Office of Catechetics

• Youth Ministry Program

• Fashioning Faith

• ​Growing Up Catholic

•  Lifelong Faith

•  National Catholic Education Association

•  National Catholic Partnership on Disability

•  National Conference for Catechetical Leadership

•  Pastoral Planning

•  The National Initiative for Adolescent Catechesis

•  Just 5 Days--A Catholic Hands-On Youth Mission

•  Young Neighbors in Action

•  Youth Ministry Access

•  Center for Ministry Development

• Curating Faith Formation

• ​Catholic Family Faith

• FAITH Catholic

The Office of Catechetics promotes the development of mature faith, nurtures the response of believers to the Word, assists parishes and schools to elicit and form leaders for the ministry of catechesis and sacramental preparation, and encourages evangelization strategies.

   Our primary task is to assist the Bishop in handing on the authentic Deposit of Faith received by the Apostles from Jesus Christ in its fullness for twenty-one centuries through the Magisterium of the Church. We act as a liaison between the Bishop and his priest in order to serve them by providing for their most pressing need in Catechesis in their individual parishes. Providing a special emphasis on supporting parish based Catechesis such as CCD, Life Teen, In – home Catechesis, RCIA, Apologetics, etc.
        The office is also responsible for overseeing and implementing the certification process for parishes Catechist and Catholic school teachers. The Director of the Office of Catechetics collaborates with the Superintendent of Catholic Schools in this effort, as well as the Office of Hispanic Ministries and the Office of Black Catholic Ministries. Our goal is to implement a vision for Catechesis that transforms volunteers into being intentional missionary disciples who can witness to an encounter with Christ; that is both Catechetical and Evangelical.

 
“Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.” (41) 
 
    Blessed Paul VI’s Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi  


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IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF CATECHETICS:
 
   The Diocese of Lafayette will no longer be using the Echoes 3.0 program for certification. Therefore, no new licenses will be issued to begin the program.  Another program will be implemented as soon as possible.  For those of you who still need Catholic School hours or certification credits, one to two workshops per month will be presented in different locations around the Diocese starting in September that can be counted towards the new certification process once it  is in place.  FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE ALREADY IN THE ECHOES 3.0 PROGRAM:  You will be allowed to finish your certification in the Echoes program.  We have a limited amount of renewal licenses available, so please finish as quickly as possible. If you are just beginning Echoes it would be prudent to discontinue it and begin the new program when it is available.
 
   We also strongly encourage those with Catechist certificates from the Echoes model to continue their formation at their personal time, pace, and capability with the new model, as it will contain items that are beneficial to a Catechist that were not available under the current program. 
 
   Thank you for your understanding during this transition period.  We are working on making the certification process better for you with better content that is less time-consuming and more useful in your vocation as catechists.

• Grade Level Expectations for Parish Schools of Religion 

• Policy for the selection of religious education textbooks

• Conformity Listing of Catechetical Texts and Series from the USCCB

• Textbook Publishers

• Bookstores, Bibles, Supplementary Resources

• Catechetical Leaders Handbook Cover

• Catechetical Leaders Handbook Contents

• Loyola Institute for Ministry (LIM)

• University of Dayton

• Resources for Students with Special Needs

• Faith Formation for People with Disabilities

• Sacramental Programs Policies

• Youth and Justice Resources from Catholic Relief Services