This website is directed towards parish leaders in children's catechesis, youth evangelization and RCIA/adult faith formation to help transition to our updated process of catechist formation in the Diocese of Phoenix. After three years of consultation with parish leaders, pastors and specialists in catechesis, Bishop Olmsted reviewed and approved our updated catechist formation process.
This site provides an overview of the proposal to update Diocesan catechist formation, first by highlighting catechist formation in the current catechetical documents of the Church, and second by giving an overview of the new requirements for Diocesan Catechist Certification.
I. Update of the New Formation Process for Catechists
A. The Definition of a Catechist
The Church’s mission of catechesis is carried out primarily by the Bishops of the Church (GDC #222), but also incorporates members of the entire Body of Christ. Catechesis is also the responsibility of priests, religious and the laity. John Paul II’s Catechesi Tradendae (CT), The General Directory for Catechesis (GDC) and the National Directory for Catechesis (NDC) recognize the calling of the laity to work as catechists.
For our purposes in the Diocese of Phoenix, a catechist is one, chosen by the pastor or his delegate, to help others grow in their relationship with Christ by passing on the Deposit of Faith Christ left the Apostles. This definition of a catechist is made in distinction to a catechetical and youth evangelization leader. A catechetical or youth evangelization leader is a person, publicly appointed by the pastor, with the responsibility of administering a particular parish program.
In our Diocese, the definition of catechist includes the following:
– Catholic School Teachers
– Children’s Catechesis Catechists
– Youth Evangelization Core Team
– RCIA/Adult Faith Formation Teams
B. The Necessity of Forming Catechists in the Current Catechetical Documents
The GDC and NDC highlight the necessity of forming catechists.
GDC #234: The quality of any form of pastoral activity is placed at risk if it does not rely on truly competent and trained personnel. The instruments provided for catechesis cannot be truly effective unless well used by trained catechists.
NDC p. 229: Catechists need to be practicing Catholics who participate fully in the communal worship and life of the Church and who have been prepared for their apostolate by appropriate catechetical training.
Formation of catechists begins with the Bishop and the Diocese.
GDC #265: The organization of catechetical pastoral care has as its reference point the Bishop and the Diocese. The diocesan catechetical office is "the means which the Bishop as head of the community and teacher of doctrine utilizes to direct and moderate all the catechetical activities of the diocese".
C. Catechetical Documents of the Church that have been released Since 1997
Since 1997, there has been a tremendous renewal in the catechetical documents of the Church. These documents include:
Typical Edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) - 1997
General Directory for Catechesis - 1997
National Directory for Catechesis - 2005
Compendium of the CCC -
2006
United States Catholic Catechism for Adults - 2006
Catechist formation is being updated to incorporate these documents and include them in all aspects of catechist formation.
D. Major themes regarding Catechist Formation in Current Catechetical Documents
While not meant to be an exhaustive overview of the Church’s catechetical documents on catechesis and catechist formation, the following points highlight what they are calling for in catechesis and catechist formation.
1. Catechesis is Christ-Centered.
GDC #80. "The definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch, but also in communion and intimacy, with Jesus Christ". (236) All evangelizing activity is understood as promoting communion with Jesus Christ. Starting with the "initial" (237) conversion of a person to the Lord, moved by the Holy Spirit through the primary proclamation of the Gospel, catechesis seeks to solidify and mature this first adherence.
2. Catechesis today is to be missionary in nature.
GDC #59. In this way catechesis, situated in the context of the Church's mission of evangelization and seen as an essential moment of that mission, receives from evangelization a missionary dynamic which deeply enriches it and defines its own identity. The ministry of catechesis appears, then, as a fundamental ecclesial service for the realization of the missionary mandate of Jesus.
3. The Baptismal catechumenate models for us the progressive nature of conversion.
GDC #90-91 emphasizes the Baptismal catechumenate as the model for all catechetical activity.
GDC #91. Post-baptismal catechesis, without slavishly imitating the structure of the baptismal catechumenate, and recognizing in those to be catechized the reality of their Baptism, does well, however, to draw inspiration from "this preparatory school for the Christian life", (295) and to allow itself to be enriched by those principal elements which characterize the catechumenate.
4. Catechesis is to be Biblical, rooted in Salvation History.
GDC #108 Catechesis should attend to the presentation of salvation history by means of Biblical catechesis so as to make known the "deeds and the words" with which God has revealed himself to man: the great stages of the Old Testament by which he prepared the journey of the Gospel; (359) the life of Jesus, Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary who by his actions and teaching brought Revelation to completion; (360) the history of the Church which transmits Revelation: this history, read within the perspective of faith, is a fundamental part of the content of catechesis;
GDC #240. For its part, "Sacred Scripture should be the very soul of this formation". (218)
5. Formation in the Deposit of Faith is to be systematic and complete.
GDC #175. So as to respond to the more profound needs of our time, adult catechesis must systematically propose the Christian faith in its entirety and in its authenticity,
GDC #240. The context of this (the catechist) doctrinal formation should be drawn from the various areas that constitute every catechetical programme; the three great eras in the history of Salvation: the Old Testament, the life of Christ and the history of the Church. The great nuclei of the Christian message: the Creed, the Liturgy, the moral life and prayer.
