Katechetika
Katechetika is the faculty circle of Leuven theologians and unites all students of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies of the KU Leuven.
Contents
History
Katechetika is the faculty circle of Leuven theologians and unites all students of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies of the KU Leuven.
On 16 December 1959, Louis Mertens organised a first meeting in the house of the Jesuits on the Damiaanplein with the aim of strengthening the ties with students and thus laying the foundations for a former students' association: the "Verbond-Leken-Katechisten (VLK)" with a magazine of the same name.
In the course of 1960 two associations were founded: The VLK Katechetika for students in Leuven, and the OSVLK for former students which remained active until about 1971.
On 28 April 1960 the first Praesidium of VLK Katechetika was elected. Louis Mertens became praeses during the academic year 1960-1961 and chief editor of the magazine V.L.K., Ruf Deltour circle secretary, Jef Van De Broeck treasurer and Hadewijch Van De Berghe became councillor together with Laurent Bastiaans. Professor Frans De Pauw became the first provost of the circle, which that year was also officially recognised by the Fakulteitenconvent.
Because the term "lay catechists" meant that many brothers and sisters were excluded, during the academic year 1961-1962 the abbreviation "VLK" was dropped and the society continued under the name of Katechetika. In July 1963 a course book service was started. The magazine V.L.K. had already been replaced by the magazine Katechetika. From the academic year 1961-1962 onwards a magazine with the title "Katechetikatje" was published until 1968.
A first circle house was rented in 1964-1965: Groot Begijnhof 41, 3000 Leuven, which was baptised "Logoika", the house of the Word. In 1966-1967, however, they had to move to a former brothel at Jozef II-straat 24, 3000 Leuven because of renovations. During that year, for the first time, the praeses was not an ex-seminarist.
In 1969-1970 the Higher Institute for Religious Studies (HIGW) became part of the Leuven Faculty of Theology, which already had a faculty circle: the Vlaamse Theologische Kring. Katechetika and the Vlaamse Theologische Kring merged to form the Theologische Kring. They worked together for student representation to bodies both inside and outside the faculty. The name Katechetika officially disappeared, but the group of the HIGW still had its own praesidium.
The magazine also underwent a reorganisation and on 22 October 1970 Iteka rolled off the presses as the information magazine of the Theological Circle. This meant the disappearance of the magazines Katechetika and Antenne.
In the academic year 1973-1974 the name Katechetika was reintroduced as a designation for the group of students of the HIGW. They still had their own board, but were active under the umbrella praesidium of the Theologische Kring.
Soon there was more and more overlap between the two boards as more and more religious scholars took up positions in the umbrella praesidium. In 1975-1976 it was decided that in the future there would be only one Praesidium, without a Praeses, but with persons with final responsibility for each group within the faculty.
In that same year the circle moved to Mechelsestraat 102, 3000 Leuven. In the following academic year the Theologische Kring and Katechetika again appear separately on the interfaculty councils.
In the 1980-1981 academic year and the following years, the functioning of Katechetika as a circle undergoes some radical changes by focusing only on the religious professions. Because the number of students in the other groups of the Theologische Kring had decreased considerably, they could not maintain their own praesidium. They were given the opportunity to participate in Katechetika. One praesidium, however, proved untenable, so a coordination group was installed, led by a coordinator. The statutes were changed and the Theologische Kring disappeared from the scene for good.
During this academic year of drastic changes, the search for a new accommodation was on, because the building in the Mechelsestraat was sold. The circle moved to the Vlamingenstraat 91.
After a short stay in a hall of the university on the Naamsestraat, Katechetika took over the fakbar of the faculty of pedagogy at 14 Van Evenstraat in 1986-1987. From 1990-1991 they share this fakbar with the Pedagogische Kring, which they give the name "2PK'ke". The owner of the adjoining building, however, was not amused by the presence of the students. She bought the house a few years later and showed them the door.
As a result, Katechetika found itself without rooms for the circle and, with the help of the faculty, they were able to move into the Collegum Veteranorum (CV) on the campus of the Faculty of Theology. The new rooms were soon given the name "KD", an abbreviation for "Kursusdienst", which was and still is an important part of Katechetika.
In 1981, the first circle magazine with the name Ruah rolled off the presses. In 1987-1988 the first Lumina appeared; at that time a biweekly pamphlet for spirituality and theology.
During the academic year 2004-2005 Katechetika became a non-profit organisation under the impulse of the praesides and could enjoy all the benefits that this entails.
In 2007, the students were eager to leave the dilapidated Collegum Veteranorum. Thanks to the then dean, Mathijs Lamberigts, Katechetika was able to find temporary accommodation in other rooms within the Faculty of Theology while waiting for the restoration work on the Collegium Veteranorum to be completed. These temporary premises were nicknamed Neffest de lift (tr.: next to the elevator), after the location where they are situated.
When the work on the Collegium Veteranorum was completed, all the rooms had already been reserved for the faculty. As a result, Katechetika was able to have at its disposal a completely new, renovated complex of rooms at the intersection of the classrooms, the library and the secretariat.
Katechetika represents its students in the faculty governing bodies, LOKO and Stura. Furthermore, Katechetika guarantees a rich programme of cultural, athletic and spiritual activities, a weekly fak night, Cantus, TDs and much more.
In addition, Katechetika Plus focuses on the alumni of the faculty. Katechtika Plus invites the (young) alumni for certain circle activities and also provides separate activities for alumni.
