Upcoming Faith Formation and Catechetical Certification Opportunities for Fall 2026
August 17, 2026

Catechesis is central to evangelization and mission in the Church. Whether you are active as a catechist, minister, lay leader or are an adult interested in deepening your faith, the courses and seminars offered by the University of Dayton’s VLCFF through the Diocese of Wheeling Charleston will build your understanding of the Catholic faith and Tradition. Courses are offered in person, online and hybrid. Below is the hybrid course being offered beginning September 7th. All courses offered are free, but registration is required. Courses are underwritten by the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston’s Office of Evangelization & Catechesis, which pays 100% of the tuition and the cost of any books associated with the courses.

The course facilitator is Dr. Rodica Stoicoiu. For further information or to register, please contact Dr. Stoicoiu at rodicastoicoiuphd@gmail.com

The Diocese of Wheeling Charleston offers Catechetical Certification and recognizes VLCFF courses for various levels of certification. Certain courses are especially designed for volunteer catechists, Catholic school religion teachers, members of OCIA teams and all those who would be enriched by formal training in this field. For further information regarding the VLCFF certification programs please contact Dr. Stoicoiu or Ms. Shirley Carter at scarter@dwc.org.

There are 6 required courses for level one certification including the Images of Jesus class below. This class is open to ALL adults interested in deepening their faith and growing in their understanding of the theology and Tradition of the Church.

Images of Jesus

We are presented with many images of Jesus in the Gospels and throughout the New Testament. This course helps us to answer some of the essential questions raised through scripture and Tradition: How have Christians come to understand the person of Jesus over the centuries? How are we to understand him today? Through this course participants will have the opportunity to examine, from a variety of theological perspectives, what we know and believe about the central figure of the Christian faith and arguably the most influential person who ever walked the earth. After looking at many different resources, the student will be able to form a personal answer to “Who do you say that I am?”

We will look at the images of Jesus in the New Testament, as understood in theology today, as understood in the Paschal Mystery and as encountered in the liturgical life of the Church. All course materials are online. Class access opens the week of September 7th with our first class meeting on Wednesday September 9th at 7 pm. We will meet for five weeks.

This course partially fulfills the requirements for the certificate in catechesis.

To register or for further information about any of the courses please contact Dr. Rodica Stoicoiu at rodicastoicoiuphd@gmail.com

We are called throughout our lives to turn and return to God. This is the process of ongoing conversion. Deepening our understanding of faith, growing in our relationship with God and one another includes learning about that faith, the Scriptures and our Tradition. Take time this year to meet other Catholics, learn, discuss and deepen your faith.