Certification for Catholic School Religion Teachers, Catechetical Leaders, and Administrators
DIOCESAN POLICY STATEMENT
CERTIFICATION OF CATECHISTS AND CATECHETICAL LEADERS IN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
Catechists and Catechetical Leaders in Catholic schools should be persons of maturing faith who participate in the life of the faith community. They should be mature and competent in the following areas: personal and spiritual growth, Catholic theology, pastoral praxis, and professional practice.
Bachelor of Science Degree and be certified in the area of religious studies. In the event that a properly
certified person may not be available for this position, the principal may appoint an individual who will
take a minimum of one Holy Cross College course per year until certified.
Catechetical Leaders in Catholic School are required to be practicing Catholics.
1. Directors of Religious Education
have a minimum of three years teaching experience, preferably in a Catholic school.
2. If a properly degreed person is not available, the principal may appoint a Coordinator of Religious
Education. This individual must possess a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science Degree, have a
minimum of three years experience, and will have five years from the date of appointed to obtain the
required Master's Degree.
DIOCESE OF LAKE CHARLES
GUIDELINES FOR CERTIFICATION
CATECHISTS, DIRECTORS AND COORDINATORS OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION,
AND ADMINISTRATORS IN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
Appendix 303-B
The following are the regulations for the certification of Catechists, Directors and Coordinators of Religious Education, and Administrators in the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Lake Charles.
1. Catechists, Directors of Religious Education (DRE), Coordinators of Religious Education (CRE), and
Administrators in the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Lake Charles must be practicing Catholics and
must be certified in theology. Certification may be accomplished in one of the following ways:
a. Certification may be obtained through enrollment in and successful completion of the program in
religious studies offered by Our Lady of the Holy Cross College through the Office of Religious
Education (ORE). A catechist or administrator may take these courses for one (1) hour of credit per
course (cf., #2 below).
b. Certification may be obtained through enrollment and successful completion of the Loyola University
Institute for Ministry Extension (LIMEX) Program, offered through the Office of Religious Education
(ORE). A catechist or administrator may enroll in LIMEX courses for either a master’s degree in
Pastoral Ministry or Religious Education or for a Certificate of Participation. Either the master’s
degree or the certificate track will result in full religious education certification.
c. Certification may be obtained through enrollment in and successful completion of theology
curriculum/program at a Catholic institute of higher learning approved by the Office of Catholic
Schools (OCS). Courses taken at the university level must be comparable to the curriculum described
in item number two (2) below.
d. Catholic school administrator certification may be obtained through completion of eight (8) credits in
Our Lady of the Holy Cross courses, which must include the five (5) Essential Courses of the Core
Curriculum (cf., 8, c), plus eight (8) additional credits which may be obtained by either completing
the eight (8) additional Our Lady of the Holy Cross courses in the certification curriculum or
completing one hundred twenty-eight (128) clock hours in religious education seminars and
conferences. Equivalent clock hours must be submitted to and approved by the Superintendent of
Catholic Schools.
e. Directors of Religious Education must obtain a master’s degree in pastoral ministry or religious
education through a course of study at a Catholic institute of higher learning approved by the
Superintendent of Catholic Schools and must have a minimum of three years teaching experience,
preferably in a Catholic school.
f. If a properly degreed Director of Religious Education is not available, the principal may appoint a
Coordinator of Religious Education. This individual must possess a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of
Science Degree, have a minimum of three years teaching experience, and have five years from the
date appointed to obtain the required Master's Degree, barring unforeseen circumstances for which
exceptions may be made.
g. Any exception to the modes of certification mentioned above is to be granted, in writing, by the
Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Lake Charles.
2. The sixteen (16) courses of the Core Curriculum in Religious Education are as follows. Each course,
offered in our diocese by the Office of Religious Education (ORE), by arrangement with Our Lady of the
Holy Cross College in New Orleans, carries one (1) credit hour toward certification. Each course consists
of fifteen (15) clock hours of class time.
a. Adolescent Faith Development
b. A Survey of Christian Scriptures
c. A Survey of Hebrew Scriptures
d. Catechetics and Curriculum
e. Catholic Moral Teachings on Peace and Justice
f. Catholic Moral Teachings on Sexuality
g. Childhood Faith Development
h. Church History I
i. Church History II
j. Collegial Ministry in a Collegial Church
k. Introduction to Christology
l. Nature and History of Western Spirituality
m. Survey of Catholic Morality
n. Basic Teachings of the Catholic Church I
o. Basic Teachings of the Catholic Church II
p. Sacraments and Sacramentality
3. Catechists teaching all grades (PK-12) and hired before August 1997 must earn twelve (12) credit hours
by successful completion of twelve (12) courses of the Core Curriculum.
