Archdiocese of Boston 
Office of Religious Education
Oficina de Educación Religiosa

66 Brooks Drive
Braintree, Massachusetts 02184
617-779-3625

It's coming!!!!~ ~The Annual Catechetical Congress ~ Saturday, March 24 at BC High don't be left out! Details below.

Our Mission Statement ~ 
Committed to the ministry of the Word centered in the person of Jesus Christ, the Office of Religious Education strives to lead people to an ever more intimate communion with the Triune God

 ·    The Office of Religious Education is delegated by the Archbishop to provide leadership in the catechetical mission of the Archdiocese of Boston.   

• The Office of Religious Education promotes excellence in catechesis, that is, the life long Christian formation of the total person in heart, mind and will.  The Office fosters a deep and systematic knowledge of the person and message of Jesus Christ and the teaching of the Catholic Church, so that the faith of the maturing believer becomes ever more living, explicit, fruitful, conscious and active.

• The Office of Religious Education supports the parishes of the Archdiocese by motivating, encouraging and preparing parish leaders and catechists for their mission of life-long formation of adults, youth and children toward the fullness of Catholic life, taking seriously our obligation to serve the new people of God who are arriving in large numbers.  The Office plans, develops, implements and evaluates programs designed to serve parishes in an effective manner.

• The Office of Religious Education is committed to collaboration with other Archdiocesan agencies, especially with those responsible for elements of the Church’s mission closely related to the six basic tasks of religious education.  These tasks are:

1.    promoting knowledge of the faith 
2.    liturgical education 
3.    moral formation 
4.    teaching people to pray 
5.    education for community life taking “special note of the ecumenical dimension”  
6.     missionary initiation including catechesis for inter-religious dialogue.
                                                                                     (General Directory for Catechesis ch. 3, #85)
January,  2011

Welcome 
from Susan Abbott
Director, Office of Religious Education

Welcome to the Religious Education Office Home Page. This Office exists to support our parishes in their religious education ministry. Our Holy Father Benedict XVI, the writings of  Pope John Paul II, and the Bishops of the Catholic Church all have stated strongly that parish religious education is a life-long process of formation in the Catholic faith.  The Office of Religious Education offers resources for teaching the faith to adults, children and youth. We look forward to hearing from you.

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Get to know us...

Mrs. Janet Benestad
Cabinet Secretary for Faith Formation and Evangelization

Ms. Susan Lang Abbott
 Director of Religious Education
617-746-5854
Susan_Abbott@rcab.org

Ms. Susan J. Kay 
Assistant Director for Catechetical Leadership
617-746-5861
Susan_Kay@rcab.org

Ms. M. Pilar Latorre
Assistant Director for Catechesis with Hispanics 
617-746-5862
Pilar_Latorre@rcab.org

Mr. Robert Kavanaugh
Administrative Assistant
617-779-3625   
Robert_Kavanaugh@rcab.org

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Calendar

Check back often. Events and activities are added as soon as a date is confirmed.

