The United States Bishops have expressed a need to educate new employees on Catholic hierarchy and the basic functions of the Church. To meet that need, the Catholic Press Association will launch "Fundamentals of the Catholic Church," a training program to teach the ins and outs of the Catholic Church.

"The purpose of the program is to take new employees into diocesan organizations and help them understand who their employer is - the Church," said Timothy M. Walter, executive director of the Catholic Press Association.

"Fundamentals of the Catholic Church," will launch on Wednesday, June 24, during the Catholic Media Conference which will take place at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center in downtown Buffalo. The program will be held at 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

In addition to establishing the theological context for deeper meaning, the series will emphasize and demonstrate access to and navigability of "go-to" theological resources, such as the USCCB website, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and key ecclesial documents.  

Regardless of age, position or faith, all employees of Catholic organizations should understand their employer's structure. It is important to know how the Church functions and why it takes the position it does related to social trends.

The CPA will utilize the skills of religious educators, administrators, and partners to provide the fundamentals of Catholic foundation to employees of Catholic organizations. The course will allow each participant to improve on-the-job skills, and in many cases enhance his or her faith life. Each employee then, has the opportunity to be an ambassador of the Catholic Church.

The CPA invited Dr. Daniella Zsupan-Jerome to collaborate on developing the program. Zsupan-Jerome is assistant professor of Liturgy, Catechesis and Evangelization at the Loyola Institute for Ministry at Loyola University, New Orleans. Her specialty is digital media and faith formation, with practical experience in online teaching and learning.

The program uses two USCCB publications, "How to Cover the Catholic Church" and "How to Cover the Mass" as accessible and relevant starting points. Using these, the series can aim to frame the practical content of these documents by situating them in a broader theological context.

Each participant completing the course will receive a Certificate of Completion.

The content of the basic program is appropriate for any new diocesan employee within a broad range of work from diocesan departments through parishes and schools. In general it is also appropriate for use by any employer of a Catholic-based company that recognizes its employees as ambassadors of the Church.

The price for Fundamentals of the Catholic Church is $75. No other registrations are required.

To register for "Fundamentals of the Catholic Church" visit www.catholicpress.org/event/CMC15MasterCamp.