Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara, the Catechist of the 19th Century

Abstract

The world of catechesis has undergone much change from the time of the Catechism of the Council of Trent, which formulated the doctrinal approach to Catechesis. Subsequently, different catechetical approaches were proposed and practiced each in its own way contributing to something new and radical to the catechetical praxis. At the time of Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara, the world catechetical movement had not taken birth. To our astonishment, we see Chavara adopting catechetical methods which will be endorsed much later by the world catechetical movement. It shows his prophetic vision and catechetical wisdom. The present article attempts to highlight how Chavara proposed a catechetical pedagogy that comprises all the essential elements of Catechetics.