What is Whole Community Catechesis?
There are currently many different interpretations and titles for the concept of whole community catechesis. Generally, one can say that the term refers to a movement toward catechesis that involves the entire parish community in lifelong faith formation and that necessitates the coordination and collaboration of catechetical and liturgical ministries.

Origins of Whole Community Catechesis
The following factors have led to the development of whole community catechesis.

• Influence of several important documents that have been issued during the past three decades. These include:
  • Evangelii Nuntiandi (1975), an encyclical by Pope Paul VI that outlines the principles and model of evangelization. Catechesis is described as a "moment in the process of evangelization."
  • Catechesi Tradendae (1979), an encyclical by Pope John Paul II that looks specifically at the nature and methods of catechesis. In this document, Pope John Paul II acknowledges that many baptized children and adults lack the requisite “pre-catechesis” necessary for catechesis to be effective.
  • Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (1988). Several generations of parish leaders have been formed by their experience with the Rite of Christian Initiation. See below.
  • Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry (NCCB 1997), in which the bishops, for the first time, specifically refer to comprehensive youth ministry as being “intergenerational” and involving “community-wide collaboration.”
  • General Directory for Catechesis (1997), out of which two key principles are drawn: First, that adult catechesis is the “axis” around which catechesis for all others revolve. Second, that “catechesis is a responsibility of the entire Christian community.” This document is so foundational to the concept of whole community catechesis that it is singled out as a separate influence. See below.
  • Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us: A Pastoral Plan for Adult Faith Formation in the United States (NCCB/USCC 1999), in which the bishops admit that “…despite the consistency and clarity of this message [the priority given to adult catechesis by the GDC], the Catholic community has not yet fully heard and embraced it. While most Catholic parishes place a high priority on the faith formation of children and youth, far fewer treat adult faith formation as a priority. This choice is made in parish staffing decisions, job descriptions, budgets, and parishioner expectations.” The document goes on to say that parishes must take a new, multifaceted approach to adult formation that integrates catechesis in all areas of parish life such as liturgy, family and home-centered activity, small and large groups and individual activities.
    
    
• Direction provided by the General Directory for Catechesis (GDC), in particular, “The Christian community is the origin, locus, and goal of catechesis. Proclamation of the Gospel always begins with the Christian community and invites [people] to conversion and the following of Christ.” (GDC, 254)
  
  ”Catechesis is the responsibility of the entire Christian community…Continuing education in the faith is a question which concerns the whole community: catechesis, therefore, is an educational activity which arises from the particular responsibility of every member of the community…The Christian community follows the development of catechetical processes, for children, young people and adults, as a duty that involves and binds it directly.” (GDC, 220)
  

• Growing awareness of the pivotal role of adult catechesis and frustration with a perceived failure to achieve this goal: "...the organizing principle, which gives coherence to the various catechetical programs offered by a particular Church, is attention to adult catechesis. This is the axis around which revolves the catechesis of childhood and adolescence as well as that of old age." (GDC, 275)
  
  Many of those working in parishes have come to accept this principle and yet have been increasingly frustrated by what are perceived to be repeated failed attempts to put this into practice. In particular, there is a sense that our best efforts to provide substantive and attractive adult faith formation opportunities have largely fallen on deaf ears or, at best, attracted only a core group of parish "regulars."
  
  
• An experience of the Rite of Christian Initiation as an inspiration for all catechesis. Many people in parishes have experienced the powerful and positive effects of the Rite of Christian Initiation on the entire community. Those aspects of the RCIA process that particularly resonate include the emphasis on evangelization, the centrality of the Sunday Eucharist, the importance of small group faith sharing and the necessary support of the entire parish.
  
  
• Development of the concepts of intergenerational/whole community catechesis within the youth ministry context. These two concepts found an early home in the world of youth ministry. Renewing the Vision (1997) spurred a movement toward family-centered and intergenerational catechesis that naturally spread beyond the confines of youth ministry.
  
  
• A sense that parish communities need to look at ways to coordinate their diverse catechetical programs and to provide a common focus. "These different programs of catechesis, each with its own socio-cultural variations, should not be organized separately as though they were 'separate compartments without any communication between them.' It is necessary that the catechesis offered by a particular Church be well coordinated. Among the diverse forms of catechesis 'their perfect complementarity must be fostered.' " (GDC, 275)
  

General Characteristics of Whole Community Catechesis
While there currently are several different versions of whole community catechesis, they share common characteristics:

