Catechetical Sunday

"Say the Word and My Soul Shall be Healed"

"Una Palabra Tuya Bastará para Sanarme"

Catechetical Sunday is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the role that each person plays, by virtue of Baptism, in handing on the faith and being a witness to the Gospel. This year, the Church will celebrate Catechetical Sunday on September 19, 2021, and the theme is: “Say the Word and My Soul Shall be Healed." Those who the parish community has designated to serve as catechists will be called forth to be commissioned for their ministry.

Resources to help with local celebrations of Catechetical Sunday will be available soon!

• 2020-commissioning-service-English.pdf
• 2020-Commissioning-Service-Spanish.pdf
• [links are to 2020 Catechetical Sunday commissioning services until 2021 resources are available]
  

  ---

Years of Service Recognition

At the end of each academic year, I would like to have catechists who have reached landmark years of experience recognized with a special certificate from our bishop. Please use the form below to identify catechists and parish catechetical leaders (e.g. director/coordinator of religious education, lifelong faith formation, etc.) who have completed 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 etc. years of total years of service in the ministry of catechesis in the academic year.

NEW FOR 2021!!! In addition to years of service, if there is a catechist who is retiring, a special recognition is available. Please indicate "Retiring" in addition to the total number of years of service regardless of the 5-year anniversary.

Catechists include PSR teachers, Catholic school faculty, adult faith formation leaders (including RCIA), youth ministers, anyone who serves the parish through faith formation initiatives. If a catechist or parish catechetical leader has served in other parishes, whether in this diocese or outside our diocese, those years of experience may be included.

Please print the catechists’ names on the enclosed form and indicate which landmark year (multiples of 5 only) for which these persons are being recognized. Add additional sheets if necessary. Completed forms are due April 15.

Office for Catholic Education

1615 West Washington Street

Springfield, IL 62702-4757

Attn: Recognition for Catechists

Email: [email protected]

Certificates for each catechist will be sent to parish catechetical leaders in late spring so they can include them as part of your end-of-year appreciation ceremonies. If you have any questions, call Kyle Holtgrave at (217) 698-8500, x. 154 or email [email protected].

Thank you for all you do to build the kingdom of God!

In Christ,
Kyle Holtgrave
Director for Catechesis

Catechist_Recognition_Template_1-2021_FILLABLE.pdf [link disabled until 2022 recognitions are called]

Bishop Paprocki has promulgated curriculum standards for PreK-8th Grade. These standards are designed to provide leaders for parish-based formation programs such PSR and Catholic schools a framework for what topics students should be catechized in year to year.

Grade School Standards

Religion_Standards_2014.pdf

High School Standards

Religion standards for high school curriculums are found in the USCCB's 2008 High School Curriculum Framework and its adaptation for parish-based programs.

Publisher Correlations to Diocesan Standards

• Ignatius Press - Faith and Life, Grades 1 - 8
• Loyola Press Correlations, Grades Pre-K through 8
• Our Sunday Visitor: Alive in Christ, Parish Edition, Grades 1 – 5
• Our Sunday Visitor: Alive in Christ, School Edition, Grades 1 – 5
• Pflaum Correlations: How to Use
• Pflaum Gospel Weeklies Faith Formation Program, Grades 1 – 5
• RCL Benziger: Blest Are We, Faith & Word Edition, Grades Pre-K to 8
• RCL Benziger: Blest Are We, Scope & Sequence
• RCL Benziger: Blest Are We, Faith & Word School Edition, Grades Pre-K to 8
• RCL Benziger: Be My Disciples School Program, Grades Pre-K to 8
• Sadlier Correlations, Grades Pre-K through 8

Virtue = Strength is a program to help students grow in virtue by challenging student through study of a virtue of the week.  More information to come!

This page will be dedicated to posting policies and procedures relevant to the mission of catechesis in the diocese. Updates will be announced via this office’s e-Newsletter. To be added to the e-Newsletter distribution list, please contact Kyle Holtgrave at [email protected].

Handbook for Catechetical Ministries

A handbook summarizing all diocesan policies related to faith formation is being created and will be posted here once it is published.

