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Office of Faith Formationand Religious Education
The Mission of the Office of Faith Formation is to form intentional disciples of Jesus Christ who are prepared, purposeful, and eager to spread the Gospel Proclamation throughout the world as commissioned by Christ himself in Matthew 28:19-20. -
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Contact Us
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Amber Buckleyabuckleybiloxidiocese.orgDirector of Faith Formation
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"At the heart of the Church’s mission to all people, an evangelizing catechesis seeks to deepen a personal encounter with Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit: It proclaims the core message of the Gospel, the kerygma; it accompanies people to a response of faith and conversion to Christ; it provides a systematic exposition of God’s revelation within the communion of the Catholic Church; and it sends out missionary disciples as witnesses to the good news of salvation who promote a new vision of life, of humanity, of justice, and of human fraternity." (Handbook on the
Catechetical Accompaniment Process)
Our Primary Formation Goal: To form a mature Catholic disciple who is firmly committed to feeling, thinking, and acting like Christ; who believes, understands and can articulate the truths of the Faith; who joyfully and frequently receives the Sacraments with ever-deepening devotion, especially the Sacrament of Penance and the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist; who lives the virtuous life with ever-growing charity and wisdom; who is steadfast in ongoing prayer; who faithfully engages with Sacred Scripture; who is active in the Catholic parish and bears witness to the faith in all aspects of life.
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Faith FOrmation REsources
- CATECHETICAL GOALS
- FAITH FORMATION PLAN
- SACRAMENT PREPARATION GUIDELINES
- PARISH RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CURRICULUM STANDARDS
- SUPPLEMENTAL CLASSROOM RESOURCES
- VOCATIONS CURRICULUM
- SCHOOL RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CURRICULUM STANDARDS
- SCHOOL APPROVED TEXTBOOKS
- TEXTBOOKS IN CONFORMITY
- OCIA RESOURCES
- PRINTABLE CHILDREN'S BOOKS
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At the heart of the Church’s mission to all people, an evangelizing catechesis seeks to deepen a personal encounter with Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit: It proclaims the core message of the Gospel, the kerygma; it accompanies people to a response of faith and conversion to Christ; it provides a systematic exposition of God’s revelation within the communion of the Catholic Church; and it sends out missionary disciples as witnesses to the good news of salvation who promote a new vision of life, of humanity, of justice, and of human fraternity.
The catechetical goals below are structured so that the integration of the spiritual and emotional formation that occurs with our encounter with Christ and His Church, with the behavioral formation that flows from a genuine faith and the intellectual formation in the knowledge of the faith, is evident. These should be understood in an organic way, where each aspect is part of the whole formation of the person.
For those who are developing catechetical resources for the instruction in the faith, these goals are intended to be a resource and guide that will ensure the authenticity of the presentation of the faith and the completeness of the presentation of the faith. While the final application of some of these goals will rest with the one who is presenting the material, it is vital that materials work to develop a culture where catechesis is not constrained to a short CCD class or to a religion class in school, but rather, a culture where catechesis is touching the lives of the whole family, and formation is beginning with the adults, so that they can be supported in their duty to hand on the faith throughout their lives and the lives of their children.
(Information provided by the Handbook on the Catechetical Accompaniment Process)
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To help our Young Church and adults grow more intentionally in faith, the Diocese of Biloxi has created a Faith Formation Plan to accompany the religious education curriculum. We are called to be intentional disciples—people who purposefully form a relationship with Jesus Christ.
This plan invites Catholics to reflect on their faith journey through four pillars: Know God, Love God, Serve God, and Witness God. After prayerful reflection, participants commit to concrete actions for each pillar and choose an Ananias—a companion who offers encouragement, accountability, and prayerful support along the way.
Below is the Faith Formation Plan, designed to guide reflection, commitments, and check-ins as each disciple continues their journey of intentional faith formation.
- In our Catholic schools and parish youth programs, the teachers, catechists, or youth ministers should be "Ananias" for the Young Church.
- In an adult formation model, the intentional disciple should be accompanied by someone he/she trusts and with whom he/she is in regular contact.
TO ACCESS ALL FAITH FORMATION PLAN RESOURCES, GO TO https://biloxidiocese.org/faith-formation-plans
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Each parish of the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi is responsible for the preparation of their parishioners in the Sacraments. To help guide our parishes in this preparation process, the Diocese of Biloxi has created guidelines for children preparing for Holy Reconciliation and First Holy Communion as well as for teens preparing for Confirmation. With their foundation in the Catholic Catechism and Canon Law, these guidelines represent a well-rounded program structure to help build a successful and meaningful process in forming intentional disciples prepared to further the mission of the Catholic Church.
At the end of the guidelines, the Goals of Catechesis for both sacraments are included. These goals are from the Handbook on the Catechetical Accompaniment Process, and include Interior Life, Behavioral and Cognitive Goals.
The sacramental life of the Church is paramount in formation and conversion. All Christians must draw from the source of life, who is the Lord, poured out to us in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist. Attendance at weekday and Sunday Masses, participation in Bible studies, attending retreats and family days of reflection and prayer, participating in devotional prayers such as novenas and holy hours, praying for those in catechetical formation, serving as mentors for those preparing for marriage and/or baptism, volunteering for parish outreach programs, leading faith-based activities and prayers within the home, and attending parish-sponsored presentations are some examples of how families can be invited to develop a sacramental worldview and live their faith with greater intention and community.
Uniting the cultivation of a maturing interior life with the behavioral living of the faith and the cognitive learning of the faith within the home and parish community presents an exciting opportunity as we continue to invite the People of God into relationship with Christ.
