- Prepare and lead Sunday Services;
- Give doctrine for the Sacraments;
- Render any other services agreed upon with the Parish Priest and the Christian Community.
In the 444 mission stations in the Archdiocese of Bamenda, it is thanks to the contributions of the catechists that most of these communities exist and are active. In the absence of the priest, the catechists keep the communities alive and report to the Parish Priest at the end of every month when they meet for their monthly meetings. Together with them, most Parish Priests draw their monthly programme of activities and visit their various mission stations. Through them, the various pastoral needs of the communities are known by the priest and he can decide on when to pay a pastoral visit to the area. The catechists have played, and continue to play a very essential role in the implementation of the Provincial Pastoral Plan, especially in the formation of the various Small Christian Communities, Gospel Sharing Groups and the various commissions of the Pastoral Plan.
The Archdiocese takes care of the material welfare of the Catechists in various ways. Their housing is being taken care of, especially those in category 1 and 2. As concerns their remuneration, the various parishes take their responsibility in paying them, and, in some parishes, especially in areas of Primary Evangelization, an archdiocesan subsidy is given, thanks to the subsidy we receive from Rome and to the Annual Catechists Collection made on the First Sunday of Lent in all the Parishes to assist them and contribute to the payment of their remuneration. Added to this, once a year the Christians of a particular Parish may show their appreciation of the services their Catechists are rendering to them by making a collection for them on a Sunday or Solemnity of their choice. The collection is done at Parish level, and the proceeds equally shared among all the Catechists in the Parish without distinction. The tuition fee in the Catholic Primary and/or Nursery School of the legitimate, biological children of Categories 1, 2 and 3 Catechists is paid by the Parish/Institution. On the occasion of the death of a catechist, the Archdiocese provides a coffin and a fixed amount of money to assist the family in the burial of the catechist.
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