Help for Catechists: February 2011

Practice What You Preach

By Mary Lou Rosien

I was watching a television news program this morning and the person submitting his opinion was criticizing another for cheating on his wife. It seemed like a strange observation to me, as the person who was speaking has a reputation of being a cheating spouse himself and has been divorced four times. I couldn’t help but wonder, on what authority can he even judge?

This brought into my mind two issues we face as educators of the Faith. We have more visibility than most people in the pews, which can lead to more accountability and even we can fall victim to a very transparent society (via technology). As catechists, we must remember that our actions are being judged. We must hold ourselves to a high standard even in matters that seem private.

If I am at Mass and I am distracted, what will that teach my students who may see me there? What if I post comments or pictures on social networking pages; could they be misinterpreted by students or parents who view them? If my past mistakes are fairly public, have I presented the lessons learned from them (when appropriate) to the children in my care?

We are volunteers and we are not perfect, but because we have positions of some authority in Church teachings we have an obligation to educate our selves and set an example that reflects those teachings. If we have just taught a class on chastity, we should probably dress in a way that reflects that value. If we teach about speaking the truth, we should try to always speak the truth ourselves.

I am well aware that most catechists teach the Faith because they love it, live it and want to share it with others. However, we live in a world of instant accessibility and keeping this in mind can help us to be more effective educators.

As a stark example of how reputations and lives can be destroyed I am reminded of a situation at my children’s school. There were rumors about a particular teacher and his personal life. These rumors caught fire when a student took a picture of this teacher (when the teacher was shopping at the mall). The picture was sent around the school instantly, via cell phone messaging. This poor man became a joke to all his students (after a 30 year teaching career).

My children have received instant information about students, fights at school and rumors through phones, websites and even internet searches. We must conduct ourselves as if we have no privacy, because in reality, we don’t. It has been stripped away and our accountability has increased as a result.

Here are some safety rules that teachers can follow.

1. Don’t “friend” your students.

2. Be careful about postings. Remember that what you post on your status is like taking out a headline in your local newspaper.

3. Always conduct yourself as if someone is watching you.

4. Be careful about any content of emails that are forwarded. This includes religious forwards that often contain information that is unwittingly against Catholic teaching.

Thank you for your service as faith formation educators. May the Lord continue to bless you and to protect you. 

Mary Lou Rosien writes from North Chili, NY.  She is the author of Managing Stress with the Help of Your Catholic Faith (OSV Publishing). Email her at mrosien@rochester.rr.com.