4. Catechists teaching elementary grades (PK-5), and hired after August 1997 must take thirteen (13)
credit hours in the courses of the Core Curriculum. Childhood Faith Development is required for
certification of elementary religion teachers. Social Justice Teachings of the Catholic Church and
Adolescent Faith Development are not required to fulfill the thirteen (13) credit hours.
5. Catechists teaching middle school (Grades 6-8) and secondary school (Grades 9-12), hired after August
1997 and before August 2000 must take fourteen (14) credit hours in the courses of the Core
Curriculum. Adolescent Faith Development is required for certification of middle school and secondary
religion teachers.
6. Catechists for elementary grades (PK-5) hired beginning with the 2000-2001 school year must take
fifteen (15) credit hours in the courses of the Core Curriculum. Childhood Faith Development is a
required course and Adolescent Faith Development is not required.
7. Catechists for middle grades (6-8) and secondary grades (9-12) hired beginning with the 2000-2001
school year must take fifteen (15) credit hours in the courses of the Core Curriculum. Adolescent Faith
Development is required for certification and Childhood Faith Development is not required.
8. The following policies are in force to allow uncertified catechists to teach theology just as teachers are
allowed to teach in other academic areas with a “temporary teaching assignment.” These requirements
are not as demanding as those governing the temporary teaching assignment of teachers in other
disciplines. However, the need for certified teachers to teach our students Catholicism is of paramount
importance, as we are Catholic institutions. These requirements shall also apply to the certification of
Catholic School Administrators and Directors of Religious Education.
as one of many subjects in a self-contained classroom in the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Lake
Charles and Catholic School administrators shall earn course credit at a minimum of one (1) credit
per calendar year until properly certified in religious education in order to be eligible to teach religion
classes. (Exception may be made only for those with a grave reason who have petitioned, in
writing, the Superintendent of Catholic Schools and have been approved by the Superintendent for
additional time to meet the requirements.)
b. Full Time Catechists: Catechists in grades 9 through 12 and all full-time catechists in grades Pre-K
through 8 in the Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Lake Charles shall earn credit at a minimum of
two (2) credits per calendar year until properly certified in religious education in order to be eligible
to teach religion classes. (Exception may be made only for those with a grave reason who have
petitioned, in writing, the Superintendent of Catholic Schools and have been approved by the
Superintendent for additional time to meet the requirements.)
c. All catechists and Catholic School administrators, beginning with the 2000-2001 school year, must
have completed the following Five Essential Courses by the fifth year of their employment to remain
eligible to teach religion. These five courses are considered as part of the two (2) credits per
calendar year which full-time teachers of religion must obtain, or the one (1) credit per calendar year
which self-contained classroom teachers must obtain, in order to be assigned to teach religion in our
Catholic Schools.
FIVE ESSENTIAL COURSES FOR CERTIFICATION
1. Catholic Moral Teachings on Sexuality
2. Basic Teachings of the Catholic Church II
3. Basic Teachings of the Catholic Church II
4. Survey of Catholic Morality
5. Sacraments and Sacramentality
(Exception may be made only for those with a grave reason who have petitioned, in writing, the Superintendent of Catholic Schools and have been approved by the Superintendent for additional time to meet the requirements.)
9. After completing certification, every Catechist, Director of Religious Education, and Catholic School
Administrator must take two (2) credit hours or thirty-two (32) clock hours in religious education
course
work or workshops every five (5) years of employment in order to maintain certification. (Exception may
be made only for those with a grave reason who have petitioned, in writing, the Superintendent of
Catholic Schools and have been approved by the Superintendent for additional time to meet the
requirements.)
10. Diocesan policy requires catechists who teach Human Sexuality to have special certification from the
Diocese of Lake Charles obtained through the Office of Religious Education (ORE) for teaching this
course. For this special certification the catechist must complete the Core Curriculum courses Survey of
Catholic Morality and Catholic Moral Teachings on Sexuality or a Catholic university equivalent of these
two (2) courses, prior to the catechist beginning instruction in this area. (Exception may be made only
for those with a grave reason who have petitioned, in writing, the Superintendent of Catholic Schools and
have been approved by the Superintendent for additional time to meet
the requirements.)
Promulgated: April 23, 2008
Effective: July 1, 2008
+Glen John Provost
Bishop of Lake Charles