September 8 Thursday	RCIA 101:  The Vision and Principles  of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults   Dr. Jerry Galipeau, D.Min. (details below)		The workshop will run twice:  1:00-3:30 and  repeated 7:00-9:30 p.m.	Pastoral Center, Braintree
SEPTEMBER 18 ~ CATECHETICAL SUNDAY ~  DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME
September 21 Wednesday	Orientation for new Parish Catechetical Leaders		10:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.	Pastoral Center, Braintree
October 5 Wednesday	Congress Committee Meeting		10:00-Noon Please let Rob Kavanaugh know if you are planning to come: Robert_Kavanaugh@rcab.org	Pastoral Center, Braintree
October 12 Wednesday	Confirmation Workshop Father Jonathan Gaspar Director of the Office for Divine Worship	Choose ONE meeting time and place most convenient Register with Robert_Kavanaugh@rcab.org read: Preparing for Confirmation: Resources and Guidelines (2002) RCAB Light refreshments will be served at each meeting.	11:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.	St. Brigid Parish, Lexington 2001 Massachusetts Ave. Link to googlemap: http://www.stbrigidlexington.org/StBrigid/webPage.aspx?OfficeInfo
October 13 Thursday	Confirmation Workshop Father Jonathan Gaspar		11:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.	Pastoral Center, Braintree
October 15 Saturday	Confirmation Workshop Father Jonathan Gaspar		9:00 - 11:30 a.m.	St. Michael Parish, N. Andover directions: http://www.saint-michael.org/index.html
October 18 Tuesday	Confirmation Workshop Father Jonathan Gaspar		6:30 - 9:00 p.m.	St. Athanasius Parish, Reading directions: http://www.rc.net/boston/stathanasius
December 6 Tuesday	Let the Children Come to Me Workshop on Religious Education with children with different learning abilities.		9:15 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.	St. Michael Parish, Bedford
January 12 Thursday	Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan:  Disciples in Mission (Overview) Please read the pastoral plan in preparation for the meeting: www.planning2012.com		12:30 - 3:00	Pastoral Center
January 20 Friday	Leadership Institute for New Catechetical Leaders Pre-registration required		9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.	Pastoral Center
January 22 Sunday	Roots of Our Faith  details below This workshop is required for Archdiocesan Basic Catechist Certification		2:00 -4:00 p.m.	Good Shepherd Parish (St. Zepherin campus) Wayland  http://goodshepherdwayland.org/
January 23 Monday	Roots of Our Faith  details below This workshop is required for Archdiocesan Basic Catechist Certification		6:30 - 9:00 p.m.	St. Francis Parish, Dracut http://www.saintfrancis.net/directions.htm
January 26 Thursday PLEASE NOTE  LOCATION CHANGE!	Archdiocesan Pastoral Plan:  Disciples in Mission (Particulars) RSVP: Richard_Gibbons@rcab.org ; (617) 746-5853		12:30 - 3:00	St. Brigid Parish Hall 2001 Massachusetts Ave Lexington, MA Link to map and directions: http://www.lexingtoncatholic.org/StBrigid/webPage.aspx?OfficeInfo
January 31 Tuesday	Workshop on Physician Assisted Suicide details below		1:00 - 3:00 p.m.	Pastoral Center
February 7 Tuesday	Workshop on Physician Assisted Suicide details below		7:00 - 9:00 p.m.	Pastoral Center
February 9 Thursday	Enrichment:   Mobilizing Volunteers for Your Ministry sponsored by the Center for Ministry Development details below		8:30 a.m. - 3:45 p.m.	Pastoral Center
February 16 Thursday TO BE RESCHEDULED	Annual meeting:  Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley, OFM Cap and Parish Catechetical Leaders			Pastoral Center

What's New?

THE ANNUAL CATECHETICAL CONGRESS!!!
You've been waiting since the fall - get ready, the Congress is coming and is bigger and better than ever.  Save the date:  Saturday, March 24.  The day begins with Mass with Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley, OFM Cap and music by the Archdiocesan Black Catholic Chior.  Over 24 workshops in English, workshops in Portuguese, and a complete track in Spanish.  Click  here for workshop topics and registration details.

Roots of Our Faith 
Roots of our Faith is a fascinating presentation that examines our understanding of Jesus as Jesus of Nazareth as well as Jesus the Christ. We explore Jesus’ life as a faithful Jew and as a man of his time. We will also look at the context of the beginning of Christianity.

Presented By 
Celia Sirois
A marvelous educator and scripture scholar whose area of Expertise is First Century Christianity.
and 
Naomi Towvim 
A Jewish educator who is an expert in Judaism

This workshop is open to all and is required for Catechist Certification from the Office of Religious Education, Archdiocese of Boston.
Sunday, January 22,   2:00-4:00 p.m. ~ Good Shepherd Church  (St. Zepherin campus) 99 Main Street, Wayland.
Monday, January 23, 6:30-9:00 p.m. ~ Saint Francis Parish, Wheeler Road, Dracut

Physician Assisted Suicide Workshops 
An Archdiocesan wide education initiative on physician assisted suicide will be launched on February 11, World Day for the Sick.  A workshop for priests, deacons, hospital chaplains and parish staff will be held on Tuesday, January 31st, beginning at 1:00 P.M. and ending at 3:00 P.M. (light lunch available at 12:30), or on Tuesday, February 7, beginning at 7:00 P.M. and ending at 9:00 P.M.(light refreshments), both at the Pastoral Center, Braintree. Presenters are Peter Cataldo, Ph.D., Chief Healthcare Ethicist for the Archdiocese of Boston, and Reverend Myles Sheehan, M.D., S.J.  Staff who might be assisting with the implementation of this initiative are welcome; also deacons’ wives are most welcome to attend.

Please RSVP to Karen Farrell at kfarrell@rcab.org before January 24th for the January 31st session, and February 1st for the February 7th session.

February 9 ~ Mobilizing Volunteers for Your Ministry ~ 2012 Spring National Workshop from the Center for Ministry Development
Parish leaders rely on the rich resource of volunteers to accomplish their ministry, yet recruiting and sustaining volunteers is often a difficult part of parish ministry. This workshop will provide many ideas to help you discover the treasure of volunteers within your parish. The workshop will help you:

• Identify the current structure of your ministry and learn ways to broaden leadership to open it up to more volunteers;
• Learn ways of identifying the gifts of the people in your faith community;
• Tap into the motivations people have for volunteering and provide opportunities that match their motivations and gifts;
• Envision a system for volunteer management that works within your ministry structure;
• Enhance current recruiting methods;
• Explore new ways of mentoring and training of volunteers, including online resources.  