GDC #240. The Catechism of the Catholic Church remains the fundamental doctrinal reference point together with the catechism proper to the particular Church.
6. Catechesis is directed towards “the love that never ends (CCC #25).”
GDC #238 talks about the importance of the witness of the catechist, of being able to articulate a relationship with Christ, of being formed with the skills and know-how of passing on the Faith, and of having a sense of witnessing for Christ, of spirituality and of apostolic consciousness.
E. The Goals of the New Catechist Formation Process
The updated Catechist Formation process seeks to:
• Facilitate conversion in the life of the catechist.
• Impart to the catechist the story of salvation history, developing the foundation for Biblical catechesis.
• Provide the catechist with an overview of the Church’s mission of evangelization and catechesis.
• Train the catechist in the necessary skills to assist in conversion of those they serve and to pass on to them the teachings of Christ.
• Help catechists know the Deposit of Faith through a systematic and complete study of USCCA.
F. The Underlying Principles of the New Catechist Formation
The following principles help to shape the form of the current catechist formation proposal.
1. Christ calls the person to be a catechist.
The work of the catechist is, first and foremost, a call from the Lord Himself.
GDC #231. The Lord Jesus invites men and women, in a special way, to follow him, teacher and formator of disciples. This personal call of Jesus Christ and its relationship to him are the true moving forces of catechetical activity.
2. Catechists lead busy lives.
There is no question that the biggest obstacle and challenge of formation of volunteer catechists is time. This, in addition to the incorporation of the current catechetical documents, is the biggest determining factor in the catechist proposal.
3. Adults learn best through a systematic, theme-based curriculum.
The new curriculum is objective-based, not hour-based. The previous catechist formation process was driven by hours, in that the goal of the formation was to expose the catechist to 60 hours of content, composed of classes that lasted anywhere between 2 and 4 hours. Classes were not taken in any systematic process, but as the catechist had time or the parish offered them. This updated process is driven by learning objectives, not by hours, and will be systematic and progressive in how catechetical content is learned.
4. The best presenter/formator of the catechist is the parish/school leader.
This updated process seeks to empower the parish catechetical and youth evangelization to be the primary formator of his/her catechists.
II. Details of the New Formation Process
A. Discernment Period before formally beginning as a Catechist
The period of initial discernment is done by the catechetical leader at the school/parish setting. What the Department of Family Catechesis will be offering in this area are tools to assist the leader in this process.
There should be a formal application to be a catechist, which would include an Interview.
There should be an Initial observation period by the leader, followed by a second interview at which point the person would either begin service as a catechist or, through prayerful discernment, be asked to serve elsewhere in the parish.
At the outset, the catechist should receive a brief training in initial skills, as outlined in the Diocesan Quickstart training for catechists.
There should also be a time for an initial spiritual retreat, in which the catechist reflects on the call to follow Christ on a daily basis, The New Life in Christ gives a sample format and sessions for such a retreat. Retreats such as Cursillo, Christ Renews His Parish, and the retreats offered by Renew are an example of these kind of retreats and would provide a great foundation for the catechist.
B. Courses for Catechist Formation
Each bullet point below represents a session. Each bullet point has its own set of objectives. Standardized assessments on the objectives will be developed for each session.
Courses 101-103 and 201 to 205 are meant to be taken sequentially. Courses 104 and 105 can be taken at any time and out of order.
Click here to see the outline of the entire curriculum.
Video Overview of Potential Online Catechist Component in Window Media Player
With the exception of the above classes that deal with catechesis (Cat 104, 105), all of the other classes can be open to any adult at the parish were these classes are offered.
C. Sample Session Format
The purpose of the sessions is to allow for transformation in the life of the catechist. While there will not be one methodology that a presenter has to use, the methodology needs to facilitate conversion. Sessions for each of the above bulleted points can follow a format as follows:
- Gathering Prayer/Liturgy of the Word (10 minutes)
- Explanation of Teaching/Session Objectives (30 minutes)
- Application (15 minutes)
- Closing Prayer (5 minutes)
D. Sample Curriculum Format
Courses can be offered in a variety of ways, depending upon the needs of the catechists. Some sample formats include:
- Weekend Retreats
- Weeknight
- Intensive Summer Week (Kino Cat Classes)
E. Additional Spiritual and Catechetical Elements
In addition to the completion of the courses above, to be certified by the diocese as a catechist, one must also undertake the following:
- Renewal Experience/Retreat (as done in the discernment stage)
- Observation of an experienced catechist (mentor)
- Observation while functioning as a catechist
- Final Interview with leader
- Completion of One Year of catechetical experience
F. Implementation Timeline
1. Implementation Timeline: Year One 2009-2010
Offer Cat 101-105 classes.
