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1. Master Catechists for Basic Certification Courses consist of a team made up of one priest or deacon and one lay or religious master catechist.
2. Master Catechists for Methods, Enrichment Courses or Workshops teach individually. They may be priests, deacons, lay persons or members of religious orders.

Basic Catechetical Certification is earned by successfully completing a four component course. Three of the four components: CREED, SACRAMENTS, and MORALITY are based on the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The fourth component is a methods course based on the age or area the catechist will be teaching (elementary CCD, elementary Catholic school, youth ministry, junior high/middle school, special religious education, sacraments, RCIA/CIC, adult religious education). The three doctrine courses are systematic with the integration of prayer, vocabulary, catechetical principles, presentation, discussion, appropriate assignments and evaluation. The methods courses are process based and include practice and evaluation. The doctrine courses are referenced to the Sacred Scriptures, The Teaching of Christ 4^th edition, General Directory for Catechesis, National Catechetical Directory, and A Review of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The MORALITY component includes the Catholic Vision of Love.

The four components may be taken in any order. It is necessary to complete all four components to gain basic/provisional certification.

This six week or fifteen hour doctrinal component of basic certification addresses the topics of: God, The Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth; Jesus, God’s Word Incarnate; Paschal Mystery; Holy Spirit: Revelation of the Trinity; and Church. Formal material regarding Prayer in the Christian Life is also addressed in this course. Both Scripture and prayer are utilized in each lesson. The purpose of each doctrinal component is to ground the catechist in an adult understanding of the faith. He or she in turn will be charged to translate this same faith in appropriate ways to the age/grade level of students he or she will be teaching. Practical assistance with the later translations will be provided in the Methods Components and in further workshops and courses taken for enrichment. The course is geared toward all catechists working with any age group cradle to grave: CCD and school, special religious education, youth ministers, catechists for adults and RCIA catechists. Parents and any interested adults can also benefit greatly from the course.

This six week or fifteen hour doctrinal component of basic certification includes the topics of: The Sacramental Economy and Actions of the Church; The Sacraments of Initiation, Part A: Baptism and Confirmation; The Sacraments of Initiation, Part B: Eucharist; The Sacraments of Healing; and Sacraments at the Service of Communion. Formal material regarding the Traditional Prayer (Our Father) is addressed during the course. Scripture and prayer are utilized for each lesson. This course addresses an adult understanding of the faith. It is geared toward all catechists working with any age group cradle to grave: CCD and school, special religious education, youth ministers, catechists for adults (marriage preparation, preparation for infant baptism) and RCIA catechists. Parents and any interested adult can also benefit greatly from the course.

This seven week or twenty-one hour course is a combination of topical material from the Catechism of the Catholic Church and foundational material for the Catholic Vision of Love. The topics include: Dignity of the Human Person; Created Both Free and Responsible; the Problem of Personal Evil: Sin; Salvation—The Moral Law, Grace and Justification; Human Community/Social Teaching; and Guidance in the Practice of Love of God and Neighbor. These first six lessons based on an adult understanding of faith draw upon Scripture and prayer and integrate objectives from the Catholic Vision of Love. The seventh lesson is necessary for those catechists who will be teaching the Catholic Vision of Love Lessons to Grades 5-8 and is optional for all other participants. The seventh lesson covers the Foundational Principles for the Catholic Vision of Love, the student background and the four specific lessons for each grade level 5-8. The course is geared toward all catechists and is appropriate for parents and interested others.

Elementary Methods is designed for catechists whose ministry focuses on children in grades K-6. This six week or 15 hour course is geared toward the volunteer catechist and makes no assumption of any college level education courses in the catechist’s background. The course is a mixture of foundational principles and practical skills. It includes such topics as: Catechesis and Human Development, Learning Styles, Methods, Classroom Management and Discipline, and Catechetical Materials I & II. The course is based primarily on the General Directory for Catechesis and particular documents and policies developed by the Diocese of Pittsburgh such as the Catechetical Curriculum Guidelines and Principles, Policies and Guidelines for Parish Programs of Religious Education. The pedagogy and faith concepts grounding the methods are based on the Scriptures, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and The Teaching of Christ 4^th edition.

Junior High/Middle School Methods is designed for catechists whose ministry focuses on young adolescents in grades 6-8. Much like the elementary methods, this six week or 15 hour course is geared to the volunteer catechist. It also includes a mixture of foundational principles and practical skills geared toward the young adolescent. The topics included are: Catechesis and Human Development, Learning Styles, Methods, Classroom Management and Discipline, and Catechetical Materials I & II (the latter addresses media and culture). The primary resources for the course are the General Directory for Catechesis, the Catechetical Curriculum Guidelines and Principles, Policies, and Guidelines for Parish Programs of Religious Education. Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Teaching of Christ, 4^th ed. undergird the pedagogy and faith concepts addressed in this course.

Adolescent Methods is designed for youth ministers and catechists whose ministry focuses on youth in grades 9-12 and utilizes a large number of resources from the universal Church, the United States Catholic Conference (USCC), and the Diocese of Pittsburgh. This methods course will expand upon the foundations of comprehensive youth ministry as presented in the USCC 1997 document "Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry." Additional material is also presented on adolescent spiritual, physical and psychological development as well as diocesan policies as they pertain to youth ministry.

Pathways to Welcome and Inclusion: Catechesis and Methods for teaching students with disabilities.

This six week course will introduce the catechist to the major disabilities and present ideas on methods for catechizing special needs students. Special attention would be given to children with Learning Disabilities, ADD/ADHD, Autism and Behavior Disorders. The Church documents pertaining to persons with disabilities will be shared as well as ideas on the pastoral concerns of people with disabilities and their families.

The catechumenate (RCIA) is not a course; it is an "apprenticeship" grounded in personal conversion to Jesus Christ and geared to the concrete living of a Christian life in the midst of the Catholic community. Among the various initiation ministries, the catechist plays a crucial role, providing catechesis that is "comprehensive and complete in scope, accommodated to the liturgical year, and suited to the needs of the candidates" (RCIA).

This course examines the various stages of the initiation journey to highlight the unique role of the catechist. Prerequisites:

• Working familiarity with the RCIA process and the ritual text (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults)

• Completion of survey course in Catholic Doctrine (diocesan core curriculum – basic certification, recent CCM, or equivalent)

This fifteen hour course is designed for teachers/catechists teaching in Catholic Elementary and Secondary Schools. A pre-test and a post-test will be administered at the beginning and the end of the philosophy section of the course. The following issues and various documents are considered:

• Introduction to various Philosophies
• History of Catholic Education
• Global Awareness

• To Teach As Jesus Did
• Lay Catholic Witness To The Faith
• The Catholic School
• Pennsylvania Catholic Schools: A Tradition of Excellence
• Religious Dimensions of Education In A Catholic School

The desired end results of this course are that the teacher develops an understanding of the unique nature of the role of the Catholic School Teachers and to create an awareness of the need for a Catholic Community and Christian Service.

The purpose of this fifteen hour course is to provide an overview of methods which will assist the catechist in understanding how to present catechetical lessons to students in all stages of learning – early childhood to middle school.

Various master catechists from the individual grade levels present themes and ideas to better explain the objectives of "Growing in God’s Covenant," the Catholic School Catechetical Guidelines. It is necessary for school catechists to take this course as they may be assigned to a primary level for the first year of teaching, and to a middle school level the second year of teaching. Taking this overview can be a help with this re-assignment.