The Catechist's Corner
What is a Catechist?
A catechist is a person of faith who is called by the parish or school community to hand on the tradition and teaching of the Catholic Church to others. This call demands that the catechist understands church doctrine and demonstrates appropriate teaching skills. More than that, a catechist realizes God’s voice in this call to serve and recognizes the need for continuing personal growth and faith formation.
We currently need catechists in our Faith Formation Ministry. Many thanks to the generous parishioners who give their time, energy, and gift of faith to our students.
We're currently seeking catechists for our fall session. If you are interested, please fill out the form HERE. Fall classes begin September 20th and 21st.
You can access the PREP Fall '22 - Spring '23 Calender HERE.
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Download the Catechist Handbook HERE.
Download the PREP Parent Handbook HERE.
All potential catechists must agree to a background check and be fingerprinted via the Safe Environment Certification requirements as follows:
Safe Environment Certification - Read and follow the directions on these 2 documents to begin the process. This is required for all catechists before they teach:
1. Virtus First-Time User Instructions
2. Fingerprint Processing Instructions
Catechism of the Catholic Church - The online version of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Test your knowledge of the Catechism of the Catholic Church by taking this quick and anonymous Self-Assessment for Catechists.
New to teaching with My Catholic Faith Delivered? Learn the basics HERE.
Click HERE for a short tutorial on navigating "My Catholic Faith Delivered" as a catechist.
Click HERE to watch a short tutorial on how to access all materials for "Teaching Safety - Empowering God's Children" (Virtus).
Be sure to read the summary of Basic Catholic Beliefs HERE.
Requirements to teach Catechesis according to the National Directory of Catechesis, written by the USCCB:
"The call to the ministry of catechist is a vocation, and interior call, the voice of the Holy Spirit. 
Catechists need to be practicing Catholics who participate fully in the communal worship and life of the Church and who have been prepared for their apostolate by appropriate catechetical training. Their commissioning by the Church is a participation in the divine calling to teach as Jesus did. Their personal relationship with Jesus Christ energizes their service to the Church and provides the continuing motivation, vitality, and force of their catechetical activity. Christ invites all catechists to follow him as a teacher of the faith and a witness to the truth of the faith.
Like all the faithful, catechists are called to holiness. Because of their ministry and mission, however, the call to holiness has a particular urgency. The spiritual life of a catechist should be characterized by
A love of God--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--and of Christ's Church, our Holy Father, and God's holy people
A coherence and authenticity of life that is characterized by their faithful practice of the faith in a spirit of faith, charity, hope, courage, and joy
Personal prayer and dedication to the evangelizing mission of the Church
A missionary zeal by which they are fully convinced of the truth of the Catholic faith and enthusiastically proclaim it
Active participation in their local parish community, especially by attendance at Sunday Eucharist
A devotion to Mary, the first disciple and the model of catechists, and to the Most Holy Eucharist, the source of nourishment for catechists
Lay catechists have a special solidarity with those whom they catechize and a particular sensitivity to their needs. They live in the same world as those they catechize, and they share the same demands of living in the word as do those they teach. Their proclamation of the Gospel, their personal testimony, and their living witness to the transcendent values of the Christian life can be particularly effective because they know the ordinary experiences of everyday life so well and are able to incarnate the Gospel in those ordinary circumstances." (National Directory for Catechesis, Ch. 8)
Thank you again for your interest in becoming a catechist.
For any questions, please contact the PREP office.
Thank you for selecting Church of the Incarnation PREP.
