Religious Education

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Elementary Religion Curriculum and Guidelines
High School Religion Curriculum and Guidelines
Religion Textbooks for Catholic High Schools
Religion Textbooks for Parish High School Religion Programs

RCIA Policies and Guideline Manual

Catholic Courses Schedule

Diocesan Teachers of Religion & Catechists Certification Requirement

All diocesan teachers of religion in schools or parish programs of religion (CCD) must be certified through the diocesan certification program. This is also required for anyone who teaches the faith in positions through RCIA, parish Adult Faith Formation programs, and Youth and Young Adult Ministries. They need to complete all courses for the Elementary Level of certification.

Elementary Levels of Certification

Elementary Level

Basic Certification

1. Catechetical Process (five hours)
2. Basic Beliefs (five hours)
3 .Introduction to Scripture (five hours)
4. Introduction to Catholic Spirituality (ten hours)

General and Advanced Certification

Choose four of the following for General Certification and complete each of the remaining courses for Advanced Certification:

1. Old & New Testaments (ten hours)
2. Christian Morality (ten hours)
3. Sacraments (ten hours)
4. Church History (ten hours)
5. Justice and Peace (ten hours)
6 .Liturgy and Rites (ten hours)
7. Jesus (Christology) (ten hours)
8. Church: Vision, Mission, Ministry (ten hours)
9. Using Arts in Faith Formation (five hours)

Certificates for basic, general and advanced levels are issued at the end of each academic year.

NOTE: Once a teacher reaches the Advanced level of certification, they must complete 30 hours of maintenance every three years.

High School Levels of Certification

To be certified by the Diocese of Covington, a high school religion teacher must meet the following requirements:
1. A bachelor’s degree with a major in Catholic theology, religious education, or religious studies. This degree must include a minimum of 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours of course work in theology, religious education, or religious studies. A well-balanced program of study must include courses in scripture, doctrine, church history, moral theology, and liturgical/sacramental theology. Courses in pastoral ministry, prayer, and spirituality will be recognized.
2. An accredited college course in adolescent/developmental psychology, and at least one accredited course in secondary teaching methods.
3. Successful completion of a minimum of one quarter of student teaching or an equivalent practicum in teaching. This practicum must include observation of classes, lesson planning, and supervised teaching.
4. Part-time high school religion teachers must meet these same requirements.
5. Certificates will be issued by the Department of Catechesis and Formation and mailed directly to the schools. A copy of each teacher’s certificate is to be kept in the teacher’s file in the principal’s office.
6. Principals are strongly encouraged to make compliance to these standards a factor in determining the selection of teachers.
7. Please, note that High School Teachers who were already teaching religion in the Diocese of Covington prior to the 2010-2011academic year and who do not meet the aforementioned requirements, must complete the Basic, General and Advanced levels of certification.
8. Parish catechists at the high school level must complete the Basic, General, and Advanced levels of certification.

Permanent Diaconate Level of Certification Courses

Catechetical Process (five hours)
Introduction to Catholic Spirituality (ten hours)
Old & New Testaments(ten hours)
Theology of The Body (ten hours)
Sacraments (ten hours)
Church History (ten hours)
Vatican Council II (ten hours)
Liturgy and Rites (ten hours)
Christology (ten hours)
Church: Vision, Mission, Ministry (ten hours)

Director of Religious Education Level of Certification

To be a parish director of religious education, the individual must have a master’s degree in Catholic Theology or a master’s degree in another discipline, and a minimum of 24 semester hours (or 36 quarters) of graduate credits in Catholic Theology.

The required credits for both the DRE and CRE must include at least six of the following areas:
1.Revelation and Scripture
2.Christology
3.Sacramentology
4.Ecclesiology
5.Theology of Pastoral Ministry
6.Moral Theology
7.Spirituality
8.Ecumenism
9.Liturgy and Worship
10.Formation and Skills for D/CREs

Competency in these areas is measured through:
Demonstration of designated core competencies in a ministerial setting.*A written self-assessment of competencies.*An interview with a designated person from the Department of Religious Education.

