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Catechist Formation
Many women and men in Catholic parishes and schools throughout
New York state are engaged in passing on faith to children,
teens, and adults. "All share the challenge of echoing the word
of God faithfully and authentically in this place and time," the
bishops of our state said in foreword to The Catechist in the
Third Millennium: Call, Mission and Formation.
The word catechesis comes from an ancient word meaning to echo
the word of God. The people of our Diocese who teach religion to
our people of all ages, are called to "echo the word of God." We
call them "catechists."
Because catechesis is a life-long process of initial conversion,
formation, education, and ongoing conversion, our Diocese’s
formation of catechists is also ongoing. First, the catechist is
called – either as ministry as a teacher in one of our Catholic
schools or as a parish volunteer catechist.
Our parish catechists receive forty hours of Faith Formation in
Theology and Methodology on a basic level, in order to be
certified to teach our children. Theology is taught in three
modules of ten hours each in The Foundations of the Creed,
Revelation and The Church and its Sacraments. The last module of
ten hours is in Methodology.
Catechists are encouraged to achieve greater understanding and
depth in our Intermediate and Advanced certificate program.
More than a thousand catechists are at work in the Brooklyn
Diocese at any one time, encouraging, enlightening, empowering,
and endeavoring people of all ages to enliven and enact their
faith in every day and every way.
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