Katecheza w służbie duszpasterstwa powołań

Abstract

One the Church’s fundamental commitments, specifically significant in present times, is the need to take constant efforts aimed at helping young people discover their vocations to serve God. The care for religious vocations, an important task for the entire Church community, is very topical now considering the widespread belief that modern culture, especially in Europe, is not conducive to vocations since it deters young people from identifying, understanding and accepting their calling. As an ecclesial act, catechesis greatly contributes to religious calling discernment and offers young people special assistance in discovering their God-inspired vocation and in encouraging them to fulfill their missionary calling through testimony, dialogue and preaching. Each catechesis is conducive to calling so the need for a good catechesis is one of the foremost tasks of pastoral care for religious vocations; therefore, separating the care from catechetical preaching is incorrect. The article discusses care for religious vocations in catechetical service on the basis of current catechetical documents, educational planning resources and selected catechetical aids. The presented analysis strives to offer assistance and inspiration not only to priests involved in helping young people discover vocations to serve God, but also to the lay faithful, specifically those engaged in catechetical service.