Formation
Evidence of one activity in Personal and Spiritual Maturity competencies (Core Standard One, page 27*)Evidence of one activity in Lay Ecclesial Ministry Identity competencies (Core Standard Two, page 28*)

1.Evidence of one accomplishment or activity in Pastoral Praxis competencies (Core Standard Four, page 32*)
2.Evidence of one accomplishment or activity in Professional Practice competencies (Core Standard Five, page 37*)

*See pages 27-37, National Certification Standards for Lay Ecclesial Ministers serving as Parish Catechetical Leaders, Youth Ministry Leaders, Pastoral Associates, parish Life Coordinators, Directors of Music Ministries developed by NFCYM, NALM, NCCL, and NPM and approved by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Commission on Certification and Accreditation.

Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE)

To be a parish coordinator of religious education, the individual must have a bachelor’s degree in Catholic Theology or a bachelor’s degree in another discipline and a minimum of 30 semester hours (or 45 quarters) of undergraduate credits in Catholic Theology.

Certification Timeline and Recertification

Certification Timeline

The Diocese of Covington requires Basic, General, and Advanced levels of certification for teachers of RCIA, CCD at all levels, and elementary school teachers and principals. Each level of certification must be completed within consecutive two-year periods.

NOTE: Certificates for basic, general and advanced levels are issued at the end of each academic year.

Recertification

Both basic and general certificates are valid for three years.

If religion teachers’ basic or general certificates have expired and they have not yet completed the four additional learning modules necessary to apply for the next level of catechist certification, they must renew their present certificate at the same level.

For recertification at the same level, teachers must take two additional classes.

Once advanced certification is achieved, teachers do not need to re-certify unless they are absent from teaching religion for a period of five consecutive years.

Track The Certification Courses You Complete

Click here to download a Tracking Form for the Faith Formation Courses that you complete.

Once the advanced level of certification is completed, 30 maintenance hours must be completed every three years. Click here to download a Maintenance Form. When completed, return the form to the Office of Catechesis and Evangelization. Your completion of the required hours will be documented in our office, and a new form will be mailed/e-mailed to you. If you have any questions regarding maintenance contact us at (859) 392-1500.

Certification Course Descriptions

The courses listed below are required for Diocesan teachers, principals of religion and parish catechists to complete their certification process. They are also open to any adult who wishes to attend.

Descriptions of Certification Courses

Introduction to Catholic Spirituality

The Adult Learner will be able to:
•Define the core principles of Catholic Spirituality
•Summarize the Catholic view of the sacramental system and how it is the lens through which the world
is understood and viewed
•Explain the theological understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity as a communion of Divine Person
•Explain the importance and centrality of the Eucharist in the life of the Church
•Identify various aspects of Marian theology
•Explain the role of the baptized in the life of the Church and the world
•Define the Church’s understanding of the universal call to holiness
•Give examples of the call to holiness from the lives of the saints

Introduction to Scripture

The learner will be able to:
•Define the concepts of revelation and inspiration as they apply to the Bible
•Explain the formation of the Scriptures including authorship, oral and written tradition and formation of
the canon of the Scriptures
•Recognize some of the major types of literary forms found in the Bible, e.g., myths, legends, parables,
proverbs, poems
•Demonstrate the use of contemporary biblical commentaries, concordances and dictionaries
•Identify appropriate uses of the Scriptures for personal and communal prayer and in the liturgy of the
Church

Catechetical Process

The learner will be able to:
•Compare and contrast significant historical developments in catechesis in order to understand contemporary catechetical approaches
•Describe the primary tasks of contemporary catechesis as well as the role of the catechist
•Describe the process of faith development, as growing out of an understanding of human development, and its implications for teaching religion
•Formulate teaching approaches that respond to the needs of the students arising from the cultural and
social realities that impinge upon them
•Appreciate and incorporate the perspectives of different cultures into learning activities
•Adapt lessons to the wide range of learning needs/abilities represented in the class
•Write appropriate learning objectives around a given religious concept
•Translate learning objectives into teaching strategies
•Design and sequence learning activities into a lesson plan according to the movements of the
catechetical process
•Demonstrate an awareness of how to structure and manage the learning environment so that the
desired objectives are attained

