We are grateful for the many talents and strong witness to the faith you share with your parish and school communities. We are here for you with practical training, flexible solutions, and ongoing support as you need. There are three tiers of Catechist Certification to meet your level of training needs and help you grow in faith, knowledge, and passion.
For common questions, please see our FAQs located in the top right corner of your screen. For any questions or assistance during the process, contact learn@richmonddiocese.org.
All parish catechists and school religion teachers are expected to complete this training within their first year of service. The estimated time of completion is 4-5 hours. Tier 1 is comprised of 3 courses:
Tier-Two Catechist Training: Those with at least one year of experience complete a Methods training to further their catechetical skills in a specific age-group (children, youth, or adults). Catechists choose one of these learning communities to explore best practices, teaching strategies, common challenges and opportunities.
Tier-Three Catechist Training: This training can begin at any time after Tier-Two Certification is complete and is geared toward catechists who have spent two years or more in the classroom and are emerging coaches/mentors in their parishes or schools, such as RCIA coordinators, First Sacrament retreat leaders, or youth core team leaders. Training consists of ongoing formation tracks chosen from an evolving library of material to help veteran catechists go deeper in one area of their faith.
