The Catechist

The Catechist is a recurring update from the Department of Religious Education for the Holy Protection of Mary Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Phoenix.

Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory to God forever!

Greetings from the Office of Religious Education and Evangelization! It is my hope to send out a regular catechist newsletter starting with the beginning of the liturgical year and the catechetical year for 2026 to 2027. I will appreciate suggestions and your comments as we go along. - Father Christopher Zugger

 
We had a wonderful first Annual Catechist Retreat at Saint Stephen Cathedral in Phoenix. We had hoped that there would be as many as 20 people attending, but instead we had 50 people. Thanks are due to all who came, to the presenters at the conference, and to the many Volunteers at Saint Stephen's cathedral and from the office of the Eparchy of Phoenix who did so much to help. While the weather was dry and quite hot, everyone had a good time interacting with catechists from other parishes, and above all benefiting from the presentations that were given. The videos of the presentations will be online soon at the Eparchy of Phoenix Official YouTube site. (Our videographer was unfortunately quite ill for a time, but he is now back at work!)

There were people from every parish and several missions. We were all very impressed that Saint Nicholas parish in Anchorage, Alaska, sent a representative! Thank you to those who came, and to all who have filled out the survey forms to help me plan for the next one and to find out what assistance you would like from this office.

A point that I emphasized in my opening presentation was this: our job is the SALVATION OF SOULS. This is why God has called you forth to serve as an educator of our children, our youth, and our adults. We want to proclaim the richness of our Byzantine- Ruthenian Catholic Church to all who come into our doors, and we pray for the grace of the Holy Spirit to do well.
Special thanks go to Theresa Grondin (see below), Fathers Nathan Adams, Joel Barstad, and Daniel Dozier for their presentations! 

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd

Theresa Grondin gave two different presentations about Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. This is a program that Bishop Artur would like to see implemented over time in all our parishes. Mrs. Grondin gave a presentation on Friday for people who were already certified in CGS. On Friday afternoon she gave a tour of the new atrium in Saint Stephen's cathedral basement which is set up for children ages three to six. CJS is a program that we should be able to adapt in our parishes because it is broken down into three groups, or atriums, in which ages 3 to 12 participate. Children are helped to deepen their existing relationship with God, and the catechist helps prepare the environment using presentations from the Bible and divine liturgy to “call forth” children's responses rather than “pour in” information. The theme throughout for all ages is Jesus as the Good Shepherd who is always present to us and taking care of us. The CGS National office is in the Phoenix area. They have been very generous with materials and time, and in helping us to adapt this Roman Catholic program into uh Byzantine Catholic program. We look forward to continuing collaboration with them and working with everyone in this process. 

Presentations

Father Joel presented his prayer book of the Divine Office and Marian devotions, with guidance on how to pray the Hours individually or in groups. Father Nathan gave two sessions on preparing and leading Bible studies in parishes. Father Daniel showed what a restored Catechumenate program would entail over the course of a year-long preparation for reception into the Byzantine-Ruthenian Catholic Church. 

3.    Holy Protection of the Mother of God

October 1st is the feast of the Holy Protection of the Mother of God. This is the patronal feast for our eparchy, of the first parish founded on the West Coast in Los Angeles, and of our parish in Denver. Quite a few of our churches in the United States that are known simply as Saint Mary are dedicated to the Holy Protection, from coast to coast as our parishes in Sherman Oaks, CA, and New York City are both under this dedication. This gives us an opportunity to remind students and parents alike that the Byzantine Catholic Church in the western states is particularly under the protecting veil of the Theotokos. You can encourage Marian devotions at home, such as the Akathist, singing of “It is truly proper” at the icon corner, or saying the rosary. And it is also a reminder that, as it says in the liturgy for the Dormition, she prays always for us! 

4.    Prayer Book for our Eparchy
 
This was announced at the Catechist Retreat. As I am writing this Newsletter, we are just about ready to send the text of the Prayer Book for final review by Bishop Artur and for a last round at editing. This book will feature prayers for evening and morning; daily devotions; the complete text of the Divine Liturgy including most of the priest’s prayers; Confession guide; and more. This has been sorely needed in the American Byzantine Catholic Church. It uses the translations approved by our Byzantine-Ruthenian Catholic Church, and we hope and pray that this will be a good spiritual aid for all. 

5.    Resources For Your Use

Rather than you spending time scouring the internet for project materials, Byzantine Catholic decorations, gift items, etc., I did! Here are some suggestions for your use: 





This book 101 Questions and Answers on Eastern Catholic Churches is an excellent resource book for beginners and long-time members alike! Paulist Press, $18.95, available on Amazon and elsewhere. 

 



American Eastern Catholics “Examines the long and often difficult history of the Eastern-Church Catholics (e.g., Melkites, Maronites, Ruthenians, Copts, Ukrainians) and their relationship, often tenuous, with Rome” - Paulist Press, $19.95, available on Amazon.




Catechesis of the Good Shepherd:
 
This link is the national office website: https://cgsusa.org. 

This page https://cgsusa.org/discover/cgs-approach/ gives an excellent overview of the first level atrium for ages three to six. 