Basic Beliefs

Learner will be able to:
•Identify faith as our response to God’s call to relationship and as the content of what we believe
•Define the term creed and distinguish between the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed
•Describe the process through which the Nicene Creed developed
•Express a basic understanding of the following concepts: Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), Incarnation, Paschal Mystery, and Communion of Saints
•Explain the meaning of the hierarchy of truths in Catholic doctrine
•Define the following terms: faith, theology, Magisterium, tradition, doctrine, dogma
•Explain the relevance of the creedal statements to Christian living
•Describe the role of the catechist in passing on the Catholic Tradition

Old and New Testaments

The learner will be able to:
•Describe the approach to historical biblical criticism taken by Catholic biblical scholars (See Divino Afflante Spiritu and Dei Verbum)
•Identify the most significant geographical sites of the events of the Bible
•Identify the principal divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures and the literary styles found in the various books of the Hebrew Scriptures
•Outline the major narratives of the Hebrew Scriptures
•Describe the distinguishing characteristics of each of the gospels
•Explain some ways in which the early Christian community depicted in the Acts of the Apostles can serve as a model for the Church today
•Describe the role of the Holy Spirit in the Church as found in the Acts of the Apostles
•Give examples of the audiences for whom Paul wrote his epistles and also the issues which the epistles address
•Explain the purpose of the Book of revelation
•Demonstrate approaches for using Scripture in catechesis

Christian Morality

The learner will be able to:
•Demonstrate knowledge of the sources of morality, basic moral principles and theories of moral development
•Explain how moral behavior has to do with appropriate response in and to love relationships in the human community
•Demonstrate an understanding that morality is rooted in one’s spiritual life rather than in law
•Explain the relationship of divine, natural, and positive law
•Demonstrate knowledge of the connections between morality and the sacraments, especially Baptism, Reconciliation, and Eucharist
•Explain how one’s moral principles and conviction’s give meaning to one’s actions
•Describe the nature of a healthy conscience developed in freedom and grace and the role of the conscience in moral decision-making
•Describe the contemporary nature of sin, its causes and effects
•Explain the right, duty, and responsibility of the Church to exercise a teachings role in the world
•Explain and interpret the theological and pastoral aspects of moral teachings and their application to specific situations
•Identify current moral dilemmas and develop examples of responses in light of insights gained through the study of Christian morality

Sacraments

The learner will be able to:
•Explain the principle of Sacramentality and summarize the sacramental theology of Vatican Council II
•Define grace and explain the teaching of the Church regarding sacraments as sources of grace
•Explain how human life experiences are expressed in symbol and ritual
•Give an overview of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults
•Describe the role of the Holy Spirit in Baptism and Confirmation
•Explain Eucharist as source and summit of Christian life
•Explain the sacraments of healing as celebrations of God’s abiding care and concern
•Explain the sacraments at the service of communion as rooted in our baptismal call
•Trace the historical development of the sacraments

Church History

The learner will be able to:
•Describe the development of the Church from a small Jewish community of believers to a Greco-Roman state religion under Theodosius
•Identify some of the key people and events in the first 500 years of Christianity
•Name some of the issues that led to the East-West Schism and its effect on the development of Christianity
•Explain the influence of the Roman Empire and feudalism on the Church from Charlemagne through the 1300s
•Summarize the impact of monasticism on the reform of clergy and the papacy
•Describe some of the people, events, and ideas that led up to the Protestant Reformation and the Catholic Counter-Reformation
•List some of the decisions reached during the Council of Trent and their impact on the life of the Church
•Demonstrate how the Renaissance, the Age of Enlightenment, Industrial Revolution, French Revolution and other cultures affected the growth of the Church from the 17th century to the present
•Explain how the Catholic Church developed in the United States and what affects the U.S. Church has had and is having on the Church universal
•Reflect on the present state of the Catholic Church in light of the past and identify some challenges Catholicism faces in the future

