Catechetical Leadership Personnel (Directors or Coordinators of Religious Education) of our diocese assist parents in their role as the primary educators of their children. DREs and CREs do this by coordinating and directing various religious education programs in the parishes of the diocese. These programs assist parents and all adult parishioners in their own faith development as well as the faith development of youth. Also, these DREs/CREs are responsible for the training of the catechists - those who actually teach and share their faith with the participants of parish catechetical programs - by providing catechists formation opportunities.
It is essential that our parishes have qualified personnel to achieve all the responsibilities of the administrative position of Director or Coordinator of Religious Education. It is also equally essential that the catechists of our parishes be qualified to share their faith and the teachings of the Catholic Church with conviction and accuracy.
To assist in the formation of catechetical leaders and catechists for their respective roles, an endowment for Catechist Formation and Religious Education was created through the Harvest of Thanks, Springtime of Hope capital campaign. Money from this endowment is available to:
- Assist in the professional training of the Catechetical Leadership Personnel of the diocese;
- Support catechists in attaining or advancing their certification in the Diocesan Catechist Formation Process;
- Supply media and catechetical/adult enrichment materials; and
- Enrich programs for adult faith formation
Catechist Enrichment Grant
The Catechist Enrichment Grant is designed to provide funding for enriching adult faith formation through programs offered by the Magis Center and Ruah Woods. The Magis Center offers a Certificate in Contemporary Apologetics that addresses the survey trend that shows that young people leave religion due to a perceived contradiction between faith and science and/or a lack of evidence for God. This certificate program will help equip catechists to stop this trend by providing science-based, contemporary evidence for God, Jesus, the soul, the Catholic Church, and her moral teaching. The Theology of the Body course from Ruah Woods Institute will help catechists develop a deeper understanding of God's plan for human sexuality.