NEWMAN CATECHETICAL CERTIFICATE
REASONS FOR FAITH

NINE MONTHS PROGRAMME
ONLINE INTERACTIVE LECTURES – CHOOSE FROM 2 TIMES

TUESDAYS

9am -11am OR 7pm – 9pm (UK Time)

10am – 12 noon OR 8pm – 10pm (Central European Time)

2pm – 4pm (USA East Coast Time)

11am – 13pm (USA East Coast Time)

STARTING 27th SEPTEMBER 2022

Catholics often have a profound sense of the faith; but equally often, they have difficulty explaining the reasons for their faith (and their hope) when asked questions or when challenged.

St Peter, our first pope, admonishes us to be always ready (prepared) to make an apologia (a defence) for the hope that we have in Christ Jesus.

This programme will equip students with the basic priniciples needed to begin making this kind of preparation and is designed to help catechists, parents, parish workers, and anyone interested in giving reasons for our Catholic faith.  We will look at specific questions and treat concrete examples.  We will examine Biblical arguments as well as arguments from reason.  We will learn how to deal with some of the most difficult questions of our time.

The Academy of the Annunciation invites you to join us in learning how to give credible answers to difficult questions.  In the process of learning how to answer the questions of others, your own faith will be edified and your hope strengthened.

These topics will be covered in two courses/modules.  Both modules cover the Scriptural Foundations as well as the theological developments which can help us to understand the Dogmas of the Church.  You will learn how to think theologically and give reasons for faith that are rational and credible, since “faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth,” (St John Paul II).  As we explore each topic, you will learn to see the connections between Scripture, the Fathers of the Church, St Thomas Aquinas, and the current Catechism of the Catholic Church.  You will see the relationship between the various topics. We will look at contemporary questions and challenges and learn to give credible answers to practical questions.

By completing this course, you will learn not only what the Church teaches and what the Catechism says, but why the Church teaches as it does, and how that teaching is related to Scripture.

Catechetical Diploma : Those students who have completed this course and wish to continue their catechetical studies can progress to our nine months Catechetical Diploma : Deeper into Scripture – Hearing the voice of the Saviour course in which we learn how to read the Sacred Page – how to go beyond a superficial reading and how to begin to penetrate deeply the Word of God.  CLICK HERE to find out more about this course. 

Dr Denise Clare Oliver and Dr Christina Pal lead the teaching team for this programme.  Prior to joining the Academy of the Annunciation (AoA), Dr Oliver was a professor at the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome, an invited lecturer for the Pontifical Council for the New Evangelization, and Director of Theology at the School of the Annunciation.  Dr Christina Pal has a Doctorate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical University of St Thomas Acquinas (Angelicum) in Rome.  Prior to joining the AoA, Dr Pal was an adjunct professor for the Augustine Institute and for Christendom College’s Rome programme, and she was the Senior Academic Tutor for the School of the Annunciation at Buckfast Abbey.

The Structure of the Programme

The Programme is comprised of two courses (or modules) that will be completed over the nine months duration of the programme.

Each week you  enjoy a 2 hour session of lecture and discussion.  In addition, you have brief reading assignments to complete each week and each  month there are short exercises associated with the reading assignments and lectures.  These formative activities form 10% of the final grade for the module.

There are two assignments for each module; together, these form 90% of the mark for the module. The short formative activities, together with feedback from the Academic Tutor, help students in their preparation for the graded assignments.

The purpose of the assignments and assessments is to help students to intermalise and appropriate the material being presented in the lectures and discussions.

Your exercises and assignments are submitted on our Veritas@AoA learning management system (run on the Moodle platform).

Studying for Personal Enrichment only

The Academy of the Annunciation welcomes students to attend our courses for personal enrichment, but without the pressure of assignments and assessments for a certificate or diploma.  Once you have registered for the course, please send an email to the Academic Tutor indicating that you wish to study for personal enrichment and will not be completing the assignments and assessments for a certificate or diploma.  You can reverse this decision during the first month of the programme, if your experience leads you to choose to do the assignments and assessments for a Certificate or Diploma.

You can email the Academic Tutor at christina@aoa-edu.com

How it works

Once you have registered, you will receive an email on the evening before each lecture/discussion session, with the link for the next day’s session.

On the first day of the programme, there will be an optional test meeting 30 minutes before the start of the session – for anyone who wishes to practice clicking the link and making sure they can see and hear without any problems.  At the time of the session, to “enter the meeting room”, you simply click the link in your email, follow the directions and you are in!  There is no need for any app or any advanced computer or technical skill

In case you miss a Lecture

As with any discipline, a certain time commitment is necessary in order to learn effectively.  Nevertheless, we understand that there will be times when you might be unable to attend a lecture. When this happens, you can contact your Academic Tutor as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made for you to learn the material covered in the lecture you missed.  Your tutor will provide you with the resources necessary, so that you do not have major gaps in your learning.

Real-time Interactive Participation

Once you are in the “meeting room”, you can see and hear everything.  To ask questions, or participate in the discussion, you simply un-mute your microphone (or you can opt to just listen).  We prefer everyone’s web-cam to be turned on, so that we are all visible to each other, but you can opt to turn off your web-cam.  You can ask questions, contribute to the discussion and participate just as you would if you were on-site – all from the comfort of your home!

The Cost

The tuitition for the entire programme, including all the help you will receive from your personal academic tutor is £998 (if you pre-pay all at once).

If you prefer to pay on a monthly basis, it is £120 per month (pre-paid at least a week before the first session of the month).

The Academy Trustees have established a small bursary fund to help those who cannot afford the full course fee.  If you would like more information please CLICK HERE.

Join Us Now!

Deepen your understanding of the Catholic Faith through live lectures (via video-conferencing) with inter-active discussion and real-time participation, all from the comfort of your own home, and meet fellow disciples from all over the world!

Places are limited.  Please register as soon as possible to ensure you have a reserved place.