Ongoing Formation
The Diocese of Charleston offers free webinars for catechist formation. The webinars on this page were previously offered live. You may receive credit for viewing these recordings by answering the questions at the end of the webinar. A certificate of attendance will be sent to the name and e-mail address submitted with the answers. Please allow ten days for your answers to be reviewed and your certificate sent to you. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Cathy Roche in the Office of Catechesis and Christian Initiation at (843) 261-0504 or cathy@charlestondiocese.org.
Diocese of Charleston, Catechist formation
Those who instruct others in faith formation programs include volunteers in a variety of parish programs and professional educators. All of them are devoted Catholics who are zealous to share their faith and to help impart that faith to others.
In order to be a catechist (the official name for a teacher of religion), one must:
- Be an active Catholic in good standing with the Church.
- Be approved by the pastor and the director or coordinator of religious education.
- Be cleared by a background check conducted by the diocese’s Office of Child and Youth Protection.
- Complete the prescribed safe environment training program required of catechists and all serving in ministry.
Catechist Certification
Catechesis is both a vocation and a craft. As such, it needs to be constantly nurtured and honed. The best way to begin to ensure the effectiveness of one’s catechetical ministry is to seek certification as a catechist. Our Catechist Certification Guidelines, approved by Bishop Guglielmone, have been in effect for several years. These requirements assure that all catechists have the opportunity for appropriate background in Sacred Scripture, basic doctrine, liturgy and sacraments, Catholic moral teaching, Catholic social teaching, catechetical methods, and learning theory. There are abundant opportunities to achieve the training required for certification, offered both by the diocese and by local parishes. Check out our webinar page for online resources offered by the diocese and our events page for upcoming workshops/opportunities. To be kept up to date on upcoming opportunities, contact us at catechesis@charlestondiocese.org to join our email list.
