Pope Francis’ December Prayer Intention: Catechists to Witness Word of God "with courage"

In the video explaining his prayer intention, Pope Francis said that there is a need for “good catechists who are both companions and teachers.”

“The lay ministry of catechists is a vocation; it’s a mission. Being a catechist means that you ‘are a catechist,’ not that you ‘work as a catechist.’ It’s an entire way of being,” the pope said.

“We need creative people who proclaim the Gospel, but who proclaim it neither with a mute nor with a loudspeaker, but rather with their life, with gentleness, with a new language, and opening new ways,” he said.

Pope Francis noted that in many dioceses around the world, “evangelization is fundamentally in the hands of a catechist.”

The pope also expressed gratitude for catechists’ dedication to this mission in the service of the Church.

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“Catechists have an invaluable mission for the transmission and growth of the faith,” Pope Francis said.

Courtney Mares is a Rome Correspondent for Catholic News Agency. A graduate of Harvard University, she has reported from news bureaus on three continents and was awarded the Gardner Fellowship for her work with North Korean refugees.