The character of the Neocatechumenal Way was defined by His Holiness John Paul II when he wrote: “I recognise the Neocatechumenal Way as an itinerary of Catholic formation valid for our society and for our times.”
The Neocatechumenal Way is at the service of the bishop as one of the ways in which he brings about Christian initiation and the ongoing formation of faith.
The Neocatechumenal Way began in 1964 among the shacks of Palomeras Altas in Madrid, through the work of Francisco José (Kiko) Gómez Argüello and Carmen Hernández, who, at the request of the very poor among whom they were living, began to announce to them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In time this kerygma took shape in a catechetical synthesis founded on a tripod: ‘the Word of God — the Liturgy — the Community’, with the aim of leading people to fraternal communion and to a mature faith.
Inspired by the Blessed Virgin Mary and following the example of the Holy Family of Nazareth, the Neocatechumenal Way is a reality born of the Council and a fruit of the working of the Holy Spirit in the Catholic Church. To this day it has spread to more than 900 dioceses in 105 countries, with over 20,000 communities in 6,000 parishes.
St Pope John Paul II (30 August 1990):
... “I recognise the Neocatechumenal Way as an itinerary of Catholic formation, valid for our society and for our times”...
Pope Benedict XIV (17 January 2011):
“The Neocatechumenal Way helps to renew and strengthen Christian initiation in parishes and dioceses”...
Pope Francis (5 May 2018):
“Dear brothers and sisters, your charism is a great gift of God to the Church of our day. Let us thank God for these fifty years: a round of applause for the 50 years! And seeing his fatherly and brotherly faithfulness, filled with love, never lose confidence: he will keep you, urging you at the same time to go out, as beloved disciples, to all peoples, with humble simplicity. I am with you and I encourage you: go forward!”
The catecheses of the Neocatechumenal Way were first heard in the Skopje parish at the beginning of 2019, with the blessing of the local ordinary, Mgr Kiro Stojanov, and so the community in Skopje was born.