In an effort to promote and provide quality lifelong formation to the faithful, we recognize the importance of educating and supporting our Parish Catechetical Leaders in their efforts. This program utilizes The Effective DRE series, a joint project of NCCL and Loyola Press. The material is based on the National Certification Standards for Professional Parish Directors of Religious Education and on the core certification standards of the newly adopted National Certification Standards for Lay Ecclesial Ministers.

There are two separate series in the Certificate Program. A Skills Development Series and a Theology Series. The Skills Development Series addresses the basic competencies required to effectively run a Parish Program. The courses include:

• Developing a Parish Program
• Understanding Catechesis
• Building Community
• Communicating Effectively
• Forming Ministerial Relationships
• Keeping Records and Budgets
• Maintaining Professional Balance
• Recruiting and Training Volunteer Catechists
• Catechizing for a Just World

The Theology Series provides an introduction and orderly understanding and interpretation of the truths of revelation. The courses include:

• Ecclesiology
• Mary and the Saints
• Theological Reflection
• Church History
• Morality
• Sacramental Theology
• Scripture
• Ecumenism
• Christology

Along with these we will include courses on Multiculturalism and Protecting God’s Children.

The Core Certification Standards for both series are:

We will offer four courses a year plus a mandatory spiritual retreat. Participants would need to attend 7 courses and two retreats over a two-year period to be certified in one of the series. The annual Diocesan Ministry Congress may substitute for any one of the courses but not the retreats. Two certificates, one in each series, will complete the program. In conjunction with the Diocese of Pueblo we hope to offer these courses on a rotating basis so while we are offering the Theological Series, they would be offering the Skills Series. This would enable the Catechetical Leaders from both dioceses the opportunity to complete both certificates in a more timely way.

In an effort to promote and provide quality lifelong formation to the faithful, we recognize the importance of educating and supporting our volunteer catechists in their ministries. The program for Basic Certification utilizes the Echoes of Faith series, developed and sponsored by NCCL and produced by Tabor Publishing/RCL. This is a video-assisted resource that familiarizes the catechist with the foundations of Catholic doctrine and tradition and summarizes for them the principles of sound catechetical theory. The Diocesan Resource Center has three sets of this program, including one Spanish language set, for parish use.

The program is divided into three sections. The first section includes classes in:

• Getting Started as a Catechist
• The Roles of the Catechist
• The Person of the catechist
• Introduction to the Learner

The Theological classes include:

• I Believe/We Believe
• Liturgy and Sacraments
• Introduction to the Scriptures
• Prayer and Spirituality
• Catholic Morality

The Methodology classes are age appropriate sessions that help the catechist understand the age level they are teaching and suggest methods and activities to help them in the classroom.

In addition to the classes, catechists must attend one Spiritual Retreat a year.

The requirement for Basic Certification will be 30 classroom hours divided into 8 classroom hours of basic catechetical instruction, 18 classroom hours of theology and 4 classroom hours of methodology. In the future, an Intermediate Certificate will be issued with completion of 15 additional classroom hours, 10 of which must be in theology, and a retreat (a total of 45 hours). An Advanced Certificate will be issued with the completion of 15 additional classroom hours, 10 of which must be in theology, and a retreat (a total of 60 hours). Specifics on these courses will forthcoming.

Individual parishes or regions can utilize this program in ongoing sessions to provide formation to their catechists. Catechists wishing to become certified will be responsible for keeping and verifying their own records. When all requirements for the basic program have been met, the catechist must have their records approved by the Director or Coordinator of the formation program they are involved in. The Director or Coordinator will then keep the original records at the parish and send copies to the Office of Total Catholic Education at the Diocesan Catholic Pastoral Center to request certification for the catechist. The TCE will then approve and issue certificates back to the parish.