Saint John’s Seminary offers two Certificates for the laity:
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The Catechetical Certificate
, designed for catechists in the home and parish (first offered in 2009 – 2010)
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The Catholic Theology Certificate
, designed for those who wish to learn how to better explain the Catholic faith
Catechetical Certficate: Theology for Evangelization
The Catholic faith is inexhaustibly rich. Jesus draws us into the adventure of catechesis, the searching of His mystery, to fill us with joy and to enable us to share this joy with all people. The Church exists in order to evangelize.
Catechesis is not mere instruction, because Christian truth is not mere information. Christian truth is a Person: Jesus, the Word of God, Who became man for our sake.
Thus, "the definitive aim of catechesis is to bring people...into communion, into intimacy, with Jesus Christ" (Catechesi tradendae 5).
The first catechists of any child are his or her parents. They have the privilege of presenting the truth of God in the atmosphere of a loving home. Love's illumination radiates out into the world from this nucleus.
Because it exists simply to serve the Church's mission, St. John's Seminary offers unique resources to form catechists who can shine Christ's light in home, parish, and world: to advance the Kingdom of God's love one heart at a time.
Please join us for the Catechetical Certificate program.
The program in 2010 – 2011 will be offered in Brighton and in Braintree. See the brochure PDF (download below) for dates and sites. Both course sections will run on eight Saturdays, from 9 am to 4 pm. In addition, participants will be required to attend at least two Skills Workshops, offered on several weekday evenings or on Saturday mornings throughout the year.
The Church exists to evangelize. In our contemporary situation, the need for
evangelization is acute. Not only must the Church carry the message of the Good News
of Jesus to those who have never heard of him, but she must also evangelize the baptized who have never experienced the life-changing power of Jesus.
A person receiving the Certificate is acknowledged to have a solid foundation in
the faith and important skills in articulating Catholic truths and sharing them with others. The program provides solid and organic faith formation. Like the Catechetical Certificate, it is directed by Drs. David and Angela Franks.
Learning will be supported by a small-group community experience. Participants will be invited to a catered dinner once a month.
Register here for 2010 – 2011
The successful completion of the Catechetical Certificate program will lead to catechetical certification recognized by the Archdiocese of Boston.