“Parents are the most influential agents of catechesis for their children. They have the unique responsibility for the education of their children; they are the first educators, or catechists. They catechize primarily by the witness of their Christian lives and by their love for the faith.”
(National Directory for Catechesis, p. 234)

In the Diocese of Orlando our parish catechetical programs are designed to support and complement the religious life of the family.  Parents need to know that “their participation in the life of the parish – above all in the Sunday Eucharist – their willingness to evangelize and serve others, and their dedication to daily prayer demonstrate the authenticity of their profession of faith” (National Directory for Catechesis, p.234).   Parents are encouraged to participate in parish events such as adult faith formation programs, sacramental preparation sessions and whole community catechesis events.

Parents have a right to expect that their children will be assisted in their formation by catechists who have a deep commitment to Jesus Christ and a strong love for the Church. The Office of Religious Education encourages pastors to hire qualified and well trained Directors of Religious Education. We provide further training though our Diocesan Catechist Certification Program as well as a series of professional days, special training sessions for new parish DRE’s and parish visitations by the staff of the Religious Education Office.

Parents also have a right to expect that our parish Religious Education programs foster an atmosphere of welcome, trust and safety. The Diocese of Orlando requires all adult who work with children undergo an FBI background check and are fingerprinted every Five years. Parents are required to read the following documents that may be downloaded from our diocesan website:

View and download the brochure titled "Protecting Our Children, Child Sexual Abuse and Prevention."
View and download the brochure titled "The Dignity of a Person, Policies on Child Sexual Abuse and Prevention."

Home Schooling

In those cases where families choose to provide catechesis for their own children in the home setting, the Bishops of the Province of Florida issued “Sacramental Policies & Guidelines for Those Who Home School” Children who are home schooled are to celebrate the sacraments in the parish and at the time determined by the pastor for all those in the parish based program.