communion with God by building bridges and asking ‘Who is my neighbour?’

Keynote speakers from across the country will offer insight and propose concrete ways to help form communities of missionary disciples within dioceses, eparchies, parishes, and Catholic schools.

Webinars will take place on Tuesdays starting at 12:00 p.m. noon (Saskatchewan time) March 2, March 9, and Tuesdays starting at 11:00 a.m. (Saskatchewan time) March 16 and March 23. Each webinar is 90 minutes in length.

Registration is free of charge, however interested participants are invited to sign up before Monday, Feb. 22, 2021.

When registering directly within the Zoom meeting platform, participants can indicate their preference for one, two, three or all four of the sessions.

For more information about the series, contact Margaret Shea-Lawrence by email at m.shea-lawrence@cccb.ca.

The program is as follows:

Session 1 | Tuesday 2 March 2021, 12:00 pm-1:30 pm Saskatchewan time (1:00pm-2:30pm EST)
“The Catechist Brings Hope: Navigating the Signs of our Times.”
Keynote: V. Rev. Msgr. Murray J. Kroetsch
Response by: Michelle Dabrowski

Session 2 | Tuesday 9 March 2021, 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm Saskatchewan time (1:00pm-2:30pm EST)
“The Catechist Asks: “Who is my neighbour?” Parable of the Good Samaritan as a Paradigm for Encounters of Mercy”
Interpretative Drama Presentation: Elisa Lollino
Keynote: Dr. Josephine Lombardi

Session 3 | Tuesday 16 March 2021, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm Saskatchewan time (1:00pm-2:30pm EST)
“The Catechist Promotes Human Dignity and Communion with God”
Keynote: Dr. Nick Olkovich
Response by: Anne Walsh, DMin

Session 4 | Tuesday 23 March 2021,11:00 am – 12:30 pm Saskatchewan time (1:00pm-2:30pm EST)
“The Catechist Builds Bridges with Diverse Faith Communities”
Keynote: Julien Hammond
Response by: Charlene Peters

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