Catechetical Office: History
Religious Education for Every Catholic
Yesterday...
For many years, the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (C.C.D.) provided catechism lessons to children and youth not attending Catholic schools. It was a wonderful program for its time. However, in the Second Vatican Council, the Church reaffirmed that all Catholics, children, youth and adults, have an inalienable right to an ongoing and ever-deepening understanding of their Faith.
Every diocese in the world was asked to renew its efforts to have all parishes offer religious education and lifelong formation in the Faith to all Catholics. This comprehensive program is called by a name that is ancient and revered in our Catholic tradition: catechesis. To provide religious education or catechesis to the Catholics of the Archdiocese of New York, the Catechetical Office was established.
Today...
The New York Archdiocesan Catechetical Office provides the leadership, policies, training and support for catechesis of the highest quality in every parish and to every parishioner through:
The Central Catechetical Office, which oversees total religious education in all parishes.
The Regional Catechetical Offices, which make our services available to local parishes.
The parish Directors and Coordinators of Religious Education - professional religious educators who administer the programs.
The trained catechists who hand on the faith in the parish programs.
We offer programs designed for pre-schoolers, children from kindergarten through grade 6, young adolescents in grades 7 and 8, high school students, young adults, adults, senior citizens, and people of all ages with special needs - including those who are disabled and their families.
Conscious of the ethnic diversity of the Archdiocese, our catechetical leaders and programs take into consideration the many cultures that enrich every parish.
