By Fr Nathaneal George for BIS Mumbai
On July 13, 2025, following the recent joint meeting of priests and lay coordinators at St. Anne’s Parish, Ahilyanagar, the Salesian Catechetical Centre took a significant step forward in its mission to strengthen faith formation among the young by conducting a training programme for Sunday School teachers of the Nagar region.
Held at St. Anne’s Parish, the director Fr McEnroe Lopes, emphasized on the need to create a basic methodology when preparing classes for catechism. The training brought together 34 Sunday School teachers from the three Salesian parishes of Don Bosco Parish Savedi, St. Anne’s Parish Ahilyanagar, and St. John the Baptist Parish, Bhingar. This initiative aligns with the thrust of General Chapter 29 (GC 29) and the Centre’s newly defined purpose of equipping catechists to make catechesis systematic, effective, and relevant — especially in the Marathi-speaking context of Nagar.
The training focused on practical methodology for conducting engaging catechism classes. Teachers received input on lesson planning, classroom management, and creative teaching techniques to make faith formation more meaningful for today’s children. Participants then worked together in groups to design and present sample catechism sessions, ensuring that the learnings could be immediately put into practice. The session concluded with with the outline for a yearly Sunday School Calendar, which highlight key events for the catechetical year. These gave the teachers an opportunity to envisage and plan for the upcoming events in keeping with liturgy and Parish events.
Through such sustained efforts, the Salesian Catechetical Centre at St. Anne’s Parish seeks to empower catechists, make catechism classes more relevant and vibrant, and nurture the faith of young people in the Salesian spirit, true to Don Bosco’s vision.