Participants in the Second Annual Catechetical Institute last week heard speakers proclaim the function of religion teachers in the formation of the Christian conscience.

More than 600 attended the annual two day event at St. Joseph’s High School auditorium, listened and probed the delicate area of conscience formation.

The Reverend David Bowman, S.J. told the religion teachers that, among other current areas of demand for the Roman Catholic today, is an especially high priority was assigned to the quest for Christian unity and the whole problem of Ecumenism.

In another general session address he spoke to the question of “conscience and authority.” In his talk he spoke of the need for those in authority to lead the Christian people into ever broadening and new areas of true Christian concern.

Another major speaker, Sister Mary Charles Bryce, O.S.B., spoke on the role of the religion teacher and catechist in the formation and development of a true conscience in the very young.

Her workshop sessions sought to establish a proper psychological and religious setting for the varying ages in the development of conscience.

The entire approach of “sin-catechesis” and guilt-oriented training was studied, especially its relation to the age of first confession of the child.

A highlight of the two day event was the Liturgy of the Eucharist on Saturday at noon. Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan commissioned more than 200 catechists who had completed various states in the archdiocesan training and formation course for catechists.

Four persons received the special gold certificate of the master catechist for completing the full 120-hour course in doctrine and methods and three years teaching in catechetics.

In his homily, the archbishop called on the catechists to be truly responsible and responsive to the needs of the Church today, and to try to instill in their students a similar sense of responsiveness and challenge to these needs based upon the transformation of the entire world and society through the proclamation of Christ.

Father Michael A. Morris, director of the archdiocesan office of religious education which sponsored the institute, stated: “This institute has become the highlight of the year for religion teachers throughout the archdiocese whether they teach in the schools of religion or in the parish and diocesan school system.

“It has become the single most important in-service training program that is offered.

Then too, the commissioning of the catechists emphasizes that these people, constituting an extension of the official teaching Church, are a singularly important group in the archdiocese.

“We were likewise very pleased for the interest shown in the institute by the director and catechists who attended from our neighboring dioceses in the southeast. Perhaps, in the future we shall be cooperating with them in sponsoring an institute for the entire southeast.”