Franciscan at Home
FRANCISCAN UNIVERSITY of  STEUBENVILLE

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Franciscan at Home

Forming those who form others

Learn more about the Catechetical Institute's offerings:

About Us and Our Events Ministry Tracks and Workshops Sample Workshop

To Get Started:

Choose the membership option that best fits your needs.

Diocesan Partnerships
Diocesan Partnerships
Are you a diocesan official interested in learning more about diocesan partnerships?
Institutional Subscriptions
Institutional Subscriptions
Are you a representative of a parish, school, apostolate, or religious order interested in signing up your institution?
Options for Individual Subscriptions
Individual Subscriptions
Are you an individual interested in signing up under an existing institution or as an invidual subscriber?

Franciscan’s Other Ways to Grow Disciples & Leaders

Franciscan University of Steubenville offers a rich array of specific formation pathways for certain groups and especially for leaders, including:

 

Available now!

In the works...

  • Institute for Diaconal Renewal
  • Training for Pastors: Successful Financial Management of a Parish
  • Priestly Renewal Track
  • Music Ministry Track
  • Special Needs Track
  • Diocesan Officials Track
  • African American Faith & Family Track
  • Culture of Life Track
  • Sports Ministry Track

Institutional Subscriptions

For your convenience, we allow an institution to pay by credit card or by check. Whether you choose to pay by check or credit card, you will be given access to the ministry formation workshops immediately upon completion of the registration process.

Sign up your institution today

Whether you are signing up with or without a partnering diocese, our $400 annual subscription allows all teachers, catechists, catechetical leaders, administrators, parents, and interested individuals within your institution (parish, school, apostolate, religious order, etc.) to be formed using the vast array of workshops offered here.

The site is designed to be intuitive and easy to use for all types of learners.

Once subscribed, your institution can onboard for free as many people as desired within your community, and leaders may mentor any of these individuals one-to-one or in groups.

An institution can also view reports on individuals’ progress, evaluations, demographics, and assessments of training effectiveness, and can use the site to keep all records digitally, both from this platform’s workshops and from any formation/training taken elsewhere.

Parishes subscribe for $400 annually.  Mission parishes are granted access for free (they can participate under the subscription for their mother parish or register on their own).

Regional or independent schools (elementary or high school) gain access to FranciscanAtHome.com with their own $400 annual subscription.  Schools directly and solely operated by a single parish are included for free under that parish’s annual subscription.

Other types of institutions (religious orders, apostolates, hospitals, colleges, social service entities, etc.) gain access with their own $400 annual subscription.  Please contact us to discuss the particular features we’ve designed for these types of organizations.

 

 

Tracks visible online now are those that have enough workshops posted to be “open” (many more are then added over time after we open a track with its first few workshops). We have over 200 workshops in a dozen ministry areas, adding 3-4 new workshops every month – all designed to provide a mentorship/pastoral accompaniment method of ministry formation. Spanning over 35 countries, we serve over 25,000 people in ministry through our online workshops. And they give glowing reviews of the formation and accompaniment they have received.

Here is a list of our ministry formation tracks.

Feel free to view a sample workshop.

We also have a set of helpful video tutorials and answers to questions.

Please see the Institutional Leader User Guide for up-to-date instructions on using the CI platform.

The following resources may be helpful for parishes, schools, & other institutions seeking to use our workshops:

Diocesan Partnerships

The Catechetical Institute (CI) of Franciscan University of Steubenville provides access to all institutions (parishes and/or schools) that are associated with a partnering diocese to Franciscan University’s learning management system at FranciscanAtHome.com.

This site is designed to be intuitive and easy to use for all types of learners and hosts an ever-expanding array of ministry formation workshops designed to meet the needs of learners in the diocese in all ministry areas, including parents.

Once parishes and schools are onboarded to the online platform, a diocesan partnership provides access for an unlimited number of learners to all tracks and workshops currently posted and available, as well as those added to the system during the course of a diocese’s ongoing partnership.

For a diocese to use these resources, there is no diocesan fee.  Individual parishes or schools pay an annual subscription, which is negotiated with each of our partner dioceses and is designed to be highly affordable, in keeping with our Franciscan charism to form people for ministry in a fiscally non-exclusive manner, with a spirit of generosity to provide the very best resources for the poorest institutions and individuals.