Religious Education Assessment

Schools and Parish Schools of Religion are asked to annually assess students. Contact the Office for Catechesis for details.

Home Catechesis

Since parents have the primary responsibility and the right to select those means through which they can provide more suitably for the Christian education of their children in accordance with the teachings of the Church, the Church community shall fulfill its responsibility to parents in their catechetical role by providing programs, resources and support.
- Bk3§1701.3

Parents may choose to provide formal systematic catechesis for their children at home, apart from existing parish programs, but consistent with applicable diocesan policies for catechesis from Book III: The Teaching Office of the Church, Policies and Procedures for Religious Education.

The following process for establishing a home catechesis program is promulgated in Bk3§1701.3:

• Parents, their pastor and/or his designated catechetical leader meet to discuss mutual responsibilities and expectations for the catechesis, producing a written covenant between the pastor, parents and the child(ren).
• The pastor and/or his designated catechetical leader provides parameters for the selection of textbooks and other materials, ensuring that the text is listed on the approved list of curriculum from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop’s subcommittee on the Catechism.
• Parents catechizing at home are expected to participate in the life of the parish, which may include:
  • Participation in parent sessions
  • Attendance at parish and diocesan catechist formation sessions
  • Participation in sacramental program, retreats, liturgical celebrations, etc.
  • Being a part of the community for worship and other such events as determined in the covenant.
• The covenant should also include what resources and support you should get from the pastor and his parish catechetical leader, including materials and opportunities for the parents’ faith development.
• If home catechesis includes formation for the first reception of sacraments, the covenant should include information about how the pastor will determine readiness for children to receive these sacraments and keeping in mind the norms for the reception of the sacraments in the proper order.

For More Information

To reference all diocesan policies, please see https://www.dio.org/policy/home.html

Per diocesan policy BK3§504.4.1, textbooks used for catechesis for children and adolescents must be in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church and found on the Conformity Listing of Catechetical Texts and Series published by the USCCB Subcommittee on the Catechism.

The Conformity Listing is a cumulative listing of catechetical texts and materials which are in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church and are currently available from publishers. The Conformity Listing is updated on a regular basis.

The Subcommittee on the Catechism of the USCCB determines if a given catechetical text or catechetical series is in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Catholic publishers voluntarily submit their catechetical materials to the Subcommittee for review. A text is eligible for a conformity review if it falls into one of the following categories:

1. A religion textbook series for students in Catholic elementary schools and/or parish Religious Education programs;
2. A religion textbook series for junior high students in Catholic schools and/or parish Religious Education programs;
3. A religion textbook series or individual high school texts for students in Catholic high schools or parish Religious Education programs;
4. Teacher manuals or catechist manuals designed to accompany any of the above;
5. Student Religion workbooks that are part of a basal series;
6. Sacramental preparation materials that follow the Sacramental Preparation Protocols (working instruments approved in June 2013);
7. Supplemental materials which explicitly and consistently cross-reference an approved basal series.

For a variety of reasons, not all catechetical texts and materials are subject to a conformity review. If a specific item does not appear on the Subcommittee's Conformity Listing this does not necessarily mean that it has been reviewed and found to be deficient. A conformity review is not applicable to materials that fall into one of the following categories:

1. Catechetical materials that provide doctrinal content in teacher or catechist manuals rather than in student materials. The Subcommittee will undertake a conformity review of teacher or catechist manuals only when they complement student materials that already have a declaration of conformity or are under review for conformity.
2. Catechetical materials that are published in the form of regularly updated leaflets or periodicals with frequently changing content. These include materials related to the Church's liturgical year.
3. Individual monographs which focus specifically on individual topics, teachings or devotions, including biblical commentaries and college level student texts.
4. Materials that include biological and physiological content along with catechetical content.
5. Digital media, including websites and DVDs.

For more information and a link to the current Conformity Listing, please visit:

https://www.usccb.org/committees/catechism

Publishing Companies on the Conformity Listing of Catechetical Texts and Series

The following list is specific to publishers.  Each publisher is linked to their home webpage (as of July 3, 2019).  If there is no web link available, it is noted in parantheses.

