CATECHISTS: THE UNSUNG HEROES/ENGINE ROOM OF THE NIGERIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.

 CATECHISTS: THE UNSUNG HEROES/ENGINE ROOM OF THE NIGERIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH.

When we hear of the word “Catechist” we often picture an image of a man shabbily dressed in purple cassock (and white surplice at times), running helter-skelter inside the church or parish compound. This image underscores the neglect and contempt which we usually apportion to these men of God. But beneath that haggard outlook lies men (and women) who are the life-wire of our parish churches.

The catechist is literally the secretary general of the parish. In the civil service terms, he may be called the permanent secretary of the church ministry without whom the church cannot function properly. He is expected to be present in virtually all the activities of the church and to supply any lacking service therein. Thus, he is there at every baptism, every wedding, every confirmation, every burial, indeed in every celebration of the sacrament. Added to this is the fact that he is the publicity and financial secretary of the parish, the reserved lay reader/lector, the reserved master of ceremony, the reserved fund raiser, and the reserved mass server. Simply put, he is “all things to all men” in the wheel of the parish machinery. His work is practically round the clock, a 24/7 job that keeps him under pressure all the time.

All these he does with hardly a commensurate remuneration and appreciation from the priests and the people of God. As the church is notorious for a low salary structure for its workers, the catechists hardly earn a living wage. Many of them earn as low as 50 thousand naira monthly even though they have wives and children to carter for. And yet they are expected to be financially honest. It is not surprising then that some of them usually fall into the temptation of pilfering in order to endure the domestic financial pressure. Unfortunately, such mistakes and misdeeds are often overblown and lead to their disgrace out of office.

It is time we begin to appreciate these men and women for who they are and the service they render in the church. The demanding job of the catechist entails that to do the job effectively you need to be energetic, educated, intelligent, mentally strong, extraordinarily patient and humble, pious and disciplined. That makes these catechists above average men (and women) who could have made it comfortably in the competitive business world but chose instead to serve the church. They are the unsung heroes of church administration and it is high time we begin to give them the respect they deserve. Often at the end of church celebrations like the Masses, we hear the priest thanking the collaborators in the celebration like the choir, the readers, the seminarians, rev sisters and altar boys, but omitting to thank the catechist. Rather he would eagerly hush the catechist for taking a long time in making the announcements and chide him openly for any mistake made in the discharge of his duty. That’s simply unchristian. It is unacceptable.

The catechists are usually the living compendium of the history and intricate workings of the parish. Their long years of service often confer on them a wealth of administrative and pastoral knowledge from which the priest can readily tap. But the priest often loses the benefit of this asset because of his arrogance and contempt towards the catechist, and he ends up running into great difficulties in grappling with the intricate politics of the church parish.

The way the priests treat their catechists reflect on how the faithful in general treats them too. The priests, especially the parish priests who are their direct bosses, should take the lead in the rehabilitation of the image of the office of the catechist in our churches and the appreciation of their services. The funny but true Igbo saying that “Fada n’ eri, nya chetakwa catechist” (as the priest chop, let him remember the catechist) must be put into practical effect. In the distribution of the proceeds of the mass offerings, the priest ought to remember the catechist. He ought to be paid a living wage that can help him sustain his family and train his children and reduce the temptation to pilfer from the various fees he collects for the parish. He ought to have at least a one month leave each year in order to relax, unwind and recharge his motivation. The faithful should be encouraged too to appreciate their catechists with gifts, especially during special celebrations. They should be helped to constantly change their old uniform. In fact, if possible, a catechist day may be instituted in which the parish catechist is specially celebrated and encouraged.

I say these because we often celebrate the catechists only when they are no more. Then we begin to tell their children how noble their dad (or mom) was and how he worked tirelessly for the church. Such testimonies should begin when they are still alive and active. The catechists often die in penury because they are not pensionable after giving their lives in serving the church meritoriously. There is need to find a way to sustain these soldiers of the church even after their retirement so that they can enjoy their old age in peace. It is not enough to pay them a send off/gratuity package. The church at the diocesan level can establish a pension fund for them. And where it is not possible, each parish can take it up. That is Christian charity and social responsibility in action.

Finally, it is good to note that the church has produced a lot of unrecognized saints through the catechists. Many of the older generation catechists lived entirely for God and fought a lot of silent but strenuous fights in defense of the church in village/community politics. They are the true knights of the church but because they are often not rich enough, this title is hardly bestowed on them. It is time we begin to change the narrative. For the good and efficient functioning of the church, the catechists should be well motivated and appreciated now and always.

Fr Stan Onuora is a priest of Aguleri Diocese in Anambra State.