Surabaya diocese in western Indonesia has set 2011 as the Year of Children and Catechesis. “Our responsibility is to continue educating children on good values and teaching them about God’s love,” said Bishop Vincentius Sutikno Wisaksono of Surabaya. The bishop on Jan. 1 told thousands of pilgrims attending the Thanksgiving Mass at the Marian Shrine of Puh Sarang in Kediri that the Church throughout this year invites local Catholics to help the next generation realize the meaning of life. “The Year of Children and Catechesis aims to give children a good example of love and goodness. Learning God’s love and goodness is a matter of faith,” he said. While last year’s focus was on family, Bishop Wisaksono said this year the diocese’s 41 parishes will concentrate on catechesis for children. Antonius Yosef Budiman and Laurentia Ismi Sulandari, a married couple, said the Year of the Family had encouraged Catholic families to pray more often. Another Catholic told ucanews.com that every family in Surabaya’s Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral Parish received a prayer book which helped strengthen the relation between parents and children. Surabaya diocese with 152,576 Catholics covers some parts of East Java and Central Java provinces. It is the only diocese in Indonesia to declare a special year for 2011. Related reports Storytelling encourages love for the BibleChildren urged to attend Eucharist regularly IJ12690.1635