– English Only
– Three Parish Test Sites: Central, West, East Deaneries/Varied Formats. Click here for the schedule of courses at the test sites.
The old formation process continues.
– Kino Summer Cat Classes June 2010 (Last time Kino offers current formation during summer.)
There will be a year-end review committee of Parish/school leaders to discuss how the training went.
2. Implementation Timeline: Year Two 2010-2011
Offer Cat 101-105: English
– Six Parish Test Sites, in one site per deanery, 6 total with E/SE Combined/Varied Formats
Offer Cat 101-105 Spanish
– Three Parish Test Sites: Central, West, East Deaneries/Varied Formats
Offer Cat 201-205 English
– Three Parish Test Sites: Central, West, East Deaneries/Varied Formats
Offer Kino Summer Cat Classes June 2011 (Cat 100 and 200 series)
The old formation process continues.
There will be a year-end review committee of Parish/school leaders to discuss how the training went.
3. Implementation Timeline: Year Three 2011-2012
Offer Cat: 101-103, Cat 201-205 English/Spanish
– Six Parish test Sites In 6 total deaneries, with E/SE Combined /Varied Formats
– Kino Summer Cat Classes June 2012 (Cat 100 and 200 series)
Development of Equivalencies (Echoes of Faith, Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, etc.)
Development of Online Resources in English and Spanish
Last year of Old Formation Process
There will be a year-end review committee of Parish/school leaders to discuss how the training went.
G. Additional Implications
To ensure the organic nature of doctrine (GDC #240, 241), courses are to be taken sequentially (except 104 and 105, which deal with mission and practicalities of catechesis).
Certificate of Completion for each course (Certification granted only for completion of all courses).
GDC #231: There should be in a Diocese a certain number of religious and laity publicly recognized and permanently dedicated to catechesis who, in communion with the priests and the Bishop, give to this diocesan service that ecclesial form which is proper to it.
Catechist Recertification remains the same: 24 hours of instruction over 3 years, plus one retreat/year.
H. Transitioning and Equipping Parish/School Leaders
Qualifications of Presenters
- Teachers with BA or MA in Theology
– Credentialed Parish Leaders (Coordinators and Directors)
– Priests (excluding cat 104 and 105, unless they have experience and training in catechesis)
– Specialized Presenters will be accepted upon application and interview
Training qualified presenters in new formation process
– Participate in new catechist formation sessions, or
– Lunchtime overview meetings at Catechetical Leader Deanery Meetings beginning 2010-2011 (second year of implementation), through end of third year of implementation (Spring 2012).
– Hours towards credentialing and recredentialing will be given for training of leaders in new catechist formation process.
I. Transitioning Credential Standards to Master Catechist Standards
To help pastors and parish leaders understand the roles involved with the mission of catechesis at the parish, the proposal is that by 2012, ‘Credentialing’ Guidelines becomes ‘Master Catechist’ Guidelines
– Credentialed ‘Director’ becomes ‘Master Catechist’
– Credentialed ‘Coordinator’ becomes ‘Advanced Catechist’ or ‘Catechist Trainer‘
This change would eliminate the tension between the Department of Family Catechesis and pastors/parish leaders that credentialing often causes. Many times pastors have given the title ‘director’ to his employee when the Department has given the credentialing title of ‘coordinator’ to person. While the standards set up in credentialing would not change, the change in titles would more clearly associate what the leader does in light of the Church’s mission of catechesis.
J. Summary of Formation Levels of Catechists in the Diocese
1. Volunteer Catechists:
A catechist is one, chosen by the pastor or his delegate, to help others grow in their relationship with Christ by passing on the Deposit of Faith Christ left the Apostles.
After completing the course of catechist formation, Diocesan certification would mean that a catechist is qualified to pass on the faith on to parishioners.
2. Professional Parish Leaders:
A leader in catechesis or youth evangelization is a person, publicly appointed by the pastor, with the responsibility of administering a particular parish program.
The two levels of parish leadership in catechesis are:
a. ‘Advanced Catechist’ or ‘Catechist Trainer‘:
After completing the formation to be a catechist trainer, such as the Kino ‘Prepare the Way’ program, Diocesan certification here would mean that the leader is qualified to form parish catechists and other parish catechetical leaders in areas of specialization.
b. Master Catechist:
After completing the formation to be a catechist trainer, such as a Master’s Degree in Catechetics from a Catholic University, Diocesan certification here would mean that the leader is qualified to form parish catechists and parish catechetical leaders.
For more information, or if you are interested in becoming a test site for this process, please contact Eric at ewestby@diocesephoenix.org.