• Apostolate for Family Consecration
• Ascension Press
• Ave Maria Press
• Circle Press
• C.R. Publications
• Distance Family Foundation {no weblink available}
• Dynamite Catholic
• Family Foundation {no weblink available}
• Foundation for the Family {no weblink available}
• Harcourt
• Ignatius Press
• Leaflet Missal Company
• Legionaries of Christ
• Loyola Press
• Midwest Theological Forum
• Mother’s House Publishing (RCIA materials)
• New Hope Publications
• Our Sunday Visitor
• Pauline Books and Media
• Pflaum Publishing Group
• Priority Press {no weblink available}
• RCL Benziger
• Rev. Edmund Siedlecki (not a publishing company – a bilingual Polish/English edition of the Catechism)  {no weblink available}
• Sophia Institute for Teachers
• Sophia Press
• St. Augustine’s Press
• St. Maron’s Publications
• St. Mary’s Press
• Verbum
• Veritas Communication
• Vietnamese Catechetical Community USA  {no weblink available}
• VirTru Powers
• William H. Sadlier, Inc.
• You Turns  {no weblink available}

Disclaimer: The subcommittee does not currently review the following components in catechetical programs that may be found on their approved list: videos, parent/sponsor materials, websites, digital libraries, and any other materials found on the letter on eligibility and applicability from the subcommittee.

Catholic Schools and parish formation programs are reviewed periodically. Details on how to prepare for these reviews will be posted here.

Curriculum

Per diocesan policy, textbooks used for systematic catechesis must be on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' list of approved texts for use in Catholic schools and parish schools of religion (Bk3§504.4.1).

Some of the texts that are on the approved list are available for preview from the Office for Catholic Education. A bibliography is posted below. Contact the Office for Catholic Education at (217) 698-8500, ext. 154, or email to [email protected] make arrangements to preview samples from this list.

Texts_Available_for_Preview.pdf

The diocese is scheduled for ACRE assessments on February 1 – 12, 2021. Below is an update from the National Catholic Education Association on assessments during a pandemic. Grades 5, 8 and 11 or 12 should take the assessment. Go to https://www.nceaifg.com/ to register for the assessment.

[Letter quoted from NCEA]

Dear Colleagues:

We pray for the continued safety of all teachers and students as you begin the 2020 school year. Our team is here to support you during this time of uncertainty and change.

The pandemic introduced online learning to many organizations who were not using it previously. As a result, the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) online resources are also in greater demand. In response, we have launched NCEA Virtual, an innovative offering which encompasses the enhanced IFG Program (ACRE and Adult Survey) as well as many other tools and offerings for students, teachers and administrators.

Additionally, we recognize all our members are being asked to do more with less and are implementing price reductions to hopefully relieve some anxiety around budget concerns.

Streamlined assessments – The paper and pencil ACRE assessment price remains at $4 per student, but cost for online testing and reporting drops to $2.50 per student.

Packaged professional development – For $9.99 per person, each individual will be able to complete the assessment, identify their areas of weakness and receive immediate access to four online courses addressing those topics. These courses can be viewed anytime, anywhere, on any device. Strengthen your religious education program starting with staff!

Faster feedback – Online reporting now tracks progress and results, identifying strengths and weaknesses by class and by student.

Award-winning technology and support – NCEA was recently named Winner of the Silver American Business Awards (Stevie Awards) - in the Student Assessment Solution Category. Our award-winning staff is here to support you while using the NCEA Virtual platform.

Brand new assessments – We are in the process of rewriting and adding new levels to the ACRE Program to align with the new General Directory for Catechesis. The new version will be available spring 2021.

For those schools not holding in-person classes: We will work with you to administer the online ACRE and Adult Survey remotely as well as the traditional proctored classroom setting. Please email [email protected]  for more information.

Contact us today to discuss your options for professional development and assessment administration. We are here to serve you, we appreciate the tremendous challenge you are facing and we are grateful for your dedication to staff and students.

Sincerely,
Kathy Mears
Interim President/CEO

[End Quote from NCEA]