Southern Indiana DREs have a
long history of giving support

By Sean Gallagher

In the late 1970s, paid, professional, parish-based catechetical ministers were just starting to emerge in the archdiocese.

But even then there was recognition among some of them that they needed to meet together on a regular basis for mutual support and to plan interparochial catechetical events, such as days of reflection for those participating in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.

Bob Leonard, who until last year had been the director of the Aquinas Center in Jeffersonville since its establishment as a catechetical resource center for the New Albany Deanery, recalled that 27 years ago the only three directors of religious education in the deanery at the time began to meet informally. He became involved in it soon after.

This group would eventually grow to its present size of 27 members and become known as Southern Indiana Directors of Religious Education (SIDRE). It still meets on a monthly basis today.

Since SIDRE began just as directors of religious education were starting to appear in parishes, it has served in an important way to give special support to newcomers to the position.

Anne Robertson began her ministry as the administrator of religious education at St. Bernard Parish in Frenchtown late last summer as her predecessor, Ann Kellum, was in the final stages of her battle with cancer.

Although Robertson had been a volunteer catechist in the parish since 1980, she soon learned that she was behind a significant learning curve for all of the things that a parish catechetical leader needs to know.

Robertson’s participation in SIDRE quickly brought her up to speed.

It’s … a good place for me to learn because they’ll be bringing up something and I’ll have to say, ‘Ok, fill me in, I don’t know what that is,’ ” she said. “And they’re wonderful about doing that. They’ve been very welcoming, I have to say. It’s kind of the highlight of the month to get to go to those meetings because they make me feel so welcome.”

In addition to simply helping her learn the ropes of her position, the members of SIDRE soon showed Robertson by their presence at Kellum’s funeral the emotional support that they give one another and the deep bonds of friendship that develop among them.

“It was so uplifting to see that she meant that much to them, that they would take off during the middle of a day on a Monday to come out for her funeral,” she said. “So I thought, ‘Boy, this is a good group.’ She meant a lot to them and they meant a lot to her.”

One of the longtime members that came to Kellum’s funeral was Ann Northam, the director of religious education of St. Augustine Parish in Jeffersonville. She has served in that position since 1985 and SIDRE has played an important role in her ministry.

Like Robertson, the organization was a guide for her in her first confusing days in her ministry. She can even remember attending the first meeting of the group.

“When I left that first meeting, I knew that there were folks that I could turn to when I didn’t know the answers and
couldn’t get an answer here at the parish,” Northam said.

But as she has gained years of experience as an administrator, she has been able to pass on her wisdom through the SIDRE meetings to newcomers to the ministry.

“I remember my journey and I know the value of it,” Northam said. “When people hit bumps in the road or might experience a little burnout, I can journey with them because I’ve been there.”

The members of SIDRE have also through the years encouraged one another to continue their education and to participate in national catechetical organizations, such as the National Conference of Catechetical Leaders ( NCCL), according to Leonard. He said that at least 10 members of the group traveled last year to Albuquerque, N.M. for NCCL’s national convention.

Locally, they will also often carpool to attend archdiocesan events sponsored by the Office of Catholic Education. In turn, according to Leonard, the members encourage each other to form their catechetical programs according to archdiocesan standards.

“The regular gathering challenges each of the members to be up to date … and to be in touch with the things that need to be done and to be in touch with the diocese,” he said. “They challenge each other to keep up. I don’t know that they would all admit they do that, but they do.”

Karen Oddi, the Office of Catholic Education’s associate director for religious education, sacramental, adult and family catechesis, echoed Leonard’s comments, saying that the strong bond among SIDRE’s members helps her in her archdiocesan-wide ministry.

“Because there’s such good participation, every one of them knows what’s going on,” she said. “So you can call anybody down there. They’re so cohesive. They’re just a group you can count on.” †