Catechetical Formation
We are grateful to all our catechists and want to offer them support, resources, and formation. To make sure the young people and adults in our communities are served by those who are well-formed, all those who serve their parishes as catechists are required to enter into ongoing formation.
Required Formation En Español
I'd like to know...
What is a Catechist?
What are the prerequisites?
What are the formation requirements?
What is included in online formation?
More information about Catechetical Formation
A Catechist is a person of faith who leads others in understanding the faith teachings according to the official teachings of the Church, the Catechism of the Catholic Church. To learn more about the goals and offerings of a catechist, please click the button below.
To serve as a catechist, one only needs to have a passion to share their faith and appropriate formation. This formation begins with meeting the Virtus requirements for the Diocese of Bridgeport.
Given this crazy world in which we find ourselves these days, we have streamlined formation so that it can all be done online and in the comfort of your own home.
Online formation includes a series of modules.
- One module is an opening prayer.
- Another two modules introduce you to the various generations you will encounter as a catechist and how each is unique and gifted in their own right.
- One module asks you to take an inventory. This will help us gauge the need for future formation.
- The final module discusses the intersection of catechesis and evangelization.
- Your assignment, which completes your initial formation, is to write a letter to your pastor or director/coordinator of faith formation and reflect upon what you have learned and what you hope to bring to your experience as a catechist.
More information is available online.
Check out our FAQ page for general questions and information about Catechetical Formation.
Formation Requirements
Step One: Affirmation by the parish
If you already serve as a catechist, we can safely assume you have met the Virtus requirements, but it might be helpful to make sure. If you are new, please complete the Virtus requirements and make sure your parish Virtus coordinator has marked you as a catechist in the Virtus database.
Step Two: Online Formation
All future face-to-face formation is suspended in the light of the pandemic. Please click the link below to begin your formation process.
Deadline for completion: Ongoing
The initial formation for all current catechists must be complete within the first year of serving as a catechist. You may not begin year two of service without completing your initial formation.
Ongoing Formation
All catechists will be required to participate in ongoing formation. This will likely take place online in the form or a module or two that is chosen by the catechist according to his/her own interest. The idea is not to penalize those who graciously volunteer their time, rather to give them an opportunity to grow in the faith they seek so earnestly to pass on to others.
General FAQ
Every good teacher is committed to life-long learning. The commitment to catechetical formation is not meant to be overwhelming. Rather, it is an opportunity to learn more about the call you have received to teach others the faith.
Yes. Though the Catholic school teachers will host their own face-to-face session initially (held in fall 2019), the formation process is essentially the same.
Let’s ask the question another way: don’t the young people you serve deserve the very best? Do they not deserve someone who is well-formed and well-prepared?
Yes. This formation is completely different and structured to help you become more effective in your ministry.
Use the link below to log onto LEAD and begin. If you think you are already enrolled, ask the system to send you a new password. If you need help getting started check out the Lead Registration Guide
Lead Registration Guide
Parish leaders can contact the Institute at any time to ask which catechists have completed formation.
Letters of recommendation are only required for those who wish to begin serving as a reader or EMHC in their parish or school. They are not required for catechists.
Nope. When the process started (pre-pandemic), there were two requirements: face-to-face formation and online. Now we've built the online to handle both. If you attended a face-to-face session, scroll down to create an account in LEAD and get started.
Great. Then just scroll down and click the link to enter LEAD. Once you are in the system, you can choose as many learning paths as you wish.
When you are ready to register for LEAD and get started, click below.
Note: If you previously were invited to join online formation and did not accept the invitation, you may already have an account. To check, click "forgot my password" in LEAD and check.
If you already have an account a reset link will be sent. If you do not have an account, you can set up a new one and choose your learning path.
Need help getting started? check out the Lead Registration Guide