Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D. Bishop | Archdiocese of Louisville

Until recently, St. Edward Church in Jeffersontown had just one couple able to serve as catechists to the parish’s large Spanish-speaking population. In the last four months, 11 Spanish speakers at St. Edward have been formed as catechists and another eight are in formation.

St. Edward is one of three parishes that have recently adopted a bilingual formation program from Loyola Press. St. Rita and St. Joseph are also using The Catechetical Formation Series.

“It’s a response to a challenge in religious education: the lack of well-formed catechists who speak Spanish,” said Eva Gonzalez, director of the Archdiocese of Louisville’s Office of Hispanic Ministry.

Available in both English and Spanish, the program enables both Spanish-speaking and English-speaking Catholics to earn diocesan catechesis certification through the Office of Faith Formation.

In the past, Spanish-speaking individuals seeking formation as catechists relied on Gonzalez and volunteer priests to teach them. But the busy schedules of the pastors often caused cancellations and scheduling problems, noted Gonzalez.

The program is for those interested in serving as catechists but can also be attended by those who wish to learn more about their faith, said Gonzalez. The program consists of 10 sessions, composed of videos, readings, and questions.

“This is just the beginning of ongoing faith formation for Spanish-speaking Catholics,” said Gonzalez. “Once you are formed, you feel the hunger for nourishing your faith.”

Gonzalez hopes that the catechetical formation will stir up a desire for more education in those who participate. She also hopes that increased interest will allow the archdiocese to offer Spanish speakers more certificates in specialized areas.

Offering formation opportunities in Spanish is a way to get the Hispanic community more involved in parish leadership, said Gonzalez. Volunteer parents of children in religious education programs are prime candidates for catechetical formation, she added.

Gonzalez noted that many parishes are seeing a shift in their parish’s youth population, as Hispanic youth form the majority of children seeking to receive catechesis in some parishes. Yet, the number of Spanish-speaking catechists has not been sufficient.

Father Murphy, who has been pastor of St. Edward since 2020, explained that prior to the program all of the catechesis for Spanish-speaking parishioners — from first Communion preparation to marriage preparation — was handled by two people.

As the number of Spanish-speaking catechists has grown, he said so has the parish’s ability to offer children’s catechesis.

The number of Spanish-speaking youth receiving catechesis at St. Edward this year has more than doubled since last year. And this number is expected to grow even more as signups for confirmation preparation continue, said Blanca Hernandez, coordinator of Hispanic ministries at St. Edward Church.

This year, St. Edward is able to offer catechesis for students in “intermediate years,” said Father Murphy—meaning between first Communion and confirmation years.

In previous years, due to a lack of Spanish-speaking catechists, there was no provision for non-sacramental years' instruction for these children.

The program also has potential to integrate communities with both English and Spanish speakers," said Gonzalez.

Father Murphy decided that both English-speaking and Spanish-speaking parishioners would use this formation program at St. Edward Church building a “greater sense of community.” Eight English-speaking parishioners have completed it since May nearly doubling their numbers among English-speakers too.

“Bringing together these communities—not just for picnics—can revitalize parishes,” concluded Gonzalez expressing hope that more parishes will adopt similar initiatives soon.

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