Catechist Formation Records

Accurate record keeping of one’s formation progress is essential. Catechists and Parish Catechetical Leaders should work collaboratively to ensure information is accurate and recorded in a timely manner.

Catechists

• The primary responsibility for record keeping belongs to the individual catechist.
• Catechists should receive a completion certificate at the conclusion of a formation program that includes information about the content of the course, date and location of the training, and how many hours of instruction the course has been approved for by the Office for Catholic Education.
• Copies of all completion certificates should be turned in to the Parish Catechetical Leader when courses are completed as needed.
• Catechists should retain the original completion certificate.

Parish Catechetical Leaders

• Parish Catechetical Leaders keep an ongoing record for all catechist formation in the parish using a Permanent Record Card for each catechist, archiving past catechists with the Office for Catholic Education as needed.
• As catechists participate in formation programs, records of attendance are collected and turned in to the parish catechetical leader as needed, with catechists keeping a copy of their attendance records in case information gets lost.
• Parish catechetical leaders record hours on individual Permanent Record Cards and retain records of attendance with each permanent record card for audit purposes during educational reviews.
• Credit can be applied to any level of the Catechist Formation Process based on the information on the completion certificate, noting, however, that level of completion certificates must be awarded in sequence.
• If a specific level of certification is achieved by meeting the minimum hours for each area of instruction within that level and lower levels are complete, the parish catechetical leader submits a copy of the catechist’s permanent record card and completion certificates as documentation showing the completed level along with an Application for Certificate as needed to the Office for Catholic Education for catechist recognition.

Office for Catholic Education

• The Office for Catholic Education verifies completion of a level of formation and awards certificates.
• Awardees are recognized annually on Catechetical Sunday.
• The director will also conduct periodic reviews of parish formation programs to assess progress in the Catechist Formation Process.
• The Office for Catholic Education also maintains an archive of Permanent Record Cards for catechists who are no longer active so that formation progress can be retained should the catechist return to ministry.

Catechesis Formation Process Forms: 

• Permanent_Record_Card.pdf
• Permanent_Record_Card_Long_Version_PDF.pdf
• Application for Course Approval.pdf
• Sample Certificate of Attendance.pdf
• Application for Certificate.pdf
• Summary_of_Webinar_for_Credit.pdf 
• Application_for_Book_Study.pdf