September 02, 2021
Jem Sullivan

Jem Sullivan, associate professor of practice in Catechetics, has been appointed as a member of the International Council for Catechesis that serves under the auspices of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization in Rome. 

“I am deeply honored and grateful to be appointed a member and to join this international consultative body,” said Sullivan. “I look forward to the rich exchange of catechetical experiences between the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization, Rome, and the members of the International Council for Catechesis who represent diverse pastoral communities of the universal Church.”

Sullivan joins an international group of members of the council from Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America. 

The International Council for Catechesis was established by St. Pope Paul VI in 1973 as a consultative advisory body. The council studies and proposes pastoral initiatives on catechetical issues, opportunities and challenges facing bishops, pastors and lay catechetical leaders and catechists around the world. “The steady increase in religious disaffiliation among younger generations, the pastoral context of a globalized digital culture, and the many challenges involved in inviting, forming and transforming those who seek  the light of the Gospel in the midst of secular culture lends urgency to the work of the International Council for Catechesis,” Sullivan explained.

“Sullivan’s appointment to the International Council for Catechesis is a clear indication of her expertise in the field,” said Very Rev. Mark Morozowich, dean and associate professor of liturgical studies and sacramental theology. “At Catholic University, we’re delighted to participate in the Universal Church and to help lead in the ever important role of passing on the faith to our next generations. Dr. Sullivan combines intellectual prowess with a keen appreciation of the arts. Her academic and pastoral service to the Church for three decades enables her to combine the depths of Catholic theology with beauty as one of many points of entry in the deepening of faith.” 

Sullivan looks forward to contributing to the work of the council from her academic and pastoral experiences in Catechetics at the international, national, diocesan and parish levels. “I will be eager to share the outcomes and pastoral fruits of this important work with students in our catechetical programs in the School of Theology and Religious Studies,'' she said.