Justice and Peace

The learner will be able to:
•Distinguish between the concepts of charity and justice and explain the implications of each for the structures of society
•Identify the basic principles of justice within our Catholic Tradition as found in the Hebrew Scriptures, the Christian Scriptures, and Church documents
•Name the seven basic themes of Catholic Social Teaching and apply them to their own lives, communities, and societal structures. (See Sharing Catholic Social Teaching, USCCB)
•Identify three major papal social encyclicals and their themes
•Explain the economic principles found in the U.S. bishops’ pastoral Economic Justice for All
•Identify and analyze situations in which their own and others’ human dignity has been violated and discuss how these examples connect with the larger themes of human dignity and justice
•Explain the concept of global solidarity and link missionary activities with peace and justice education
•Apply the pastoral circle (awareness, analysis, action, reflection) to a current peace or social justice issue

Liturgy and Rites

The learner will be able to:
•Define the principle of Sacramentality which is foundational to Catholic liturgy
•Summarize the historical development of our liturgical tradition
•Describe the goals of the liturgical reforms mandated by the Second Vatican Council
•Explain that liturgy expresses in word and action a dialogue between God and the worshipping assembly. (God speaks to us in the Liturgy of the Word and we respond in the Liturgy of the Eucharist by offering praise and thanks and sharing in the Body and Blood of Christ)
•Name and explain the four presences of Christ in the liturgy: assembly, Word, Eucharist, and presiding minister
•Explain the fundamental principles of preparing liturgy with children found in the Directory for Masses with Children
•Demonstrate an understanding of the Paschal Mystery and its relationship to the liturgical year
•Demonstrate an understanding of the importance and role of the Liturgy of the Hours in the Church’s life of prayer
•Explain the role of symbol, music, art and environment in the liturgical experience

Jesus/Christology

The learner will be able to:
•Distinguish among Christological methodologies (descending Christology, ascending Christology, low ascending Christology) and explain their impact on current Christological issues
•Differentiate the four approaches to the historical person of Jesus as presented in the Gospels
•Summarize Jesus’ teaching as revealed through his parables, discourses, miracles and relationships, especially as focused through Jesus’ understanding of the Kingdom of God
•Appreciate the theological impact of the Paschal Mystery on the earliest believers as well as on believers today
•Identify the relationship between the Jesus of history and the Christ of faith, especially as developed in the New Testament titles for Jesus
•Name and explain the doctrines formulated by the early Christological Councils (Nicea 325), Constantinople I 381, Ephesus 431, and Chalcedon 451) and the contexts from which they developed
•Name and explain the Christological doctrines expressed in the Nicene Creed and articulated in the Catechism of the Catholic Church
•Explain the significance of the doctrine of the Incarnation for our understanding of the mystery of the relationship between God and human beings
•Explore the intersections between contemporary human issues and the Christ event and use these insights in a catechetical setting with appropriate awareness of the process of faith development

Church: Vision, Mission, Ministry

The learner will be able to:
•Identify the major features of the Catholic understanding of the Church including the role of Mary
•Explain how the Church continues Jesus’ mission of proclaiming the Reign of God
•Explain the value of models as a way of understanding the many dimensions of the mystery of the Church
•Describe Avery Dulles’ models of the Church and give examples of how they have been presented throughout the history of the Church
•Identify some significant outcomes of Vatican Council II and its place in the history of the Church’s development
•Identify the importance of considering human culture in bringing about the Reign of God
•Explain how the structure of the Church has evolved since the time of Christ
•List the criteria for a call to ministry rooted in Baptism
•Explain the role of the laity in today’s Church and how this affects the role of the individual Catholic
•Describe what makes a parish a dynamic expression of the Church’s mission. Give examples of the signs of a developing sense of community within a parish

Maintenance Course Descriptions

These courses are one of the ways the Department of Catechesis and Formation has responded to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ concern that parishes and schools create ways to encourage and help adult Catholics nourish and grow in their faith – a faith that is “living, explicit and fruitful.”

