Catechesis is foundational to the life and mission of every parish. It is the means by which we guide and lead others to a nourishing and full faith. It is instrumental in how we ourselves know, love, and serve Jesus Christ. To be effective, each catechist needs to be formed in the teachings of Christ and His Church and in the skill to relay His message in age-appropriate ways.
Acting upon the directives of the General Directory for Catechesis, the National Directory for Catechesis, and the Wisconsin Catholic Conference, the Diocese of Superior continues to offer a catechetical certification program for all those in religious formation of children and adults and for Catholic schools. The current certification process is called Forming Effective Disciples (FED). Like the certification programs of the previous 40 years, the primary goal of FED is to form catechists and leaders in the knowledge of the Catholic Church so they can be stronger witnesses to Jesus Christ.
The requirements of Forming Effective Disciples are based on the Diocese of Superior Policies for Personnel in Catholic Schools and Parish Religious Education Programs (referred to as “Standards”). FED has two levels of certification – Foundational and Elevated – and a Continuing Formation phase to renew earned levels of certification.
Full information on Foundational certification, Elevated certification, and Continuing Formation is available through the following links: