Manor offers catechist/education program (04/01/01)

Manor offers catechist/education program

JENKINTOWN, Pa. - For anyone involved in religious education on the parish level, Manor College has introduced for the fall 2001 semester a certificate program in Catechist/Educator Development (CED), which allows students to take courses for college credit, archdiocesan credits, or CEU's toward a certificate of completion or for personal enrichment.

Parish elementary school teachers can fulfill diocesan certification requirements, while current teachers in parish catechetical programs can complete their requirements for certification. Others may choose to take courses for personal enrichment in the faith.

Manor developed the program in direct response to a request from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Secretariat of Catholic Education addressing the continued decline in the number of qualified catechetical instructors in both the Eastern and Western rites of the Roman Catholic Church, and the lack of programs designed to train religious educators. With Byzantine and Latin Rite tracks of study available, Manor's program - developed through a grant from the Koch Foundation - is the only two-year certificate program for catechists in the Philadelphia Archdiocese and helps fill this need.

"This program speaks to the heart of our mission at Manor College," said Francis Farrell Jr., director of the CED program. "Believing that the ideals and values of the Judeo-Christian tradition are an integral part of the human experience, the program will look to serve those who feel called to the ministry of religious education through catechesis."

Designed with the student in mind, the program will be delivered through traditional and distance learning media, with late afternoon and evening classes offered.

The program meets all requirements for the Archdiocesan Religion Certificate Policy for Archdiocesan Teachers and courses may be taken to fulfill archdiocesan certificate requirements for parish religious education instructors.

Courses offered this fall include "Catechetical Methods," "Introduction to Theological Studies," "Presenting Moral Issues to Youth," "Using Liturgy with Young People in the Byzantine Church," "Catechetical Methods in the Byzantine Church" and "Preparing Children for Sacraments in the Byzantine Tradition."

To enroll in the CED program for the fall 2001 semester, or for more information, call Manor's part-time admissions office, (215) 884-2218.

| Home Page |