The following courses may be taken to fulfill the maintenance requirement for all catechists at the Advanced level.

Descriptions of Maintenance Courses

Doctrine of God: The Trinity

The Christian Doctrine of the Trinity affirms that while God is one, He exists as three persons. The Athanasian Creed says that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity. “There is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit.” They are all one, coeternal, uncreated, incomprehensible, and almighty. Yet there are three persons, distinguished by the fact that the Father is unbegotten, the Son begotten, and the Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son.

Is such a doctrine intelligible, and does it either illuminate Christian faith or guard essential truths of our belief? That is the heart of the question to be examined in this course. The historical roots of the doctrine and the leading ways in which it has been interpreted in Christian history will be explored.

All courses & workshops in this program are reprinted with the permission of the following publisher: Archdiocese of Cincinnati Publication, The Ministry of the Catechist, Administrator’s Guide, Copyright © 1994, 2003.

Eschatology (The Last Things)

The study of last things is called eschatology from the Greek word eschatos, meaning “the last or extreme.”
The stages of eschatology include: individual human death, particular judgment, then heaven, purgatory or hell, the end of the world, the living being “taken up,” the resurrection of the body, the Second Coming of Christ, general judgment, and the New Creation.
Christians accept that the first of the “last things” of human life is physical death.
The Divine Revelation tells us that the origin of human death is the sin of Adam and Eve. And the punishment for the original sin is found in Genesis 3:19: by the sweat of your face shall you get bread to eat, until you return to the ground, from which you were taken; for you are dirt, and to dirt you shall return.

The historical roots of the doctrine of Eschatology and the leading ways in which it has been interpreted in Christian history will be discussed in this course.

Going Deeper into the Catechism of the Catholic Church

For 2000 years the greatest minds and holiest mystics of the Church
have reflected on the Gospel. The Catechism is the synthesis of this reflection.

Come and explore more deeply the beauty and power of our faith
as it touches upon the difficult issues of our day.

This series will provide a systematic program of study to help you:

Grow spiritually from a well formed faith
Answer questions about the Catholic Faith
Transmit the Faith to others

It is designed for a wide audience of average Catholics, parents, lay volunteers, catechists, teachers, religious, deacons and priests, as they strive to understand, teach, evangelize, and defend the Faith. It is a Diocesan “Maintenance Course” that will develop the four pillars of Belief, Liturgy, Moral Life and Prayer.

The Mass as Prayer

This course will consist of a detailed look at all elements of the Mass according to the current translation of the Roman Missal (3rd Edition) and at how those elements contribute to the prayerful character of the Mass. The desired outcome is a fuller participation in the most important thing we do each week. Some aspects of prior texts of the Mass are included in order to better understand the evolution of the Mass. Covered in the course:
• Introduction to the 3rd Edition of the Roman Missal
• The Mass as Sacrifice
• The Mass as Meal
• The Mass as our Greatest Prayer
• The Introductory Rites
• The Liturgy of the Word
• The Liturgy of the Eucharist
• The Communion Rite
• The Concluding Rites

The Pope, the Vatican, and Things Roman

Historical and contemporary elements of the Church of Rome, especially in the context of its role in the universal Catholic Church will be discussed.

Topics will include:

The Papacy
The Tomb of St. Peter
The Holy See and its dicasteries
Vatican City State

The major basilicas and churches with an aside on our Cathedral Basilica.

Mariology (Marian Theology)

The Adult Learner will be able to:
Discuss the basic teachings of the Church regarding the Blessed Virgin Mary. References will be made to the Church Fathers, various Papal documents, the Second Vatican Council, and the contributions of Pope John Paul II.

