Overview
"The General Directory for Catechesis says that we must give absolute priority to the formation of lay catechists."
The Religious Education Secretariat of the Diocese of Calgary is pleased to offer the Echoes of Faith program as an option for catechist and parish volunteers' enrichment.
How to Begin:
As a parish you will order the materials directly from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops by calling 1-800-769-1147 or use the order form available from the Ordering Information page.
As a Parish or Pastoral Zone Group you will need to order the following materials:
- Director's Manual (1 copy)
- Video 1 I Believe / We Believe
- Video 2 Liturgy and Sacraments
- Video 3 Catholic Morality
- Video 4 Prayer and Spirituality
- Video 5 Introduction to Scriptures
- Video 6 Getting Started as a Catechist
- Video 7 Roles of a Catechist
- Video 8 The person of a Catechist
- One participant's workbook per person, for each of the videos
What will the format be?
The Facilitator will follow the Director's Manual which lays out the process in a clear and user friendly manner. The Facilitator may be the Pastor, Pastoral Assistant, Sacramental Preparation Coordinator or another lay person assigned by the Pastor to take on this role.
Each Parish or Group can determine how often and when they will meet to view the video together, dialogue and work on their individual workbooks. This will vary by parish.
How will this course be recognized?
Upon completion of working through all of the materials outlined above the Facilitator will be able to issue a Certificate prepared by the Diocese. Certificates may be obtained by contacting Estelle Thoen at 218-5501.
What will the costs be?
It is recommended that individual participants pay for their own workbooks, where cost is not a hardship. The Parish will be purchasing the video materials which will be used over the years to enrich those working in various parish ministries.
Remember to order one workbook per person per video.
What if my parish does not offer this formation program?
Individuals wishing to pursue this training on their own may contact the Resource Centre at 218-5510 and order their own workbooks, one per video. They may borrow the videos one at a time as per Resource Centre lending policies. Upon completion of the program, please contact Susan Suttie at 218-5503 to arrange for a certificate to be issued.
Questions, comments, or concerns?
This program is more than a video with a study guide. It is an integrated learning design with a video component. It will provide a solid foundation for a catechist or anyone working in various ministries within a parish.
For information or help in establishing or maintaining your Echoes of Faith program, please contact Susan Suttie, Religious Education Consultant at 218-5503.