Dublin, Ireland, Dec 4, 2019 / 14:23 pm
Catholic sacramental preparation must change to stress the primary role of families and to reach students who do not go to Catholic schools, said Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin this week. The archbishop announced a shift in sacrament prep from schools to parishes and families.
"We must remember too that more and more Catholic children today attend other than Catholic schools," Archbishop Martin said Dec. 3. "The proposal is not something that will be accomplished overnight; it cannot however be put forever on the long finger. We must begin now."
"It will take some time to put in place an effective development of parish capacity to implement this initiative," the archbishop continued. "We need, however, to begin immediately with the preparation and training of voluntary lay catechists and the development of resource materials."
The changes could mean more sacramental preparation for students outside school hours. Catholic schools are currently allowed to set aside up to 30 minutes a day for faith formation, the Irish Times reports.