Parishes across the United States will celebrate Catechetical Sunday on Sept. 21, with this year’s theme drawn from St. Peter’s first letter: “Always be ready to give an explanation…for a reason for your hope” (1 Pt 3:15).
Observed annually on the third Sunday of September, the day highlights the vital role of catechists, those who teach the faith in parishes, schools, and within the family. It is also an opportunity to remind all the baptized of their shared responsibility to hand on the Gospel through word and witness.
In his apostolic letter Antiquum ministerium, Pope Francis describes catechists as witnesses and teachers who accompany others in every stage of faith, from the first encounter with Christ to lifelong formation. “Only through prayer, study, and direct participation in the life of the community,” he writes, “can they grow in this identity and the integrity and responsibility that it entails.”
Many parishes will mark the day with a commissioning rite at Sunday Masses, offering a blessing for catechists and teachers who serve in the coming year. Resources for parishes and families, including materials in English, Spanish, and now in Vietnamese, are available through the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), along with publishers such as Ascension Press and Our Sunday Visitor.
More information and resources: Catechetical Sunday 2025 | USCCB.
