By Courtney Mares Pope Francis said that catechists have the vital responsibility ofleading others to a personal encounterwith Jesus through prayer, the sacraments, and Scripture. “The kerygma is a person: Jesus Christ. Catechesis is a special space for fostering a personal encounter with Him,” Pope Francis said in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace Jan. 30. “There is no true catechesis without the testimony of men and women in flesh and blood. Who among us does not remember at least one of his catechists? I do. I remember the nun who prepared me for my First Communion and was so good to me,” the pope added.