Certification for Religious Educators

Introduction

Calling all Parish Catechists and Catholic School Religion Teachers, we are excited to offer you the opportunity to receive Basic, Advanced or Masters Certification through the Diocese of Owensboro as a result your hard work of growing as a disciple of Christ and learning the teachings of our Catholic faith. You can earn hours toward certification in a variety of ways and chances are you already have accumulated hours that simply need to be documented. You may go back five years in your formation and even further if you have college courses that meet the necessary criteria.

Over the past seven years, the Echoes of Faith program has provided the 15 core courses for formation. These 15 courses are still available on-line, but we are implementing greater flexibility to include all parish and diocesan training opportunities, as well as programs you may have earned hours for through professional development at your work. Look over the following links and let us help you begin documenting previous learning and plan for upcoming opportunities in the diocese or in your parish.


Catechists are called to continual conversion and growth in their faith and, for this reason, are called to ongoing spiritual formation. The catechist should continue his or her own spiritual formation through frequent reception of the sacraments, especially the Sacraments of Holy Eucharist and Penance and Reconciliation, through spiritual direction, and through continued study of the faith. The catechist should also be provided with opportunities for spiritual growth such as retreats, conferences, etc. In addition to spiritual formation, the catechist is also in need of pedagogical formation especially as society, teaching methods, and culture change. NDC Ch 8, C

The certification process exists to certify persons in their catechetical ministries to adults, youth or children in the Diocese of Owensboro. This process fosters the acquisition of appropriate applied knowledge and skills, and the continued faith formation of catechists. The Office of Faith Formation assists the Bishop in his responsibility:

“to see to it that catechists are duly prepared to fulfill their tasks correctly, namely, that continuing formation is made available to them, that they acquire a proper knowledge of the Church’s teaching, and that they learn in theory and in practice the norms proper to the pedagogical disciplines.” (Canon 780)