Attachment 2-Roles Requirements-Draft.pdf

AMS Religious Education and Catechists –Roles and Responsibilities Footnotes 7 March 2017

AMS Religious Education and Catechists –Roles and Requirements

(Last updated in June 2009 and footnote update 7 March 2017)

The AMS Priests’ Manual highlights the Teaching Function in Chapter 3 on page 8 (section updated 10 July 2008). The segments pertaining to Religious Education are listed below:

3.0 Religious Education. The religious education program is one of the most important activities on any installation. No matter how well organized and staffed, it should be something in which the chaplain is intimately involved.

3.1 Supervision. The senior priest-chaplain, whether military or contractual, is the Director of Religious Education (DRE) for the Catholic program and is the authority on all matters Catholic.

3.1.2 The Coordinator of Religious Education (CRE) for the Catholic program must be a certified AMS Catechist. The CRE is responsible to and supervised by the priest-chaplain (DRE).

3.2 The religious education programs throughout the Military Archdiocese is to be so coordinated that as people are reassigned, they can easily fit into the program(s) a their new installation.

3.2.1 Catechetical Curriculum1

3.2.2 Catechetical literature must be listed in the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Conformity List.

3.2.3 The AMS retains final authority over the appropriateness and content of the religious education program, especially at those installations at which a priest-chaplain is no longer assigned.

3.3 Catechists. All Catechists utilized on our military installations shall be certified in that capacity by the AMS.

3.3.1 Certification2

3.4 Catechist Training. The AMS has a prescribed catechist training3 program.

1 The Archdiocese has established Forming Disciples for the New Evangelization as the Archdiocesan Religion Curriculum Guide for grades Pre-K to 8th since January 25, 2013 and Adolescent Catechesis for grades 9-12 since February 11, 2016.

2 Basic Catechist Certification is valid for 3 years starting March 19, 2017. Those with a 5-year certification card will not be affected until applying for renewal.

The Archdiocese has established Forming Disciples for the New Evangelization as the Archdiocesan Religion he Archdiocese has established Forming Disciples for the New Evangelization as the Archdiocesan Religion K to 8thCurriculum Guide for grades Pre-K to 8 since January 25, 2013 and Adolescent Catechesis for grades 9-12 since

February 11, 2016.

3.2.1 Catechetical Curriculum13.2.1 Catechetical Curriculum

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AMS Religious Education and Catechists –Roles and Responsibilities Footnotes 7 March 2017

3.4.1 To be certified as an AMS catechist, an applicant must 1) be a practicing Catholic who has received the sacrament of Confirmation, 2) be recommended by the senior priest at the installation, 3) satisfactorily completed the AMS catechist certification program, and 4) made application4 using the appropriate form.

3.4.2 All catechists utilized on our military installations shall have completed a favorable background check as determined by local base/post policy.

3.4.3 All catechists utilized on our military installations shall have completed a training program on the protection of children and young people as called for the Dallas Charter.

3 The Archdiocese partners with the University of Dayton’s Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation (VLCFF) and Catholic Distance University (CDU) to offer reduced rate courses online. In-person training is available upon request.

4 Complete the AMS Catechist Application on the myAMS (https://milarch.force.com/portal/login) portal.

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