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Faith formation for our elementary, middle, and high school children is vital in moving our Diocese to truly live out the Great Commission of Jesus Christ: "Go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). The resource below is to help support our parishes in educating and forming our Young Church. These standards are to be a guideline to establish the minimal objectives to be taught at each grade level.
The elementary school standards are suited to most textbooks in conformity with USCCB. The high school level standards are adapted from the six core courses established by USCCB in Doctrinal Elements of a Curriculum Framework for the Development of Catechetical Materials for Young People of High School Age (2008). All high school textbooks that are in conformity with USCCB are aligned to these six core courses.
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Below are supplemental resources that can be used to enhance a school or parish religious education curriculum. These resources have been researched by the Office of Faith Formation and are supportive of the mission of our diocese and engaging for students.
Supplemental resources are to offer support and are not mandatory to any religion curriculum
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Helping young people listen for God’s call is one of the most important things we do as Catholic educators and ministers. This K–12 vocations curriculum is designed to support our schools and parishes in forming students to understand that every person has a vocation—a calling from God to love and serve. Whether it’s to marriage, priesthood, religious life, dedicated single life, or another vocation within the Church, our job is to help them discern, pray, and respond with courage and joy.
To access the curriculum, go to www.biloxivocations.org. In the upper right-hand corner, click on "Resources," then "Vocations Curriculum."For questions about this curriculum or to learn more about promoting vocations in your parish or school, please contact:
Fr. Braxton Necaise
Vocations Director, Diocese of Biloxi
[email protected]
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Faith formation for our elementary, middle, and high school children is vital in moving our Diocese to truly live out the Great Commission of Jesus Christ: "Go and make disciples of all nations" (Matthew 28:19). Our Catholic schools not only teach our faith every day during specified religion class times, but they also make sure that Catholic formation is abundant in all subjects and topics throughout the school year.
The resource below is to help support our schools in educating and forming our Young Church. These standards are to be a guideline to establish the minimal objectives to be taught at each grade level.
The elementary and middle school standards are suited to the approved textbooks in conformity with USCCB. The high school level standards are adapted from the six core courses established by USCCB in Doctrinal Elements of a Curriculum Framework for the Development of Catechetical Materials for Young People of High School Age (2008). All high school approved textbooks that are in conformity with USCCB are aligned to these six core courses.
All schools adopt a religion textbook curriculum yearly, and all students are expected to participate in at least 30 minutes of religious education per day (which can include Mass, adoration, prayer services/retreats, whole-school faith formation, etc.).
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All textbooks used in faith formation for elementary, middle, and high school should be in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church and should support the mission of the Diocese of Biloxi: "Make disciples of all nations." The textbooks below have been approved by the Office of Catholic Education and the Office of Faith Formation.
All schools are to adopt a religion textbook curriculum yearly. If a school wishes to adopt a curriculum not on the approved textbook list, a request should be made to the Office of Catholic Education to gain approval.
All students are expected to participate in at least 30 minutes of religious education per day (which can include Mass, adoration, prayer services/retreats, whole-school faith formation, etc.).
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All textbooks used in faith formation for elementary, middle, and high school should be in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church. To confirm that the textbooks used are in conformity, please review the resource below.
For parishes seeking guidance on textbooks, the Diocese of Biloxi has carefully reviewed and selected the list of resources below. Each one aligns with our mission and comes highly recommended.
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Walking with someone into the Catholic Church is sacred work. This section gathers practical tools, guidance, and inspiration for OCIA leaders and sponsors—everything you need to accompany seekers on their journey of faith, from initial inquiry to full communion with the Church.
Resource Books- Seek the Living God by Nick Wagner
- A Journey through the Catechism by Fr. Daniel Mahan
- Missio Nostra (Diocese of Biloxi)
- On Mission by Tim Glemkowski
- Handbook for Today's Catholic — Liguori Publications
OCIA Programs- Credo — Dominican Friars Thomistic Institute
- Symbolon: The Faith of the Church, Revised Edition 2024 — Augustine Institute
- Journey of Faith for Adults — Liguori Publications
- Invited — Ascension Press
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The Mission Mode: Growing as Disciples of Jesus children’s book series helps young readers learn the foundations of faith through the lens of the Diocese of Biloxi’s mission, Missio Nostra. Each book introduces core themes of discipleship—rooted in knowing, loving, serving, and witnessing God—while helping children understand how to live their faith with purpose and joy. Together, these stories make the Diocese’s mission simple, memorable, and meaningful for our youngest disciples.For the entire series, including seasonal booklets, go to https://biloxidiocese.org/childrens-booksFor the entire series, including seasonal booklets, go to https://biloxidiocese.org/childrens-books
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Current Programs
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Below are options for formation that are available in our Diocese. You may need to reach out to your parish office to get started.
New Wine
Discipleship QUADS
The Rescue Project
For more Adult Faith Formation options, check out the Office of Evangelization.
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Courses Now Available Online!
Through the Biloxi Formation Portal (powered by My Catholic Faith Delivered), parishioners of the Diocese of Biloxi have access to a wide variety of faith formation courses designed to deepen their understanding of the Catholic faith and support their growth as disciples. These online courses may be taken for personal enrichment or applied toward Catechist Certification.
Participants simply create an account, enroll in the courses that interest them or are required for their certification level, and complete the coursework at their own pace. Courses range in cost, with many offered free of charge, making ongoing formation accessible to all. The Biloxi Formation Portal can be accessed here: https://formation.dioceseofbiloxi.org/
For more information about Catechist Certification, go to biloxidiocese.org/catechist-certification
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Mission Mode: Growing as Disciples of Jesus is a formation series designed to help young readers grow in faith and live as missionary disciples. Each book in this series can be accessed in print or digital format through our online library. Visit the link below to explore the full collection and begin your journey in Mission Mode.
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