This is a program for Christian educators/catechists in Black communities with experience in the area of religious education. The program affirms one of the insights of Vatican II: "...a faith Community flourishes when bound to the church universal while retaining its own specific identity." (Gaudium et Spes # 58).

Goals: To assist students in their efforts to....

• Learn ways to present Catholic doctrine, church history, liturgy, and sacred scripture to various age groups using effective methodologies, ministerial skills and resources that are sensitive to the African American Catholic Experience.

• Become aware of African American cultural patterns, idioms, customs, rituals, symbols and Black aesthetics such as art, dance, drama and music as expressive means and modes for the catechetical process.

• Examine learning styles of African American children, youth and adults, and design lesson plans and catechetical, liturgical and formational experiences for catechists and religious educators that reflect these.

• Identify,critique and develop Catholic and African American cultural resources appropriate for effective catechesis in an African American Catholic Community.

Curriculum

The program consists of three summer sessions. The curriculum includes: catechetical methods course (Levels I,II,III); Core courses in the areas of Doctrine, History, Liturgy, Scripture and Spirituality, and Black Religious Expression seminars in the areas of Art, Dance, Drama, and Music. Participation in the Community life experiences of the Institute is an essential part of the curriculum. A Practicum executed in the local situation of each participant is also essential.

Component I -Catechetical Seminars
• MC 0001 Level I Catechetic: An African American Perspective
Level I provides an introduction to the concept of catechesis from an African American perspective that includes a review of Roman Catholic Church teachings, documents, principles and guidelines for catechesis for the universal church and their application within the Black Community.

• MC 0002 Level II Catechetic: Content and Design of Learning Sessions for African American Participants Level II reviews the philosophy of religious education from an African American perspective/ this seminar assists students to design and implement catechetical lesson plans and training sessions for other catechists that are effective in the African American Catholic context. Certificate candidates also design their Practicum Proposal that will be implemented in their place of ministry before returning for the third summer.

• MC 0003 Level III Catechetic: Curriculum Development for African American Catholic Communities Level III continues the student’s skill development in program planning, implementation, and evaluation. Students design, plan, and execute training sessions for catechists on specific topics reflecting the nature of the African American Community. Students’training session plans undergo a peer review.

Component II -Core Courses
The core courses explore both the Catholic theological and black religious traditions as these converge to express a distinct black enculturation of Catholicism. Currently five areas have been identified for core courses: Doctrine, Scripture, History,Liturgy and Spirituality.

• Core 1 History provides a brief overview of specific periods in Black Catholic History within the context of the broader history of the U.S. Catholic Church and the Black Community.

• Core 2 Catholic Doctrine focuses on expanding the student’s knowledge and understanding of Roman Catholic Christian Doctrines and their implications for the faith life and ministry of those engaged in ministry within African American communities.

• Core 3 Scripture introduced the study of the Bible by exposing students to the various orthodox interpretive methods employed by biblical scholars to ascertain the multi-layered meanings of biblical texts and their implications for mission and ministry within the Black Catholic Community.

• Core 4 Liturgy The Certificate and Enrichment course in Liturgy is designed to provide students with an overview of the history, structure, and elements of Catholic Worship. It also looks at methods of developing Eucharistic liturgies prayer, rituals that are expressive of the Black religious experience.

Component III -Black Religious Expression
Black artistic expression and symbolism encode the values and theological traditions that have developed through the centuries of the sojourn from the African Continent through the Middle Passage and the journey in the Americas. Through the study of Art, Drama, Music and Dance students are led into a deeper understanding,appropriation and expression of our distinct and diverse African American Culture.

• BRE 0001 ART Assists the participants to reflect on the spiritual dimensions of their creative expression as they engage in the creation of two projects that are expressive of biblical themes and the spiritual journey of daily life.The course seeks to lead participants to realize the importance of culture and to discover that God is the source of all creativity.

• BRE 0002 DANCE aims to express the importance and vitality of liturgical dance as a ministry within African American Catholic churches in the United States.It is designed to create,teach and perform liturgical dance movements, and to assist the Community in praising God through various dance forms: African, jazz, modern etc. in a manner that reflects the spiritual experiences and contemporary lives of Christian people.

• BRE 0004 MUSIC This course enables students to master methods of incorporating movement,music and rhythm as a mode of black religious expression that can enhance Eucharistic liturgy and other forms of Community prayer.

• BRE 0003 DRAMA African American literature and drama often express and reference the spirituality and religious beliefs forged in the context of the Black experience. Use of these resources for teaching and preaching can enhance the effective proclamation and embodiment of the Gospel as one is enabled to interpret the ordinary life of African Americans and the Black Community through the lens of the Gospel.

Africentric Catechesis Program - Youth Ministry Program - Ministerial Leadership in the Faith Community Program - Spiritual Enrichment Programs - Directors and Faculty

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