Making Catechist Formation a Priority (And Accessible!)

The new Directory for Catechesis once again (as did the previous General Directory for Catechesis) emphasizes the importance and priority of catechist formation. I’m a firm believer in the saying, “You can’t give what you don’t have.” Through catechist formation, we deepen our own relationship with Jesus Christ so that we, in turn, can invite others into relationship with him.

One of the difficulties that catechists often face when it comes to catechist formation is finding resources that are convenient, practical, user-friendly, and aren’t expensive. With that in mind, Loyola Press commissioned me to put together a catechist formation series that is convenient (online recordings), practical and user-friendly (My approach is always to make things simple but not simplistic.)

Together with my colleague and friend, Deirdre Mullane, we co-host ten sessions in the Catechetical Formation Series. Each session is about an hour long, covering the following topics within the three dimensions of catechist formation (being, knowing, and doing):

• Learning Session 1: Getting Started & Getting to Know Your Learners (DOING)
• Learning Session 2: The Catechetical Process (DOING)
• Learning Session 3: Prayer and Leading Prayer (DOING)
• Learning Session 4: Facilitation Skills and Handling Difficult Situations (DOING)
• Learning Session 5: What We Believe—The Creed (KNOWING)
• Learning Session 6: What We Believe—The Sacraments (KNOWING)
• Learning Session 7: What We Believe—The Moral Life (KNOWING)
• Learning Session 8: What We Believe—Prayer (KNOWING)
• Learning Session 9: Understanding God’s Word—Scripture (KNOWING)
• Learning Session 10: The Person of the Catechist (BEING)

Each session has an accompanying PDF to assist you in note-taking and discussion (should you be working with a group of catechists), as well as a verification page to complete and turn in to your parish catechetical leader or diocesan catechetical formation coordinator to verify that you have completed a session if you are required to do so for catechist certification.

To access the Catechetical Formation Series, go to www.loyolapress.com/catecheticalformationseries.

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