• Catechesis is a lifelong process that is situated within the process of evangelization. There is a sense that the current catechetical model focuses primarily on children and sacramental preparation; that parents and most other adult members of the parish tend to be absent from the this process; and that Confirmation marks a type of "graduation" from any kind of catechesis. Whole community catechesis stresses the need to evangelize all members of the faith community, young and old, and to promote lifelong catechesis through a variety of means. The emphasis on evangelization is rooted in reflection on the milestone encyclicals, Evangelii Nuntiandi and Catechesi Tradendae. In Catechesi Tradendae, Pope John Paul II states:
  
  ”The specific character of catechesis, as distinct from the initial conversion - bringing proclamation of the Gospel- has the twofold Objective of maturing initial faith and of educating the disciple of Christ by means of a deeper and more systematic knowledge of the person and the message of our Lord Jesus Christ. But in catechetical practice, this model order must allow for the fact that initial evangelization has often not taken place...This means that 'catechesis' must often concern itself not only with nourishing and teaching the faith, but also with arousing it unceasingly with the help of grace, with opening the heart, with converting, and with preparing...”
  
  Thus, proponents of whole community catechesis see a growing need to "pre-catechize" adults who may have missed this stage of evangelization.
  
  
• The Sunday Eucharist is the font from which the catechesis of the entire community flows. Taking their cue from the RCIA practice of “breaking open the Word”, proponents of whole community catechesis propose that catechesis for all parishioners start with (but not be limited to) the weekly proclamation of the Word of God. Groups of various ages, intergenerational assemblies, individual households, all would discuss the meaning of the scriptures read the previous Sunday. The homily would set the tone for these discussions to take place during the week. Proponents believe that the quality of homilies will improve and that attendance at the Eucharist will increase as people begin to make the connections between what they hear at Mass, their individual lives, and the shared life of the faith community.
  
  
• Catechesis is intergenerational and household centered. No major proponent of whole community catechesis supports abandoning traditional religious education age groupings and curricula. They do, however, encourage several forms of additional intergenerational, household, and parish gatherings that bring people of diverse ages and experiences together to learn and celebrate together.
  
  
• Participation in lifelong formation in faith is viewed as central to Christian identity and to the identity of the parish. Participation in the lifelong learning process with the faith community is not optional; it is one of those fundamental elements of the Christian life. Thus, catechesis is seen not so much as an array of optional parish programs, but rather is viewed as integral to all areas of parish life. This means that parish liturgy, events, meetings, classes (in fact the entire life cycle of the parish) are all evangelizing and catechizing moments. There may be special times set aside for classes or formal catechesis; however, these are not the sole or even primary vehicles for catechesis. A conscious and coordinated effort is made to promote learning and faith sharing wherever the faith community gathers.
  
  
• Whole community catechesis can only occur when collaboration and coordination of ministries is fostered. Whole community catechesis depends on the collaboration of leaders in key areas of parish life such as liturgy, Christian Initiation, adult faith formation, youth ministry, parish school, parish council and religious education for children. Not only do these leaders need to coordinate their respective ministries to reflect a common vision, they also need to work together to develop joint catechetical opportunities.

Possible Implications of Whole Community Catechesis
There are several key implications for parish life and organization when whole community catechesis is implemented in an intentional manner. A few of these are:

• Parishes will begin to develop a new ecclesial vision. Under the guidance of the pastor, parish councils and staffs, a new manner of collaborative visioning and ministry will evolve. Individuals who have previously worked in compartmentalized and frequently isolated ministries will now develop a common catechetical plan and cooperate on its implementation. Depending on the individual parish, key people might include: the pastor, the parish council, catechetical leader, youth minister, liturgy director, RCIA coordinator, social concerns coordinator, adult faith formation coordinator and pastoral associate.
  
  
• All of the events and activities that make up the common life of the parish will be seen as catechizing moments. Parishes will move away from an exclusively classroom based “schoolhouse” model of catechesis to a paradigm that uses the cyclical liturgical-sacramental, social and family life of the parish as the starting points for faith formation. Parishes will have to provide resources for individuals and families to apply what they have learned from programs and experienced from events, to their lives at home, work and in the world.
  
  
• Currently used resources may not be sufficient to achieve the goals of whole community catechesis. While many parishes may wish to continue using textbooks in catechesis with children, they may also need to supplement these with resources that can be used in an intergenerational context and that incorporate reflections on the weekly readings.
  
  
• The existing curriculum may have to be revised to reflect alignment of learning. One of the key principles of whole community catechesis is that everyone, regardless of age, will be learning about, reflecting on, and discussing the same theme at the same time. All of the essential theological themes will be addressed in a cycle that draws upon the life of the Church.
  
  
• The whole community catechesis paradigm will depend on well-formed and trained lay leadership. This new paradigm will rely on at least several trained leaders who meet basic theological and ministerial competencies. These individuals will need skills in coordinating all of the levels of learning that are involved. A subset of volunteers will need to be trained to lead various aspects of the model.