Being a catechist

The first time I heard about San Pedro Calungsod’s being a catechist, I recall how as students of a Catholic school we were made to teach catechism in the public school. When we were third and fourth year  high school in St. Catherine’s School in  Carcar, Cebu, we taught catechism in the barrios and the poblacion every Wednesday afternoon. We had a briefing on the week’s lesson every Monday at noon break. This was an extension of our religion classes. Then in college at St. Theresa’s College, each student was either a catechist or a social worker. I chose to be a catechist because I was taking up Education. This time the schedule for catechism was 7 in the morning from Tuesday to Thursday to avoid conflict with the schedule of classes. Each group had a leader who saw to it that every class (from Grade 1 to Grade 6) in the public school had a catechist and took over a class if a catechist was absent. I will always remember 1965 when Cebu City was celebrating the Fourth Centennial of the Christianization of the Philippines. We transported our pupils to the templete in the reclamation area (where the old White Gold stands) via six-by-six trucks early in the morning to participate in the heavily attended celebration. Anticipating that we would be teaching high school students and mixed groups, I volunteered to teach catechism in a public high school when I was in third and fourth year. That’s when I taught catechism at the Sudlon Agricultural School where there were male students.

It was very challenging because many  students in class were older than me, and the few who were Protestants would question and argue about  issues discussed in class. Because of this, I became more attentive in my Theology classes to the amusement of the nuns who were the Theology teachers throughout our college years. It was more my course on Church history which helped me a lot to prepare for catechism class. Storytelling has always been and will always be an effective method of teaching. In fact it was the course in Church history that led me to major in history. It was not so much the lessons in catechism that made it memorable but the opportunity to have a feel of the conditions of the community and the eagerness of the students who welcomed us. I also learned how to handle questions and arguments. We were very thankful to the classroom teachers who prepared their students.  It was just a pity that we could not go to them often. I don’t remember how long the practice of teaching catechism took hold. I also don’t remember other Catholic girls’ schools making their students teach catechism. Teaching catechism made us feel that we were doing good to our brothers and sisters in the public schools who did not have the opportunity to have religion classes and understand  practices of the Catholic Church. It also reminded us to behave and lead good Christian lives so as not to scandalize the public school students who were just our neighbors or townmates.

With the canonization of San Pedro Calungsod, much has been said and featured about his martyrdom and the neverending claims and speculations of where he came from. Yet there is very little discussion of what he did as a catechist or how it was to be a catechist in the 17th  century or even more so how to emulate San Pedro Calungsod. Catholic schools both high school and college can lessen their problems with  students by reviving the practice of having students teach catechism in public schools once a week.

While viewing the canonization of San Pedro Calungsod on EWTN, I was very happy to see and hear Mary Rose Villacastin-Maghuyop read the prayers of the faithful in Cebuano. She read it so well – clear,  with no accent, at the right pace. I congratulate Monsignor Ildebrando Leyson for not only working tirelessly on San Pedro Calungsod’s biography but also deciding to have the prayers of the faithful in Cebuano and choosing Mary Rose to read it. It was more meaningful.