The Anchoress: YOUCAT a "terrific resource"

Elizabeth Scalia, "The Anchoress", writes this in praise of the new Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church (YOUCAT):

And additionally — especially if you and your kids are involved with religious ed programs but even if they're "past" them — I cannot too emphatically recommend that you pick up a copy of Youcat; the newly released Catechism written expressly for Catholic Youth.

This is a terrific resource; it is a brilliantly put-together and engaging collection of the foundational questions about our faith, and those issues about faith, love, marriage, sexuality, freedom, sin, life and death that are relevant to our young, who seek clarity without condescension.

And the questions are surrounded in the margins by a treasury of instructive, enlightening, inspiring quotes — from scripture, saints, popes and even Protestants like Bonhoeffer and Lewis — that are themselves invitations to ponder, to discuss with others and from which to grow in wisdom, maturity and understanding. I got my copy two days ago, and have been reading it every free minute, because it is just that engaging.

Where there is more to discuss, the book gives appropriate cross-references to the full Catechism, but really, if you are involved with CCD, or RCIA, if your kids or nieces are involved, get this book.

And seriously, if you have kids who will be entering high school and are "done with religious ed" or even if they're getting ready to go away to college — perhaps especially for these groups, who will be facing so many new challenges and pressures — make a gift of this book, to them. Give it to them now, and look at it with them over the rest of the summer, so they'll be familiar with it when all of that "newness" begins and will know where they can turn within it.

Read her entire piece.

And Sean Gallagher, writing for The Criterion (Archdiocese of Indianapolis), reports:

In her 26 years in youth ministry at Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Ann and St. Benedict parishes in the Terre Haute Deanery, Janet Roth has had many catechetical books and resources come across her desk.

But none have quite been like Youcat, a new youth catechism sponsored by the bishops' conferences of Austria, Germany and Switzerland that began hitting bookstore shelves earlier this year.

It was written by Cardinal Christoph Schonborn of Vienna, who previously served as the general editor of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Pope Benedict XVI has endorsed Youcat, and wrote a forward for it.

While Roth values the backing of Youcat by such high-placed Church leaders, it is the book's concise explanations of the faith and eye-catching layout that captured her attention. ...

"It's awesome," said Roth. "It has the best explanation of the sacraments that I've ever read. And I've read a lot. I'm sold on this.

"It's so easy to read. And I love the quotes on the side from different people. I'm going to use different things like that when I put out my newsletter. I love the layout."

For more about the new Youth Catechism, visit www.YouCat.us.