The setup of CGS is such that it needs to be introduced at the first level and then gradually the other levels are added on. For those parishes that do not have this yet, we continue to use God With Us and other materials.

God With Us Publications:

There are EXCELLENT videos that are suitable for your own learning, or to show to a small group, or use for ongoing adult education. These are well done, under the direction of Very Rev. Daniel Dozier of our eparchy. Go to https://godwithusonline.org/online and check them out. 

For those working with catechumens or new parents, “Theophany” presents the Mysteries of Initiation. There is a 4-part series on the Presanctified Liturgy; 2-part on Great Women of the Bible; videos on ministry to the sick, couples experiencing infertility, and the splendors of Byzantium. Scroll down the page and you will find a TON of other video presentations from a number of our clergy. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel – it has already been provided for you. Show these and then have discussions, and it will be a good session for all. 

Adult Study Books and Teacher Materials:
 
God With Us: Adult Faith Formation Store
The Old Testament, The Holy Gospels, and The Apostolic Writings with instructor guideline books. 

God With Us: Eastern Christian Spirituality
Bright and inexpensive icon books about Jesus and the Theotokos (perfect for visitors or information racks); alsdo Revelation in Color: Icon pack.

Available from Eastern Christian Publications / Jack Figel, Epiphany Church in Annandale, VA:



Forty Steps to Bethlehem: Daily meditations by Marianne Sailus for the spiritual journey in preparation for Christmas, known as the Saint Philip's Fast. 100+ pages.





Coloring books for the liturgical year. There are other titles available for the Liturgy, Holy Mysteries, Bible; books on prayer; saints for boys and girls.






History of the Byzantine Catholic Church in America by Father Zugger. $40 Up-to-date history of the formation of our church in the United States, and its overcoming of many challenges to become a missionary church in America.





Finding a Hidden Church by Father Zugger. $40 History of the Underground in the Eparchy of Mukachevo, inside the Soviet Union, based on interviews with survivors from the Gulag and 50 years of clandestine worship. 






Pavol Peter Gojdich OSBM Bishop of Prešov who Resisted the fascists, Nazis, and communists; rescuer of Jews during World War II; suffered for the faith in communist prisons and a man of profound prayer.






Peter Paul Oros: his life and martyrdom Underground Bishop of the eparchy of Mukachevo, leader of the underground church in 1949 to 1953; a true father of the poor; executed for the faith in 1953.







Theodore Romzha: his life, times and martyrdom Detailed biography of our first bishop-martyr, who was killed in 1947, $40 





The Byzantine Seminary Press (BSP) Archeparchy of Pittsburgh has several coloring books available for young children, based on the liturgical year, the Divine Liturgy, The Sunday gospels and the parables of Jesus. You can also find Bless O Lord: My Daily Prayers (3 volumes, also available at ECP). Rebecca O’Loughlin is a parishioner in Fort Collins, Colorado; her book For Little Eyes is 66 pages of explanation and watercolor illustrations of our Liturgy.  
 
Saint Nicholas Icon print $1 each – 11 ½ inches by 8 inches on card stock.  A nice present for his feast day or to put in an atrium or classroom.  
The Press has many Byzantine-style holy cards that you could use to give out to children on feast days or during specific seasons.  
 
Byzantine Church Supplies (Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia) has several affordable, bright icon prints for atrium or classroom of Our Lord, the Mother of God, and the Guardian Angel. They also carry a wide array of affordable icons; packets of holy cards (100 in each) that you can give out for holy days or special occasions: Three-bar cross-decorated candles for Pascha or other uses, Wide range of rushnyky (embroidered cloths to go over icons), embroidered Easter Basket covers.  
 
Other Resources: 
 
Are you in charge of adult education, or convert preparation? Becoming Byzantine is a 36 part presentation that covers just about everything you can imagine from an introduction through the holy mysteries and social teaching of the Catholic Church. Do you know people who are thinking of abandoning our church for Eastern Orthodoxy? There is a video available on this channel that answers just that question: Byzantine Unscripted, Episode 3: Leaving for Orthodoxy? Many good instructors devoted a lot of time to this. Check it out and let me know your thoughts. 
 
If you do not know Lynne Wardach’s page ByziMoms, here is a link to her store. This has recipe books for the fasting seasons; Jesse Tree activities for the Saint Philip Fast; Zaccheus Tree for Great Lent; and more.  
 
The Metropolitan Cantor Institute has TONS of information on Our liturgical year, the divine liturgy, different services, as well as uh hope for becoming a Cantor find basic information about the history of our chant. It is a great resource for singing and learning more about singing in the Byzantine Ruthenian tradition. 
 
6.    Photos and information

Please send photos in short news stories from Catechetical Sunday 2026 that can be published in the Eparchy Newsletter. And consider doing so throughout the year so that we share events and ideas from different parishes with one another effectively. 

I really would appreciate getting information, suggestions, ideas for activities that you do with children, teenagers, and adults in the different parishes that can be published in this little journal, or in the Eparchy Newsletter. We want to be able to get as much information to people as possible.

Thank you again for your participation in this critical apostolate for the salvation of souls and the building up of our Byzantine-Ruthenian Catholic Church in the western states! God bless you all.