Zmagający się o kształt polskiej katechezy śp. Jan Charytański TJ (23 VI 1922 - 4 VIII 2009)

Abstract

At the age of eighty-seven years and over fifty years of priesthood, went to the Lord the priest, professor Jan Charytański SJ, bom in Warsaw. After graduating from high school he entered the novitiate oo. Jesuits. After his ordination in 1952 he worked in parish ministry at st. Andrew Bobola and after returning of religious education in schools in 1957, he was a prefect of the Rejtan-school in Warsaw. In 1958 he went as one of the first Polish priests to study in Belgium where he received a bachelor’s degree in experimental pedagogy at the University of Louvain. In 1961 he returned to Poland and began scientific work, first in the Faculty of the Pontifical Bobolanum as a lecturer of catechetics, while at the same time contracted lectures at the Academy of Catholic Theology and the Catholic University of Lublin, reaching various degrees. He served as a head of the department (since 1974) and the catechetical course since 1977. After thirty years of scientific work he retired but still fulfilling the ministry at the Faculty of the Pontifical Bobolanum. Over the years of hard work he led 120 teaching undergraduate master’s theses and 20 doctoral studies. Since 1962 he participated in the annual meetings for the professors of catechetics and pedagogics at Polish universities and seminaries. Acting secretary of the section for eight years and in the years 1978-1992 as its chairman. At that time was included as a member of the Catechetical Commission of the Polish Episcopate and as an expert of the Commission for Catholic Edu cation. Particularly distinguished himself in the work of the Commission’s development of The Framework for Catechesis at primary schools (1971). He was also a great and modest man. Repeatedly visiting professor I admired the last moments of his activity and curiosity of the current practice of catechetical field achievements in various Polish regions. He was pleased with even the smallest achievement of his pupils. In a recent meeting when he did not leave the room in a monastery in Rakowiecka he told me that the struggle over the shape of contemporary catechesis has not ceased but perhaps increased. We can say that in his catechesis he promoted human rights, culture and events of human life.