Catechism a treasure for families
By Jana Grace

The treasure of the Catholic Church is contained not just in beautiful chalices and cathedrals, but in the richness of her teachings and traditions, gathered down through the centuries from Jesus Christ to Peter to the humble monk.

With such a wealth of writings to choose from, the faithful find themselves at times overwhelmed and unable to fully understand the various doctrines of our faith.

Founded in 1975 by Jerry Coniker and his late wife Gwen, the Apostolate for Family Consecration is a pontifically approved association striving to consecrate families to the Holy Family and in the truths of the Catholic faith in the spirit of Pope John Paul II.

To promote a deeper understanding of the Catholic faith among all ages, the Family Apostolate has come out with a new unabridged edition to their “Family Catechism,” written by Father Lawrence Lovasik, S.V.D. The apostolate’s “Family Catechism” is found to be in conformity with the “Catechism of the Catholic Church” by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee to Oversee the Use of the Catechism and is endorsed by Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, along with the Pontifical Council for the Family, the papal theologian and the Congregation of the Clergy.

In addition to quotations from sacred Scripture and the “Catechism of the Catholic Church,” the new edition features cross-references to the recently released U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults as well as some of the newest papal documents including Pope Benedict’s encyclicals “God is Love” and “Sacrament of Charity.”

As in previous editions, the new edition contains 304 questions pertaining to the Creed, sacraments, prayer and the Ten Commandments. Answers are provided with quotes from sacred Scripture, Vatican II, various papal documents and other theological writings. Catechetical summary prayers for each chapter along with common prayers in both English and Latin are also included, together with Doctrine-Moral-Worship Exercises and Thought Provokers sections, complete with answers in the appendix.

To assist all age groups in learning the “Family Catechism” together, commentaries for each of the 304 questions are given by Francis Cardinal Arinze, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Commentaries as well as discussion guides are available for free on the apostolate’s Web site. The apostolate also offers supplementary teaching guides and age-appropriate workbooks for use in elementary and high school settings.