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The Role of Catechetical Leaders in Catechist Formation
The Parish Catechetical Leader (PCL/DRE), Adult Faith Formation Coordinator (AFFC) and Catholic School Principal are crucial to the process of Catechist Formation. Catechists depend on their support, encouragement and ongoing guidance. The role of these leaders in catechist certification includes the following:
- Explaining the process of catechist formation to all catechists (both parish and school) and keeping them apprised of the continual opportunities for formation in parishes, vicariates, and the archdiocese.
- Planning catechist formation topic opportunities:
- assuring that the Foundational Topics are presented by an Educational Minister in Catechist Formation (EMCF) or that the presenters' outlines have been approved by a member of the EMCF Association.
- assures that adequate time is alloted for each session (two hours which includes prayer and a break).
- providing a Record of Attendance for participants.
Planning catechetical sessions using Echoes of Faith Plus
- assuring that the discussions for each module (10 modules) are facilitated by an Educational Minister in Cathchist Formation (EMCF) or a qualified facilitator (see chapter 7 in the Catechist Formation Handbook).
- assuring that adequate time is alloted for each module discussion.
- providing a Certificate of Completion (see the back of each companion booklet) as a record of participation for those inattendance.
- Maintaining a file for each catechist which contains:
- The Cathechist Certification Reporting Form
- Copies of Records of Attendance, Certificates of Completion and other credentials from:
- Foundational Topics
- University of Dayton online courses
- Echoes of Faith Plus
- college theology courses
- adult faith formation sessions
- conferences and workshops
- Advising catechists to keep their own files with copies of all the documents listed in #3.
- Monitoring each candidate's progress through the three levels of certification. Once a catechist has completed the 6 Initial Topics plus 2 Internship components and later the 10 Intermediate Topis (total of 16) plus 2 additional Internship components, the PCL/AFFC requests the appropriate certificate from the Office for Faith Formation/Catechetics, signs the certificate and presents the completed certificate to the catechist.
- Directing the Internship portion of the Formation Process. This is documented on the Catechist Certification Reporting Form with date, place, and supervisor's signature. (Note: Specific Internship components are required for each level of certification.)
- Submitting catechist files (see #3 above) to a member of the EMCF Association for equivalencies, evaluation and approval of candidates for Advanced Certification (27 topics or 10 Echoes of Faith Plus modules or 7 University of Dayton online courses plus Internship).
- Submitting the Catechist Certification Reporting Form, approved and signed by an EMCF, to the Office for Faith Formation/Catechetics. Upon receiving the certificate for Advanced Certification from the Office for Faith Formation/Catechetics, keeps a copy in the catechist's file and presents the original to the catechist. (If a school catechist, a copy is also given to the principal for the teacher's personnel file.)
- Communicating opportunities for ongoing formation necessary for catechists to maintain certification and encouraging attendance. opportunities for ongoing enrichment necessary for catechists to maintain certification and encourages attendance.
- Completeing the yearly Status Report of Catechist Formation for the Office for Faith Formation/Catechetics. This report gives a picture of catechist formation needs and a direction for future planning for the parish, school and Archdiocese.
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