Parish
The vocation to the ministry of catechesis flows from the sacrament of Baptism. This personal call of Jesus Christ and the relationship with Him are the true engines of the catechist’s activity: “from this loving knowledge of Christ springs the desire to proclaim him, to ‘evangelize,’ and to lead others to the ‘yes’ of faith in Jesus Christ." (DC 122)
Roadmap to Catechist Certification
This roadmap offers a comprehensive view of the catechist certification process. It can be download or printed for your reference.
- Contact the Certification team at [email protected] to get the most updated registration form. The team will send the form along with instructions and follow up steps as well.
- Completed registration forms, questions and financial aid inquiries can be submitted to [email protected].
- I haven’t taken any previous Archdiocesan catechist formation; how do I get started?
- The first step is to discuss this with your parish catechetical leader or Catholic School principal as he or she may have specific instructions for you. Once you have that conversation, you can get started here: formedcatholiconline.com. You will begin in Level I.
- When I visit formedcatholiconline.com there are three options: Catechist Certification, Teacher Certification and Online Electives. Which one should I choose?
- Please choose Catechist Certification if you will be receiving certification as a parish catechist. If you will be receiving certification under a Catholic School, please choose Teacher Certification. Online electives are electives for any parish catechist in Level III. Online electives are also open to anyone else wanting to learn more about the Catholic faith.
- Is there a difference between Catechist Certification and Teacher Certification?
- Catechist Certification and Teacher Certification will yield the same type of archdiocesan catechist certificate. The main difference is that parish catechists need to complete the Level I Methodology sessions onsite, while Catholic school participants complete a ministerial course online.
- We’re ready to get started with online formation. How do I create accounts for my parish catechists and/or school teachers?
- Catechetical Leaders will fill out the Excel form and send it to [email protected]. The Certification Team will use this information to create accounts for your catechists. Principals, please include new faculty in the yearly registration form. The Certification Team will use this information to create accounts for your teachers.
- Once the Office of Lifelong Formation receives your form, please allow up to 2 business days for processing the information. Emails with login information will be sent to registered catechists and teachers from [email protected].
- We would like the parish to get billed for the online courses, how do we go about doing this?
- The Excel Registration Form has a question with a drop-down menu where you can select the option invoice and add/remove users as indicated. When you send in your Excel form, you can let our office know at that time that you would like to be invoiced as well.
- By requesting to be billed, the amount will be added to the archdiocesan monthly bill for all the courses in each level, unless otherwise noted.
- Your parish will receive a quote from our office with the total cost for the parish catechists. Please sign the document, scan it and send it to [email protected].
- The quote amount will be in the parish’s archdiocesan monthly bill. Submit payment by check and include the quote number. Please clearly indicate the amount that is being paid for Catechist Certification in the memo line on the check to ensure that payment is appropriately distributed.
- Participants will receive access to courses within two to three business days, upon receipt of payment by the Archdiocese of Chicago.
- As a catechetical leader, can I request a scholarship for all my catechists?
- Yes, the Office of Lifelong Formation will grant a partial scholarship to catechists enrolling in the online courses while funds are available. The office will determine if the parish qualifies for the scholarship.
- How do I document that my parish catechists attended the retreat on the formation website?
- Please send retreat attendance by email to [email protected] or regular mail at Cardinal Meyer Center 3525 South Lake Park Avenue, Chicago, IL 60653.
- Once the Certification Team receives the attendance sheet from the parish or school, approval will be given by the Office of Lifelong Formation to attendees.
- How can the certification retreat be scheduled? Where is it hosted? Who facilitates it? What is the cost?
- Certification retreats can be scheduled using the certification retreat form. When filling out the form, please indicate the location and address. The form provides the option of suggesting a retreat facilitator. The Office of Lifelong Formation will be happy to provide resources to facilitate the retreat. Please visit the resources section.
If the parish suggests their own retreat facilitator, the cost per participant is $6.00 (administrative fee) for parish catechists. The parish is responsible for covering the facilitator’s stipend.