Man Cannot Live Without Love

The human person and the whole of reality are best understood in terms of the Love in which they were created…the Trinitarian love of God. What does our former pope, a celibate man from an obscure Polish town, have to tell the whole world about the meaning of love? A lot, apparently, because he spent his Wednesday audiences from 1979 through 1984 talking about this very topic.

Come join us for this course on what has come to be known as his “Theology of the Body” and find out more about John Paul II’s new approach to the most fundamental and primordial truths of the human person.

Adam and Kate Iadipaolo are graduates of the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family who currently find any way possible to integrate John Paul II’s thought into their teaching for high school students, young adults, engaged couples, seminarians, and more!

“He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself,
his life is senseless, if love is not revealed to him, if he does not
encounter love, if he does not experience it and make it his own,
if he does not participate intimately in it.”

-Pope John Paul II

Oh For the Splendor: A History of Christian Architecture

The Adult Learner will be able to:
Describe the history of Christian architecture from the earliest days of Christianity until the present moment.

Classes will discuss:

The house churches and chapels in the catacombs
The expansion of design under Constantine
The influences of monasticism
Norman contributions
Gothic design
The mentality of the Renaissance
The writings of Saint Charles Borromeo and Fr. Marc Antoine Laugier
French Neo-Classicism
The gothic revival
Modern architecture
Postmodern corrections
Current thoughts on the topic, especially as represented by current documents of the United States Catholic Conference and the Second Vatican Council.

Bioethics

The adult learner will be able to:

Use the Theology of the Human Person as the basis for Catholic Morality and Bioethics.
Integrate virtue ethics and the teaching of Veritatis Splendor in the application of Bioethics.
Explain the significance of the body according to John Paul II’s teaching on the human person.
Understand the scientific and bio-medical facts surrounding abortifacients, IVF, cloning, stem cell research, organ transplants & euthanasia.
Articulate the Church’s teaching on human dignity and beginning of life issues.
Articulate the Church’s teaching on the meaning of suffering and end of life issues.

Parents and Teachers in the School of Virtue

This practical, hands-on course will allow parents and teachers to examine their view of parenthood, to understand it as a vocation essential to Church and society, and to see the teacher’s role as an extension of the parent’s vocation. Based on Father Edward J. Flanagan’s Boys Town model for raising children to be responsible, productive, virtuous adults, this course will affirm parents as the primary educators of their children and give parents and teachers alike the tools to help children grow in virtue and good behavior. Space is limited to 16 adult participants. Fathers, mothers, and teachers are encouraged to attend. It is most beneficial for couples to attend together, if possible. Babysitting is available upon request.

- Explain how and why parents are teachers of virtue
- Identify that the first step toward growth in virtue is self-evaluation
- Differentiate between authoritarian and authoritative discipline
- Describe the relationship between the virtue of prudence and the appropriate use of consequences and praise
- Demonstrate the steps in preventive teaching: developing moral virtues (justice, prudence, temperance, and fortitude) via social skills
- Demonstrate the steps in teaching self-control/self-mastery: calming down

Describe the use of Family Meetings as a means of preventive teaching and teaching self-control

Demonstrate the steps in corrective teaching involving the virtues of humility and obedience
Identify prayer as the primary “tool” for parents

The Prayer Workshops:

Praying All-Ways
Creating an environment for prayer (in the home, classroom, or even on the go), learning styles and prayer, cross-curricular prayer (it’s not just for religion class), sacramental imagination and the use of sacramentals, echoing the rhythm of liturgy in prayer services, praying the liturgical calendar, writing general intercessions with adults or children, psalms for all ages, lived prayer, guided meditation, Lectio Divina, and more. Explore the sacred in the ordinary, discover the things in their lives that help them draw closer to God, and develop a broader understanding of the use of sacramentals in prayer.

The Interior Life of Parents & Teachers: Praying Through It
Based on “oremus”, we look at different dimensions of prayer: relational prayer, Lectio divina, distractions in prayer, etc. Designed to help a parent or teacher enter into prayer through their everyday life and not around it. Included are basic but helpful principles. Also there are some tips from Ignatius of Loyola, St. Terese of Avila and St. Francis de Sales etc.

