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A senior ministry at Christ the Redeemer Parish in Atco, New Jersey, has begun offering weekly classes on the Catechism and Scriptures to its participants.
“I thought I knew a lot [about the Catechism], but now I’m finding out there’s a lot I had no clue about,” 75-year-old Joe Crudele, a member of Young at Heart Senior Ministry, told the Catholic Star Herald. “The classes have been very enlightening.”
Crudele attends weekly classes and has started attending daily Mass with a friend and explains the parts of the Mass to him.
Deacon Joseph Janocha, director of hospital chaplaincy for VITALity Catholic Healthcare Services Diocese of Camden, teaches the Catechism to the group. He said he was glad that Crudele had started evangelizing to his friend.
“It’s not just about being grand evangelizers and getting on our soapbox, but doing the little things with love in our own homes and communities,” he said.
Young at Heart Director Kathy Benton invited the deacon to begin teaching the group in 2022, starting with the Old Testament. Dcn. Janocha has led the group through the entire Bible and has moved on to the Catechism.
“With the Bible, people had a basic understanding, so there was more common ground,” Dcn. Janocha said. “With the Catechism, though, it’s more of a cold call.”
Kathleen Cyr, 62, spoke to the Catholic Star Herald about how she loved learning about the faith. She said that she also shares what she learns with her neighbors, giving her a sense of purpose while grieving the loss of her son, Ryan, who passed away 25 years ago.
“I’m walking into the streets where my son was raised,” she said, “and it’s very painful, but the joy of the Lord is my strength.”
