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[ before August 19, 1999 ]

A Pastoral Greeting by Archbishop Spyridon
to Fr. Frank Marangos, Editor of the "Annual Resource Companion" (1999-2000)

Beloved Economos Frank,

"How can a young person keep his way pure? By keeping it according to "Your Word" (Psalm 119:9). Catechesis is the divinely inspired process by which the people of God are formed and re-formed in righteousness through the Word of God. But this simple definition belies the complexity of the task. The catechist must be a nurse and a nurturer, a sower, a waterer, and a reaper, a spiritual surgeon. a guide and a guardian, a friend and an advocate, a father and mother, a brother and sister. In all of these things, it is the skillful application and distribution of the Word of Truth that effects the work of the Holy Spirit in tie life of God's people for sanctification and purification and growth.

This volume of catechetical resources covers a wide variety of materials and publications to assist those members of the Body of Christ who are called to the work of catechesis. This thorough and exhaustive anthology is intended to help those who have the ministry of imparting the fullness of our Holy Orthodox Tradition to the nest generation of Orthodox Christians. This is an awesome and demanding task, and for that reason the resources contained in this volume are as manifold as is the actual work of catechesis itself.

I pray that this publication will be a source of great blessing fur the clergy, parents, lay leaders, Christian educators, and youth workers of our parishes. May God bless the catechists of our Holy Church as they undertake their sacred and important ministry, and may He grant to all of us, young and old alike, the purity of life and walk that comes through the knowledge of the promises and precepts of the Word of God.

With paternal love in Christ,

[signed]

SPYRIDON

Archbishop of America

[ The ARC, Annual Resource Companion, Volume 2, 1999-2000 -
   Department of Religious Education, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America - p. 4 ]