Scripture Studies

The following individual courses are offered on a rotating basis and provide adult learners with a more in-depth understanding of specific books of the Bible.

The Gospel of Mark

Jesus promised to make his apostles “fishers of men.” They knew how to cast nets for fish; the Lord will teach them how to cast the net of the gospel to bring people into the kingdom of God. He will even use the sea as a classroom for these seasoned fishermen. Let’s stand beside the apostles as they learn from the Lord about the realm of the Spirit. Their progress will be slow but by the end of the gospel they will set out on their mission to proclaim the gospel to the nations. Would we be able to join them?

The Gospel of John

The image for the Gospel of John is an eagle that soars above the earth. John presents his readers with a series of powerful miracles Jesus works to open the minds of people to the world of faith. Let’s read the Fourth Gospel and allow it to take us up to the heavens. We will discover the power of the Incarnate Word and learn how to respond to the invitation to become children of God.

The Gospel of Luke

At the beginning of his gospel Luke promises to give us an orderly account of the things Jesus said and did. He wants us to know God has a plan for us. Let’s read together some of Luke’s account and discover that plan for ourselves. Then let’s move on to Acts of the Apostles to discover what wonderful things can happen when people are filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts of the Apostles

The Gospel of Matthew

See the Gospel of Matthew from the viewpoint of “the kingdom of heaven,” a phrase appearing only in this gospel among the Synoptics. Through a series of contrasts Matthew gradually awakens his readers to the superior kingdom proclaimed by Jesus Christ. A series of five proclamations by this new King lead to a deeper understanding of this kingdom: the character of its servants (Mt 5-7); the challenges faced by the apostles who preach the kingdom (Mt 10); the kingdom’s power to nourish people spiritually (Mt 13); humility as the standard of greatness in the kingdom (Mt 18); and finally the everlasting reign of Jesus as King (Mt 24-25).

The Book of Psalms

St. Ambrose called the Book of Psalms “a gymnasium for the soul.” He explained that the Book of Psalms is filled with reflections to help us build up strength for the journey of life. Join us as we read some of the Psalms together. You may just experience a good spiritual work-out.

The Prophets – Agents of Life

We are all familiar with the accounts about prophets healing the sick or feeding many with just a little. Such miracles teach us a great deal about prophets. They are agents of life, steering the people of Israel closer to God the source of life. They can work wonders, but their most preferred method is to preach the word of God. Let’s read about them in the Bible and discover how they can be life-agents for us, too.

The Book of Revelation–Worshiping with the Saints and Angels

The Book of Revelation is filled with sights and sounds to help us on our spiritual journey. Come join us and enjoy all the good news of God’s victory against all that would stand in the way of the road to glory.

Wisdom Books

On the first day we will look at some highlights in the seven wisdom books of the Catholic Bible.

1. Our focus will be on the beautiful language and imagery of these seven wonders of the spiritual
world; we will also gain appreciation for their life-giving message.
2. In our second day session we will take in the breathtaking scope of the Book of Job. We will see how
the great drama of this book unfolds and discuss its inspiring message for all God’s faithful servants
on earth.
3. In our third day se

-Pope John Paul II

Adult Faith Formation

All adults are welcome to attend the classes offered by the Diocese of Covington. An additional resource to use for adult faith formation is the series of books from Midwest Theological Forum, The Didache Parish Series.

Elementary Level Religion Curriculum

(Includes Home Schooling)

Each elementary school principal and parish director or coordinator of the parish religion program shall receive a copy of the new curriculum for teaching religion at the elementary level.

If you have questions, please contact Isaak Isaak, 392-1500, ext. 1529.

High School Religion Curriculum

Each high school principal shall receive a hard copy of the new curriculum for teaching religion at the high school level.

If you have questions, please contact Isaak Isaak, 392-1500, ext. 1529.

Diocesan RCIA Manual

Click here to read the Diocesan RCIA Manual.