2 volunteer catechists, Georgina and Alison, received their Certificate in Catholic Religious Studies (CCRS) during a liturgy and presentation evening on Wednesday 18 March in Vaughan House, together with teachers from Westminster Diocese (and beyond!). Canon Chris Vipers, Director of AFE, led the liturgy and presented the certificates to the catechists whilst Peter Sweeney, Director of Education, presented them to the teachers. The evening represented the culmination of 2 years of part-time study comprising of 8 modules, with 10 hours of input being delivered online and the submission of assignments for each. Another student, Daniela, received her certificate in April.
The CCRS, even though it’s primary target audience is teachers (in Catholic schools), has been found to be a useful, reasonably priced course for catechists or others in parish ministry to reflect on and deepen their own faith in order to pass on their faith to others.
Georgina says of the experience:
“Two years ago, [2024] I applied for the CCRS programme because, as an RCIA volunteer catechist, I wanted to better serve my parish and grow in my faith. When I realised I could not afford the fees, I reluctantly asked to withdraw my application. To my great surprise, the Agency for Evangelisation asked what I could personally afford, accepted my modest contribution, and awarded me a bursary for the rest.
That generosity changed everything. Over the past two years, my ministry and personal development have grown in leaps and bounds. Although many participants were teachers in Catholic schools, those of us involved in parish catechesis were also very well supported, with academic guidance that helped us apply the course meaningfully to our own ministries.
The CCRS programme has deepened my faith, strengthened my confidence in ministry, and opened up new vocational horizons for me. It has helped equip me to continue serving as a volunteer RCIA catechist, while also preparing me to pursue prison chaplaincy as a professional vocation. I remain deeply grateful to the Agency for Evangelisation for their support, encouragement and commitment to forming people for mission in the Church.”
Alison shares,
“I signed up for CCRS to explore and deepen my own knowledge across the range of topics offered as I’m involved in RCIA and wanted to feel better prepared to meet any questions that might come my way. It fulfilled that desire admirably as, to clarify my understanding ready for the end of module essay submission, I delved into books I’d never have read otherwise. It’s been a real privilege to discover more about the history of the sacraments, the documents of Vatican II but also the debates of the early church Councils.
At times I felt almost overwhelmed by all the strands I was seeking to pull together to make the word count and yet I’ve learned so much and got so much out of it. The richness of the content shared by the different lecturers, the insights offered by other participants and the reflected learning have all made it a hugely worthwhile undertaking. As catechists we seek to meet people where they are and, particularly in RCIA, journey with them as together we learn more about our faith. Taking time to reflect on my own practice in how I serve my parish, while keeping Christ at the centre, was both challenging and enlightening. Being retired I had more time than many to delve into topics and feel as though I’ve unpicked some of the tapestry to understand it better but now know how much could still to be tackled on this continuous voyage of discovery that is our faith journey.
I’m truly glad I embarked on the CCRS course as it has revealed yet again the richness of our faith and unearthed treasures I’d have missed otherwise so my heartfelt thanks to all those who contributed to my CCRS experience.”
Daniela adds:
“As a catechetical coordinator, I completed the Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies, which provided me with a strong grounding in theology. The course was both challenging and engaging, helping me to deepen my understanding of the faith while filling important gaps in my knowledge. It has strengthened my confidence in my role and better equipped me to support others in their faith formation.”
