In order to promote effective catechesis and standardize the quality of the formation of catechists under their jurisdiction, the Bishops of the California Catholic Conference, in consultation with the Directors of Catechetical Ministry, the Superintendents of Catholic Schools, the Directors of Youth Ministry and the Directors of Adult Faith Formation of the Dioceses of the State of California, have prepared and released updated Guidelines for the Formation and Certification of Catechists and Master Catechists.
Under the leadership of the Most Reverend Edward Clark, Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and Chair of the Education Committee of the California Catholic Conference of Bishops, and with the invaluable assistance of Sister Olive Murphy, RSM, Director of Religious Education for the Diocese of Santa Rosa , the Catholic bishops of California have updated the Guidelines for the Formation and Certification of Catechists and Master Catechists to include current R.C.I.A. practices and recent documents from the Vatican and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The project to update the Guidelines was begun under the leadership of the Most Revered Allen Vigneron, who is now the Archbishop of Detroit.
The Guidelines will be promulgated for use by the dioceses in their training programs, which lead to certification or re-certification of catechists.
Guidelines for Obtaining the California Catechist Certificate and the California Master Catechist Certificate
Region XI Formation Guidelines for a Specialization in Youth Ministry and Adolescent Catechesis
The guidelines were prepared by the Region XI Diocesan Directors of Youth Ministry and reviewed by RECOSS. This document focuses on specific leadership development for Youth Ministries and should be used in conjunction with the Guidelines above.