For Whom Is the Workshop Intended?
The workshop is designed for all those whose ministries rely on volunteers. Parish leaders will be invited to come together as a parish team to envision new ways of relating to all parishioners while growing each individual ministry. All diocesan offices that work with parish ministers may wish to offer this workshop to their constituents. 
At the workshop, you will hear about resources that can help you with your plan for recruiting, training and sustaining volunteers. Resources will be available for purchase during the workshop day.

Schedule of the Day
8: 30 a.m. Registration
9: 00 a.m. Welcome and Opening Prayer
9: 20 a.m. Introduction and Overview of the Day
9: 25 a.m. Session 1: Getting Ready — A Case for Volunteer Management
10: 40 a.m. Break / Bookstore Open
10: 55 a.m. Session 2: Recruiting Volunteers for Your Ministry
12: 00 p.m. Lunch / Bookstore Open
12: 45 p.m. Session 3: Setting Volunteers Up for Success through Training
1: 45 p.m. Session 4: Sustaining and Celebrating Volunteers
2: 45 p.m. Wrap-Up / Prayer / Evaluation /Bookstore Open
3: 15 p.m. Bookstore Closes

Registration Information  

Registration Fee: $54 per person includes workshop materials, lunch, and refreshments. Please register at least two weeks in advance. To register, choose from these options:

• Register online at www.CMDnet.org/volunteerworkshop.
• Register by phone by calling toll-free: (888) 723-2433 (credit card payment only).

Registration Form

Workshop you will attend (indicate location and date) Boston, MA; February 9, 2012

Name ______________________________________________________________________________________

Parish/School/Organization ______________________________________________________________________

Daytime Phone (include area code)_________________________________________________________________

E-Mail (required for communication purposes)_________________________________________________________

Parish/School Address Home Address______________________________________________________________

Street Address________________________________________________________________________________

City/State/ZIP ________________________________________________________________________________

(Arch) Diocese ________________________________________________________________________________

I am enclosing a check for $54 (US), payable to Center for Ministry Development

Mail to Center for Ministry Development, 5713 Wollochet Drive NW, Suite A, Gig Harbor WA 98335
Or fax to (253) 853-5448
Mobilizing Volunteers for Your Ministry Spring 2012 National Workshop

Workshop Sponsor 
Since 1978, Catholic parishes and dioceses have trusted Center for Ministry Development to provide a vision and practice for ministry that is rooted in Scripture, Church documents, and best practices research. Through our partnership with ministry leaders, Center for Ministry Development strives for excellence and innovation by providing practical, field-tested ministry solutions and resources.  

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CNAFF

The Catholic Network for Adult Faith Formation has a new web site devoted to promoting faith formation for Catholics.  From their web page:   

            The Network for Adult Faith Formation (NAFF) was created by the Emerging Technologies Committee, a standing committee of the National Advisory Committee on Adult Religious Education (NACARE) that, in turn, is a consultative committee of the Committee on Catechesis of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops on matters pertaining to adult religious education.... In April, 2004 the Emerging Technologies Committee was joined by the Adult Faith Formation Committee of the National Conference of Catechetical Leadership (NCCL). These two committees now administer this web site.

Parts of the site are, or soon will be, password protected for use by committee members and diocesan staff.  The site provides excellent materials for parish adult faith formation including articles and links to organizations and Church documents.  These are available to all and the site is a great resource for parishes.  Visit the site  www.cnaff.org

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Faith Formation for Persons with Disabilities

From Loyola Press: Adaptive First Eucharist Preparation Kit for Children with Autism and Other Special Needs.  Check out this new resource - it looks great;  www.loyolapress.com/special-needs 

Religious Education Classes for the Deaf
Religious Education of Deaf Youth from First Communion through Confirmation age  are offered throughout the Metro Boston area: Brighton, Dracut, Framingham, Lowell, Middleborough, Newton, Randolph, and Stoneham.  To register or for further information, contact Father Shawn Carey or Father Jeremy St. Martin at 617-746-5645 (voice) 617-787-6083 (TTY). 
All classes are coordinated by the Deaf Catholic Ministries, Office of Cultural Diversity.  www.deafcatholic.org

Sacrament Preparation Resources for Persons with Learning Disabilities  
The Institute for Pastoral Initiatives at the University of Dayton has wonderful material available for children and young people preparing for sacraments.  The Network of Inclusive Catholic Educators (NICE) has student texts and resource binders for catechists and catechetical leaders and videos for catechist formation and enrichment in the are of inclusive religious education for persons with disabilities.  For more detailed information and price list, go to http://campus.udayton.edu/~ipi/nice

