Somerville parishioner first to earn diocesan Catechist Certificate

Congratulations are in order for Nadine Burgos of Immaculate Conception Parish, Somerville, for fulfilling the requirements to earn the diocesan Series I Catechist Certificate.  Burgos is the first catechist in the Diocese of Metuchen to complete the requirements for this certificate, which involved participation in three in-person training sessions at the St. John Neumann Pastoral Center in Piscataway and the finishing of 11 workshops through the Franciscan at Home formation platform.  As a busy 26-year-old professional working in the accounting field, Burgos dutifully dedicated approximately 40 contact hours to fulfill these requirements over a period of about two months, a testament to her desire for formation and her strong work ethic.

Burgos’ efforts reveal that she possesses an attitude described in 2020 Directory for Catechesis as an attitude of “docibilitas,” which is “the willingness to be touched by grace, by life, by persons in a serene and positive attitude toward reality in order to learn how to learn.” Catechists are called to understand themselves as people who are “always in formation and open to new things of the Spirit.” A response to this calling was evident in Burgos as she worked through the various certificate requirements with a sincere openness.  The experience was so fruitful and inspirational for Burgos that she is considering furthering her formation through one of Franciscan University of Steubenville’s on-line graduate programs in the future.

When asked what she liked about the Franciscan at Home platform specifically, Burgos responded that she really liked the “accessibility” of the platform in that the workshops can be taken using a phone, a tablet, or a computer, allowing for the flexibility needed to fit in with her busy schedule.  She also felt like the platform was “easy to use” and that scrolling back and forth through workshops was very simple and straightforward.

Burgos felt strongly that working through the requirements for the Series I Catechist Certificate helped her to be a better catechist in that she was prompted to be “more Jesus focused” in the classroom.  In addition, Burgos expressed that the experience helped her grow closer to Jesus and, in particular, she liked that many of the tasks in the Franciscan at Home workshops required “making time to sit with Jesus.”  She felt a strong sense of the “Holy Spirit working through her” as she viewed the videos and worked through the assigned tasks of the workshops.

Burgos also acknowledged that she had become comfortable using the Catechism of the Catholic Church in a way that she never had before because so many workshop tasks required its use.  She also felt that the Franciscan at Home workshops expanded her knowledge of Sacred Scripture and appreciated the workshops that had Sacred Scripture as the primary focus.

Any catechist that is interested in following Burgos’s lead and working toward a diocesan Catechist Certificate is encouraged to sign up for the three in-person training sessions that are being offered at the St. John Neumann Pastoral Center on successive Saturday mornings in March.  In addition, all catechists in the Diocese of Metuchen are able to take advantage of the multitude of resources on the Franciscan at Home platform at any time, including the workshops that fulfill the requirements for the Catechist Certificates.  This platform is available at no cost to all catechists and all those in ministry in the Diocese of Metuchen.

For more information about the diocesan Catechist Certificates, the in-person catechist training sessions being offered in March, and the Franciscan at Home formation platform, contact Jill Kerekes, Director of the Office of Discipleship Formation for Children at [email protected].

Jill Kerekes serves as diocesan director, Office of Discipleship Formation for Children.