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ARTICLES
Parish religious education statistics announced
Among the important aspects of “Called to Be Disciples,” the Catechetical Norms for the Diocese of Richmond, is the requirement for parishes to submit an annual Reporting Form to the Office of Christian Formation. They were submitted by parishes for the first time during this past summer.
“Called to Be Disciples” seeks to implement the General (Roman) and National (U.S.) Directories for Catechesis in the Diocese of Richmond.
The Reporting Forms were based on Phase One of the Norms which deals with basic requirements such as personnel, required training, evaluations and certification.
Data from the 2007 Reporting Forms from over 90 percent of parishes reveal the following:
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Parishes report a total of 3,114 catechists for adult, youth, and children.
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2,010 catechists (66 percent) are registered for the PATHWAYS catechist certification process. (All current catechists must be registered by November 1.)
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64 percent of parishes are led by a paid catechetical leader, while 36 percent are led by volunteer leaders.
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56 percent of the paid leaders are full time.
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38 percent of parishes have more than one paid catechetical leader.
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56 percent of leaders had an evaluation during the past year (up from 25 percent in 2004).
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66 percent of leaders (including volunteers) have position descriptions (also low, but improving).
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90 percent of parishes indicated at least one area of desired growth for the coming year.
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42 percent of parishes indicated Adult Faith Formation as a desired area of growth for the coming year.
Phase Two of “Called to Be Disciples” will be completed during the coming year and will include four focus areas: Christian Formation Committees, Presentation of the Christian Message, Parents, and Safe Environment.
Just Wages was an original focus of Phase Two, but the Office of Human Resources is addressing that issue as part of its proposed Compensation System.
The full text of Phase One can be viewed on the Diocesan web site, in the Publications section, or via the Office of Christian Formation website.
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