Catechist formation
Catechist certification, run across every parish.
LEAD carries your certification process from application to mandate: courses, mentors, cohorts, and in-person days on one learning path, with your office and every parish able to see who’s certified.
The path
From first application to commissioning.
Your requirements set the steps. Here’s how one catechist moves through a certification program on LEAD.
A parishioner feels called to teach the faith. Your certification program takes it from there.
- With people
- Online & in the app
- Automatic
-
Applies
Fills out your application, and their pastor submits a letter of recommendation.
- Application
- Pastor
-
Is matched with a mentor
Your office pairs them with a master catechist, with both people’s answers side by side.
- Mentor
-
Joins a cohort
Starts alongside others from across the diocese, with courses and a community of their own.
- Cohort
- Community
-
Learns in every format
Self-paced courses, in-person class days, and live sessions, with assignments their mentor reviews.
- Self-paced
- In person
- Mentor review
-
Is certified
Receives a certificate or mandate and shows as certified to their parish and your office.
- Certificate
- Mandate
A certified catechist, and a roster your office can trust.
Diocese · Parish · Catechist
Everyone sees their part.
Your diocesan office
- Builds the certification path once, for every parish
- Sets the requirements: courses, credits by term, class days, and assignments
- Sees who’s certified, in progress, or stalled, parish by parish
- Exports reports for pastors and the chancery
Each parish
- Invites its catechists and assigns them the path
- Follows each person’s progress
- Sends reminders by email or text
- Knows who is ready to teach this fall
The catechist
- Always sees what’s next, on the web or in the LEAD Catholic app
- Finds formation resources, including by liturgical season
- Keeps certificates and mandates in one place
Built in
What your certification program runs on.
- Course builderWrite courses with video, readings, and quizzes, or upload courses built in Articulate or Adobe Captivate.
- Learning pathsElectives, prerequisites, and time-released steps, so each catechist meets the requirements you set.
- Terms and creditsFor multi-year certification: terms, credit requirements, and independent study.
- MentoringMatch mentors to candidates. Mentors schedule meetings, message their mentee, and review assignments.
- Certificates and mandatesYour own certificate designs, parish versions, and ministry mandates.
- English and SpanishScreens and emails in each person’s language, with courses in both.
- ReportingProgress and certification by parish, with exports.
- CommunicationEmail, text, and in-app messages to everyone in formation, or only those who are behind.
Can we use the curriculum we already have?
Yes. Build courses in LEAD’s course builder, upload courses made in Articulate Rise, Storyline, or Adobe Captivate, or add the video and documents you already use. One path can mix all of them with in-person class days.
Does LEAD handle multi-year certification?
Yes. Organize requirements into terms with credit requirements, add electives and prerequisites, and let catechists progress year by year. Certification can also expire on a schedule you set, with renewal notices sent ahead of time.
Can parishes run their own catechist formation too?
Yes. Parish leaders can host their own classes and sessions for their people, alongside what the diocese requires.
Can certification depend on safe environment?
Yes. A catechist’s authorization to serve can require your safe environment program, or VIRTUS compliance if you connect it, alongside their formation.
Start here
Let’s talk about your catechist formation.
A few questions about your institution, about two minutes, and we’ll take it from there.
Start a conversation