Local Resource Materials
The religious education program at St. Mary Parish, Winchester, has great resources for sacrament preparation especially for children with autism.  Designed by the mother of an autistic child, the material correlates with the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  For more information, check out the website: www.autismreligiouseducation.net

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Who gets mailings .... and how?
How do we know to whom we should send things?  YOU  tell us.  The new procedure for mail going from the Pastoral Center to parishes means that individual mailings will rarely be sent in a separate envelope to parish catechetical leaders (PCLs) and pastors.  Letters, brochures, fliers, and forms that are intended for the parish religious education office, will be included in the weekly electronic mailing from the Pastoral Center.  Please ask the person who opens the parish e-mail to pass along anything with: Religious Education Office in the upper right corner of the page, to the PCL.  If you have not given us your e-mail address, please contact Robert_Kavanaugh@rcab.org so he can add you to our Constant Contact list.

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Opportunities for Ongoing Education and Formation

 An Internet based E-learning initiative sponsored by The Institute for Pastoral Initiative of the University of Dayton and the Archdiocese of Boston

Master of Arts in Ministry Program
St. John’s Seminary
Degree and non-degree students are welcome
For information, call 617.779.4104

The Master of Arts in Ministry (M.A.M.) at St. John's Seminary invites you to consider taking an evening class at  the Creagh Library in Brighton (St. John Seminary campus). For a registration form or information, visit our website at www.rcab.org (click on Catholic Life) or call 617-779-4104.   Potential applicants is may come any Tuesday or Thursday evening during the school year and visit. We are happy to answer any questions over the phone: 617-779-4104. 

The Catechetical Certificate program from MAM which can lead to catechetical certification recognized by the Archdiocese of Boston. The program is directed by David and Angela Franks and begins in the fall.  This year the program will be offered in two locations: the MAM building in Brighton and the Pastoral Center in Braintree.  To learn more about the program read the information brochure and register online, go to www.catecheticalcertificate.org 

Aldona Lingertat 
Director, Master of Arts in Ministry Program 
Phone 617 - 779-4104
For more information email Aldona_Lingertat@rcab.org or Maryellen_Lenihan@rcab.org or call 617-779-4104. 

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Spanish Programs and Activities

The Office of Religious Education continues to serve the Hispanic Community in the Archdiocese of Boston through a series of programs of formation in Spanish for parish leaders involved in catechesis and other ministries. These are some of the programs:

 BASIC COURSE FOR CATECHISTS

This course is offered to catechists who begin their ministry for the first time or those who are planning on sharing the gift of faith in a catechetical setting. Catechists meet for eight weeks to review the basics of their Catholic faith and also to acquire the skills to present the message of the Gospel in a more adequate manner.

INTERMEDIATE COURSE FOR CATECHISTS

This ten-week course is aimed to further the formation received in the Basic Course. At the end of this Intermediate class the students are invited to continue their preparation in the Archdiocesan Institute for Ministry – Spanish track.

AIM PROGRAM IN SPANISH – INSTITUTO DE FORMACIÓN DE LAICOS

The AIM program in Spanish is organized somehow differently from its counterpart in English. It consists in a program of four semesters in which the students receive theological, biblical, and pastoral formation. The students meet for ten weeks each semester and four hours each day. In the fourth semester they choose an area of pastoral specialization, according with the needs of their communities.

ARCHDIOCESAN CELEBRATION OF CATECHETICAL SUNDAY (Spanish)

Every September more than 200 Latino catechists gather in one parish of the Archdiocese to celebrate Catechetical Sunday and to kick off the activities of the year. These catechists are sent out to their parishes with a special blessing and the support of the Office of Religious Education to accomplish their calling.

 CATECHETICAL CONGRESS – Spanish component

This yearly event gathers catechists from most parishes in the Archdiocese. Normally, twenty workshops are offered in Spanish as well as two keynote presentations. The participation of Latino catechists in this event has increased significantly in the last few years. 
Other opportunities for growth are: 
        *    Lenten retreat for catechists 
        *    Regular meetings with Directors and Coordinators of Religious Education working in Spanish programs

To read about the offerings and calendar in Spanish, go to  Oficina de Educación Religiosa 

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Clusters

"For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am  there in their midst." (Matthew 18:20)
"I get by with a little help from my friends." (The Beatles)

Working, praying, and sharing together, Clusters make the joys more joyful and the difficulties much easier to bear.  Religious education Clusters will be impacted by reconfiguration; if you don't know what Cluster you belong to, please call our office. We can help you find your group.

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 The Office of Religious Education is supported by the Catholic Appeal.  
We are enormously grateful to all who have contributed or will contribute this year.
For more information about the Appeal or to donate online, click here:  www.bostoncatholicappeal.org

Thanks to the kind folks at  RCNet for hosting this page www.rc.net

This page was last updated February 7, 2012

Copyright © 2011 Archdiocese of Boston; all rights reserved