Following a successful pilot with diocesan elementary school principals last year, the Catholicism 101 series is being expanded to include teachers and parish catechetical leaders this fall.
The 18-video digital series is offered by Word on Fire, a Catholic media organization founded by Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minn, and a past chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis.
Since assuming her role in March 2022, Dr. Lee DelleMonache, religious education director for the Diocese of Camden, has visited dozens of parishes, participated in regular meetings with school principals and has had frequent encounters with parish and school leaders. Through those interactions, she has learned of the desire to provide resources to support the faith formation of catechists and teachers.
“Many of the dreams and concerns parish and school leaders often shared with me revealed an opportunity to provide authentically Catholic, user-friendly resources that will support our catechists and teachers as they deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith as well as inspire them to pursue new opportunities in their ongoing formation,” she said. “Catholicism 101 by Word on Fire was identified as a fresh and energetic video series that presents the basic truths of the Catholic faith in a convenient, easy-to-understand format that inspires reflection and offers common language and content for discussion with others.”
After a yearlong analysis of formation resources and the Catholicism 101 pilot with principals, DelleMonache said that the series will be offered to parish and high school leaders, as well as elementary school teachers.
Every two weeks, participants will receive an email with an introduction and a link to an 8- to 10-minute video featuring a number of contemporary evangelists – including Sister Josephine Garrett, CSFN, Father Stephen Gadberry and actor Jonathan Roumie from “The Chosen” series. Topics include Creation, Salvation History, The Incarnation, The Paschal Mystery, Mary, the Mass, Prayer, Catholic Social Teaching and the Bible. Each video will include reflective prompts for participants to consider after watching, and time will be set aside for conversation and reflection among participants after each installment.
“Principals will go through the series again, but this time it will be alongside their teachers,” said DelleMonache. “Principals identified the topics from the series that are most critical and beneficial for teacher growth, including Prayer, The Mass, Following Jesus and Catholic Social Teaching. Principals will be able to effectively facilitate reflective discussions on the videos with their teachers throughout the year.”
Participants will also have access to the entire Word on Fire digital library, which includes additional teaching and enlightenment about the Catholic faith, DelleMonache said.
Elizabeth Martino, principal of Our Lady of Hope Regional School, Blackwood, participated in last year’s pilot program, and she is excited for her teachers to have the chance to join in the initiative.
“Our teachers work so hard to inspire their students to be people of faith and do not always get the time they need to deepen their own spiritual life,” she said. “At Our Lady of Hope Regional School, we will dedicate time at some of our faculty meetings to discuss the content of the course. The most important work we do is to teach our students to love God, and having this course will keep our faith in the forefront of our minds, hearts and conversations.”
Kathy O’Callaghan, principal of Saint Peter School, Merchantville, enjoyed the course as well.
“The presentations were short enough to take in at one sitting,” she said, “but long enough to give a thorough explanation of topics backed by the Catechism of the Catholic church as well as papal encyclicals.”
Like Martino, O’Callaghan sees the value in offering the program to her school’s teachers.
“As Catholic educators, our primary goal is to teach the faith to our students so they can develop a personal relationship with Jesus,” she said. “In order for us to do this, we need a solid foundation and good understanding of the faith. Further, by watching the series and participating in peer discussions, our faculty will also grow closer to Jesus and increase our love for Him.”
DelleMonache said that the Catholicism 101 implementation “is part of an overall long-term vision of formation that shifts toward a balance between inspiring a common understanding of key topics about the Catholic faith and pursuing individual passions/interests one may have within our deep faith tradition.”
She added that she is eager to also expand formation opportunities to parish catechists because they are deeply committed to both our faith and sharing it with children and youth. “Our parish catechetical leaders have been invited to participate in a unique pilot program this fall to not only explore Catholicism 101 but also the Catechetical Formation Series offered by Loyola Press.”
“Ongoing reflection, study and prayer on faith topics is vital to spiritual formation for all of us, especially those who work closely with children and youth to nurture their formation,” she said. “It is an absolute privilege to be a part of these initiatives, and I am excited to see where the Holy Spirit leads us.”
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