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February 2006
Department of Religious Education
From the Executive Director
Welcome! The Department of Religious Education at NCEA provides service and leadership to all NCEA members in a variety of ways. The Department is the home of the National Association of Parish Catechetical Directors (NPCD), the first professional association dedicated specifically to the support of parish catechetical leaders. Founded in 1976, it continues to serve directors of religious education and works to advance excellence in catechesis through networking with other catechetical leaders, representing catechetical concerns to others and empowering catechetical leaders.
To assist Catholic schools and parishes in evaluating faith formation programs and the religion curriculum, the Department maintains and manages NCEA Assessment of Catechesis/Religious Education (NCEA ACRE) and the Information for Growth (IFG), religious education assessment tools for students and adults. NCEA ACRE is available in English and Spanish. When invited by a diocese, the Department provides training on the administration and interpretation of these assessments. A NCEA ACRE video workshop is also available to diocesan offices, Catholic schools and catechetical programs.
In the area of spiritual formation, two retreats are available for parish catechetical leaders: Shepherding the Shepherds and its sequel, Lord, Teach Us To Pray. For professional updating in religious education each year at the NCEA Convention the Department provides 70-80 religious education workshops on topics of interest to Catholic school teachers, administrators and catechetical leaders. The Department also sponsors the NCEA Catechetical Scholars Program to advance catechetical scholarship. Experienced diocesan and parish catechetical leaders apply to participate in this professional development initiative. The Department electronic newsletter, Religious Education News, helps to keep diocesan and parish catechetical leaders up to date on department and association wide concerns as well as national catechetical developments.
Through the executive director, the Department of Religious Education represents all NCEA members as a consultant to the Bishops’ Committee on Catechesis, as a member of the Catechetical Sunday Planning Committee and as a collaborator on joint projects with other NCEA departments and with other national organizations.
On November 19, representatives from the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) and the National Conference of Catechetical Leadership (NCCL) met in Washington at the invitation of the USCCB to explore issues related to the fact that there is overlap in their respective missions and memberships. As part of its mission, NCEA services the catechetical community in both Catholic schools and parishes. NCCL offers services primarily to diocesan and parish catechetical leaders. In an effort to exercise good stewardship and serve needs of members, both organizations desire to eliminate unnecessary duplication of efforts and to construct a partnership that will better serve the Church's catechetical mission. [More Information]
Please explore the pages that follow and call upon us to take advantage of Department services, publications and products to advance excellence in catechesis.
For more information about NPCD, the NPCD Convocation for professional growth and development held in conjunction with the NCEA Convention and NPCD Awards, go to http://www.ncea.org/npcd/
Sincerely,
Diana Dudoit Raiche
Executive Director
Department of Religious Education
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National Catholic Educational Association
