Faith Formation Volunteers/Catechists

Catechesis survives and thrives on volunteers, especially in teaching Catechesis. We would love to have volunteers who want to have a great time, have a love of children and service, and want to grow in their own faith. When we have more volunteers committed, Catechesis has run smoother and has been more beneficial for the children and adults. This is a great way to provide service to your community and to grow in your own faith while leadings others too!

Anyone who is 18 or older may sign up to volunteer. Those who are in high school (9th -12th grade) may also volunteer (and can receive service hours if offered by your school), but they will be assisted by an adult in the classroom.

There will be an official volunteer meeting in August, that will include important information regarding calendar, Religious Education guidelines, and other information for your class. As this meeting will be at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School where Catechesis will take place, we will also see the layout of the school.

Please be assured there will be training opportunities throughout the Archdiocese, and there will be training within the parish as well to make sure each adult serving understands his or her role in Catechesis.

All adult volunteers must complete the archdiocesan Safe Environment training. There are upcoming trainings posted already on the Archdiocese website. The listing and description of volunteer positions are listed below.

Current areas of need:

Catechists - Serve as faith sharers to children. Catechists will receive the description of the course curriculum, training and preparation in the beginning, and are invited and recommended to participate additional workshops throughout the year. Catechists prepare lessons from selected material/textbooks, as well as other resources, and are responsible for teaching an hour and fifteen minutes weekly throughout the year. IF you would feel more comfortable being a “CoCatechist,” we will keep that in mind. If there is a person you would like to serve with, please write their name down on the form so we can keep this in mind.

Assistants – Assist the lead catechist weekly in implementing lessons, managing classroom and helping with activities. Assistants are not required to teach as much as they should be there to serve and work well with the children. This is a great way to get started in the ministry of catechist and will help build your confidence to become a lead catechist in the future, or to at least serve as an added presence.

Substitutes - Serve as faith sharers for a CCE class when the regular catechist is not available. A lesson plan will be provided. Notice of the need for a substitute is given as soon as the information is available. This is a great way to help out if you cannot commit to weekly classes.

Other- If there is any other way you would like to serve the Catechesis program in ways including, but not limited to: Crafts/Activities, record keeping, assistance with volunteer gatherings, faith formation/scripture study for parents, or any other ministerial capacity please write this on the form or contact us.

Jacques Delouche
jdelouche@divinemercyparish.org
(504) 466-5016.