Katechtika International is the part of the Circle that provides activities specifically aimed at international students of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies and aims to support all these students of different nationalities and cultures during their studies in Leuven and to involve them in the life of the Circle.
In the 2019-2020 academic year, Katechetika organised its fak evenings in Fakbar Letteren. Weekly alternating Sunday and Monday evenings they held their tap nights, and on Tuesday afternoons they manned the bar. Due to limited manpower, they have since left the Fakbar Letteren again.
Colours
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The colours of Katechetika are Red-Yellow-Red.
Song
Text: Elsk Vanden Eede & Marieke Desendre
Melody: Het lied van Pater Callewaert
- Gelooft, studenten, kiest alleen voor God
Al verklaren d'anderen u voor zot.
Gaat op kruistocht door het Leuven-land
En verspilt uw zaad niet in het zand.
- Chorus:
- Chorus:
- Zo krijgt ge veel 'boemboem' en geen 'blabla'
- En 't zegewoord van Katechetika,
- Crescite et multiplicamini...(bis)
- Zo krijgt ge veel 'boemboem' en geen 'blabla'
- Houdt steeds uw codex aan uw rechterkant
En 's nachts de Bijbel altijd bij de hand.
De Bijbel is aan liefde immers rijk
En wij zetten die om in praktijk.
- De vrijdag vis en d'andere dagen zat,
Liever Duvel dan 't wijwatervat.
Voor d'examens draagt ge best een kruis
Zo voorkomt ge zorgeloos een buis.
- Last chorus:
- Last chorus:
- Laat geloof, hoop en liefde nooit na
- En zingt "AVE KATECHETIKA!"
- Crescite et multiplicamini...(bis)
- Laat geloof, hoop en liefde nooit na
List of Praesides
| Year | Praeses |
|---|---|
| 1960 - 1961 | ? |
| 1961 - 1962 | ? |
| 1962 - 1963 | ? |
| 1963 - 1964 | ? |
| 1964 - 1965 | ? |
| 1965 - 1966 | ? |
| 1966 - 1967 | ? |
| 1967 - 1968 | ? |
| 1968 - 1969 | ? |
| 1969 - 1970 | ? |
| 1970 - 1971 | Not active |
| 1971 - 1972 | Not active |
| 1972 - 1973 | Not active |
| 1973 - 1974 | ? |
| 1974 - 1975 | ? |
| 1975 - 1976 | ? |
| 1976 - 1977 | ? |
| 1977 - 1978 | ? |
| 1978 - 1979 | ? |
| 1979 - 1980 | ? |
| 1980 - 1981 | ? |
| 1981 - 1982 | ? |
| 1982 - 1983 | ? |
| 1983 - 1984 | ? |
| 1984 - 1985 | ? |
| 1985 - 1986 | ? |
| 1986 - 1987 | ? |
| 1987 - 1988 | ? |
| 1988 - 1989 | ? |
| 1989 - 1990 | ? |
| 1990 - 1991 | ? |
| 1991 - 1992 | ? |
| 1992 - 1993 | ? |
| 1993 - 1994 | ? |
| 1994 - 1995 | ? |
| 1995 - 1996 | ? |
| 1996 - 1997 | Pieter Bauwens |
| 1997 - 1998 | Gert Van Langendonck & Ciska ? |
| 1998 - 1999 | Mariska Lammertyn & Tomas Bruyland |
| 1999 - 2000 | Natalie Vandenbussche & Koen Van der Straeten |
| 2000 - 2001 | No praeses. Els Vanden Eede, Griet Peters, Marieke Desendere, Mariken Boussemaere, John Martens en Kristof Decoorne étaient des coordinateurs de cercle. |
| 2001 - 2002 | Griet Peters é John Martens |
| 2002 - 2003 | Lies Eeckman & Els Vermeiren |
| 2003 - 2004 | Miek Meeussen & Kaat De Waele |
| 2004 - 2005 | Hans Debel & Griet Mateusen |
| 2005 - 2006 | Steven Deltour & Wouter Duré |
| 2006 - 2007 | Carolien Milis & Heleen Van Nyen |
| 2007 - 2008 | Thijs Smeyers & Pieter Vyncke |
| 2008 - 2009 | Bruno Spriet & Raf Vanhorebeek |
| 2009 - 2010 | Kirsten De Schepper & Elise Linsen |
| 2010 - 2011 | Lotte Beernaert & Nicolas Vancayzeele |
| 2011 - 2012 | Karen Bucheler & Doris Kennes |
| 2012 - 2013 | Anton Milh |
| 2013 - 2014 | No praeses elected. Katechetika was managed by a circle coordination team. |
| 2014 - 2015 | Ivo Kalverboer & Bryan Beeckman |
| 2015 - 2016 | Anton Lingier & Bryan Beeckman |
| 2016 - 2017 | Niels Maris & Silke Paredis |
| 2017 - 2018 | Sander Vanmaercke |
| 2018 - 2019 | Marilène Moons |
| 2019 - 2020 | Joachim Huyghe |
| 2020 - 2021 | Vincent Dewulf |
| 2021 - 2022 | Linde Van Den Eeden & Guillaume Coryn |
| 2022 - 2023 | Michael Van Rijckeghem & Vincent Dewulf |
| 2023 - 2024 | Gyrit Ghillemyn & Guillaume Coryn |
Sources
- https://www.facebook.com/Katechetika (2023)
- https://katechetika.be/ (2023)
