WELCOME!
The purpose of the catechetical formation and certification program is to help the whole community of faith in the Diocese of Covington come to a basic knowledge of Jesus Christ and the teachings of His Church, and to prepare future generations to answer the call to holiness.
The Diocese of Covington’s Catechetical Formation and Certification Program was developed to engage the community of the Diocese in the ongoing formation of the Catholic faith and to provide the best possible training for all the faithful involved in catechesis.
I am a
Catholic School Teacher (K-12)
Catechists who teach content areas other than religion or theology are models of the faith to their students. ALL Catholic school teachers are required to complete a minimum of one faith formation workshop per year.
I am a
Religion/Theology Teacher (K-8)
Catechists who are responsible for teaching religion or theology classes must be practicing Catholics with a deep knowledge of the Faith. Religion teachers should meet diocesan standards for certification as a catechist.
I am a
Religion/Theology Teacher(9-12)
Catechists who teach religion or theology in high school must be practicing Catholics with a bachelor’s degree in Catholic theology, religious education, or religious studies. They should meet diocesan standards for certification as a Master Catechist.
I am a
Catholic School Principal (K-12)
Catholic School Principals must make it a priority to equip their catechists to effectively teach the faith. Principals must complete a minimum of one faith formation workshop and provide a minimum of 3-hours of faith formation training to their faculty/staff each school year.
I am a
Director/Coordinator of Rel. Ed.
A Director/Coordinator of Religious Education Program should encourage and guide parish catechists through the certification process each year. It is primarily the responsibility of the DRE/CRE to ensure that catechists are aware of and encouraged to explore the diocesan standards for certification.
I am a
Parish Catechist
Parish catechists are called to continue deepening their knowledge of the faith and to grow closer to Jesus in their personal lives in order to teach the children in their care. All parish catechists must be in good standing and agree to work toward Master Catechist certification.
We’ve partnered with the Catechetical Institute – FranciscanAtHome.com
The Catechetical Institute (CI) is a large-scale international outreach of Franciscan University of Steubenville for ministry formation. CI was formally organized in 2015 and publicly launched in 2017 to serve Christ and his Church by forming those entrusted with the formation of others in any situation and ministry role — priests, deacons, religious, parents, parish and school leaders, teachers, catechists, and teams, whether professional or volunteer, from homes to diocesan hierarchies.
Visit FranciscanAtHome.com
Types of Catechists
In the Diocese of Covington, catechists are those who are involved in teaching ministries. These include:
- Catholic school principals, faculty, and staff
- Directors of Religious Education (DRE) & Coordinators of Religious Education (CRE)
- CCD/PSR teachers
- Directors/Coordinators of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) and their teams
- Youth Ministers (YM) and their volunteer teams
- Young Adult Ministers (YAM)
- Adult Faith Formation Ministers (AFFM)
- Family Life Ministers (FLM)
- College Campus Ministers
- Worship Music Ministers (WMM)
- Home School Ministers (HSM)
- Sacramental Prep Teams (Baptism, Penance, Eucharist, Confirmation, Matrimony)
- Adult Bible Study
- Retreat Volunteer Teams
- Other volunteers leading faith formation programs
Qualities of a Catechist
All catechists in the Diocese of Covington should be striving to meet the following qualities:
- A strong awareness of the working of God’s grace in his/her life and a growing faith life in response to that grace.
- A personal commitment to Jesus Christ who is the center of the message.
- A strong understanding of love for the Church, evidenced by personal commitment.
- A person who can nurture the development of a Christian community.
- An ability to appreciate different types and stages of individual growth and development.
- An ability to communicate effectively with people to be catechized.
- A willingness to continue his/her own religious formation.
- A person who integrates a vision of justice in his/her formation and catechetical ministry.