Background
The Pontifical Council for the Promoting the New Evangelization released the new Directory for Catechesis in July 2020. The Directory provides the authoritative overall vision, goals, and guidance for the Roman Catholic Church in how the message of the Gospel is announced to the faithful.
Introduction
The Office of Religious Education in the archdiocese oversees, organizes, and provides training for catechists, master catechists and parish catechetical leaders to carry out this important ministry. The ORE issues catechetical certificates to those who have completed various programs. All catechists must comply with the archdiocesan directives for safe environment.
Basic Ministry Formation
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles provides formation in compliance with the guidelines of the bishops of the California Catholic Conference. The formation course consists of three phases: theological, specialization, and practicum. Basic ministry formation is required for catechists; the program is also used by other ministries for formation purposes.
1. Theology Phase (One Mission One Faith)
The One Mission One Faith theology phase of basic ministry formation and catechist certification in the archdiocese is extensive. It requires a time commitment of approximately 50-60 hours over a period of five to eight months. The theology phase includes but is not limited to sessions covering:
- Discipleship
- Theological Reflection
- Evangelization and Catechesis
- Kerygmatic Catechesis
- Accompaniment
- Divine Revelation
- Scripture and Tradition
- Christology
- Holi Spirit and Trinity
- Ecclesiology
- Liturgy
- Sacramental Theology
- Morality: Life of the Disciple, Grace, Love, Holiness and Justice
- Prayer and Spirituality
- Vocation
- Ministerial Relationships
- Collaboration and Leadership
2. Ministerial Phase (Vision and Skills for Faith Formation)
The ministerial phase equips leaders with the knowledge and skills to be witnesses of the faith and to accompany those they serve (adults, families, young adults, youth, and children) in their journey of missionary discipleship with adult faith formation at the center. This phase consists of seven content sessions.
3. Practicum Phase
The practicum phase encompasses observation and evaluation by certified catechists in a catechetical setting. Once the practicum phase is completed, the catechist is eligible to be certified by the archdiocesan Office of Religious Education, with the knowledge and consent of the parish catechetical leader and/or pastor, to conclude the process.
Candidates for Catechist and Basic Ministry Formation Certification
The requirements for certification as a catechist are found in Guidelines for Obtaining the California Catechist Certificate; see "Personal Qualities of a Catechist" on page 5 (English version). See "Cualidades personales del Catequista" on page 8 (Spanish version).
Advanced Ministry Studies
Advanced Ministry Studies (AMS) is the formation program sponsored by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to prepare people for certification at the advanced level in accordance with the guidelines of the bishops of the California Catholic Conference. AMS is comprised of three distinct phases that take place over a minimum of a three-year period.
1. Theological Phase
The
theological phase involves the study of scripture and the essentials of
Catholic doctrine as a common basis for all those preparing for catechetical and other ministerial leadership.
2. Catechetical Ministerial Phase
The
catechetical ministerial phase involves the study of catechesis, locating it within
the context of evangelization, and helps to develop necessary skills
for catechetical and other ministerial leadership.
3. Practicum Phase
The practicum phase involves a supervised practicum related to a ministerial area.
In
fulfillment of the guidelines established by the bishops of the
California Catholic Conference and those of the Office of Religious Education, the components covered in AMS include but
are not limited to:
1. Catholic Spirituality
2. Catholic Theology
3. Evangelizing Catechesis
4. Pastoral Ministry
5. Pedagogy and Methodology
6. The Art of Accompaniment
7. Technology
Those
preparing for leadership in ministry are expected to have a degree of
competency that permits them to engage in formation at the advanced
level. This competency is characterized by:
- Study at the post-secondary level
- Ability to communicate effectively with adults
- A basic catechist certification or the equivalent
- A record of involvement in ministry in a Catholic elementary school, high school, and/or parish
- Experience in catechetical formation, and/or liturgical ministry
- Sensitivity to the cultural diversity of the people in the archdiocese
In addition to these basic competencies, admission into the program of Advanced Ministry has a process of application, interview and acceptance by the Office of Religious Education.
Candidates for Master Catechist and Advanced Ministries Certification
The requirements for certification as a master catechist and AMS are found in Guidelines for Obtaining the California Catechist Certificate; see "Personal Qualities of a Catechist" on page 14 (English version). See "Cualidades personales del Catequista" on page 14 (Spanish version).
2-18-2022, 6-24-2025