Individuals who are catechists are entrusted to pass on the Deposit of Faith to others.
 
      As Catechists we are called to proclaim the Good News, and “hand on the message of Christ by professing, living, and celebrating the faith in Liturgy and prayer” (National Directory of Catechesis, 41). What this means in our daily lives as Catechists is:
 

• Profess the faith – catechists must be willing to actually speak the faith to others.
• Live the faith – catechists must be practicing Catholics who uphold in their personal lives the precepts of the Church. Catechists live moral lives based on the Ten Commandments, Beatitudes, and the Moral teachings of the Church.
• Celebrate the faith in Liturgy – catechists attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, participate in other forms of worship outside of Mass such as Adoration, Penance Services, etc. Catechists are expected to participate in the Sacrament of Confession monthly.
• Celebrate the faith in prayer – catechists pray daily, work toward a more full prayer life regularly and utilize prayer in their lesson planning and presenting process.

 
Catechists:
¨ Must be faithful, practicing Catholics.
¨ Must be Ethics and Integrity in Ministry (EIM) compliant. Lisa will walk you through the steps to do this.
¨ Are expected to follow all parish policies for catechetical ministry.
¨ Are expected to commit to a minimum of one school year of service.
¨ Are expected to attend training and orientation meetings. We schedule these as conveniently as possible.
¨ Are expected to attend every class night, well-prepared for the lesson and/or activities.
¨ Are expected to engage the students in their classroom with charity and grace.
¨ Are expected to communicate with the parents the expectations they have of the students in the class.
 
 

Catechist Certification is available, through the Diocese of Austin.
If you would like more information please contact Lisa.

The Diocese of Austin issues certificates of completion for all the Certification programs.