1/Sunday of the Word of God 2024, interviews with catechists and readers
Justin Ragoonanan, 35, will be instituted as a Catechist on January 21. He comes from the diocese of Port of Spain, in the Antilles.
When did you feel the call to serve as a Catechist?
“My call to engage in catechesis and announce the Gospel came when I had just turned 20. About 15 years ago I was asked to assist the catechists in my community in the training of the children who were preparing for their First Communion. My mother is also a catechist, and I was inspired by her example. I said ‘yes’ to this ministry because I saw it as a way of staying close to Jesus and growing in my faith while helping others to grow in theirs.
What role does the Catechist have in your diocesan Church and in your country?
“In my diocese and in my country, the catechist has a very important role in evangelization but also in the ‘re-evangelization’ of people. In our diocese there are not enough priests to serve all the parishes, so the catechists have taken on the task of keeping the flame of faith alive, especially in rural communities."
How do you feel at the thought that you will receive the Ministry from the hands of Pope Francis?
“In all honesty, my first feeling is one of unworthiness and extreme anxiety obviously mixed with a little bit of excitement. I pray every day for the Holy Father, but I never dreamed of attending a Mass with him."