Course Description

The Church invites all people into communion with the life of the Trinity and intimacy with the Lord Jesus through the work of catechesis.  In this course we will:

1. Study the Church’s definition of catechesis through an examination of the General Directory for Catechesis from the Congregation for the Clergy. 

2. Examine the role of the deacon in the catechetical ministry of the Church.

3. Look at the Ecclesial Method of catechesis and have become familiar with it with an in-class practicum.

Hours of Instruction:  6

Institute Director

Eric Westby, Phd

Eric J. Westby, PhD is the Director of the Institute of Catholic Theology in Phoenix, Arizona. He is also the Director of Parish and School Catechesis at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish. He is an assistant professor of Theology for Franciscan University of Steubenville. He received his doctorate from Liverpool Hope University, with his thesis entitled "Equipping the Catechist of Catechists: A Critical Discussion of Seminary Formation in Light of Priestly Ministry in Catechesis." He holds a Masters of Arts degree in Theology and Christian Ministry from Franciscan University in Steubenville, from where he was the first student to complete the graduate specialization in catechetics. He holds a Certificate in Youth Ministry Studies from the Center for Ministry Development, and has been involved in full-time catechesis since 1988. He is a regular presenter at the summer St. John Bosco Catechetical Conference at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. More importantly, he is husband to Nikki and father of five beautiful girls.

Course curriculum

  • 1

    Course Resources and Introduction

    • Reflection Questions for Online Courses

    • Syllabus 09-2017

    • Interview Assignment 2017

    • Video - Introduction

    • Pre-Test - Cate Word Definitions. Fill them out before watching the next video
  • 2

    Session 1 - Catechetical Terminology

    • Course Slides

    • Video - Session 1
  • 3

    Session 2 - The Ministry of the Word

    • Video - Session 2
  • 4

    Session 3 - Catechesis Since Vatican II

    • Video - Session 3
  • 5

    Session 4 - The Role of the Deacon in Catechesis

    • Video - Session 4
  • 6

    Session 5 - Knowing the Target Audience

    • Video - Session 5
  • 7

    Session 6 - The Ecclesial Method

    • Video - Session 6

    • Getting Started - Ecclesial Method

    • Catechetical Lesson Plan According to the Ecclesial Method

    • Catechetical Lesson Plan According to the Ecclesial Method - Word Doc