Anyone associated with a subscribing parish or school would then be able to use the entire system for free, linked through your diocese’s page, customized to look the way you desire.

Feel free to visit the landing pages of our over 120 partner dioceses by looking at the drop-down list clickable at the top right of this page called “Partnering Dioceses.”

FranciscanAtHome.com access includes the diocese’s ability to:

  • Allow an unlimited number of people from subscribing parishes and schools to become learners on the system. 
  • Recruit, onboard onto FranciscanAtHome.com, and train using this site any mentors that a diocese engages. 
  • Create and manage relationships between mentors and learners for the diocese.
  • Create and maintain a custom diocese-specific landing page on FranciscanAtHome.com.
  • Create custom tracks and populate those tracks with collections of CI workshops on FranciscanAtHome.com. 
  • View reports available on FranciscanAtHome.com for individuals’ progress, evaluations, demographic reports, and assessments of training effectiveness. 
  • Generate custom certificates and keep all records digitally, both from this platform’s workshops and from any formation/training taken elsewhere.

 

Tracks visible online now are those that have enough workshops posted to be “open” (many more are then added over time after we open a track with its first few workshops). 

We have over 200 workshops in a dozen ministry areas, adding 2-3 new workshops every month – all designed to provide a mentorship/pastoral accompaniment method of ministry formation.

Spanning over 131 countries and territories, we serve over 40,000 people in ministry through our online workshops. And they give glowing reviews of the formation and accompaniment they have received.

If you would like to observe a Catechetical Institute Formation Day in another diocese (highly recommended!), you can view our events here.

We are happy to give any diocesan officials full and free access to our ministry formation platform to look around through a link specific to your diocese.

Please contact us at [email protected] or (740) 283-6754 for a link to gain this type of access and to discuss your needs and how we can serve you…

Diocesan Official User Guide

View a list of our ministry formation tracks. 

Browse a sample workshop.

The following PDFs may be helpful as you consider a partnership with us:

We also have an extensive set of helpful video tutorials, webinars and answers to questions.

CI’s Deputy Director, and Contact for Partnerships in Diocese in OH, Southern MI, Western PA, MD and WV, and in Western Europe, Central and South American, and Africa.

Dr. Bill Keimig

[email protected]

301-848-1652

For Partnerships in the Southern United States

Dr. Mark Ginter

Dr. Mark Ginter

[email protected]

812-631-2377

For Partnerships in the Northern United States and Canada

Dr. Stella Marie Jeffrey

Dr. Stella Marie Jeffrey

[email protected]

701-367-5586

For Partnerships in Central and Eastern Europe, and Russia

Bobette Huzovic

Bobette Huzovic

[email protected]

For Partnerships in Asia and Oceania

Katrina Herlambang, M.A.

Katrina Herlambang, MA

[email protected]

206-617-8240

For Creation and Changes to the Diocesan Landing Pages and Tech Support

Brady Webb

Brady Webb

[email protected]

740-283-6756

Subscription Options for Individuals

Does your institution (parish, school, etc.) already have a subscription? Free Sign Up

If your institution does not subscribe, we invite you to explore joining as an individual through the Franciscan International Guild for Catechists and Leaders.Learn More

The overall experience EXCEEDED my expectations. I can’t wait for the next workshop!
Susan J., Diocese of Venice, FL
This was my first time entering an online course/workshop and it surpassed my expectations. I expected it to be a lot more demanding and over the top too difficult for me to understand but it wasn’t so. Thank you for making it accessible to me.
Virginia R., Diocese of Oakland, CA
Franciscan University has been on the vanguard of forming generations of priests, religious and lay faithful in service to the Church and world. It has provided passionate and robust intellectual formation for the People of God for many decades now. Franciscan University has, and continues to be, a gift to the Church. Thus, I wish to affirm my support of the Catechetical Institute and assure those who are interested in taking advantages of this online resource that I fully endorse this catechetical effort.
Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, Diocese of Phoenix, AZ
I love taking online courses because I can do it at my own pace, in a quiet room and at my convenient time. Also, for us parents that work, go to school and have children, workshops online is what I can handle at this time. Thank you!
Hilda B., Diocese of Sacramento, CA
I am not only working through the workshops I am loving the workshops! I have learned so much and been so inspired by what I have learned so far. I’m looking forward to the elective courses that are possible. Thank you for this program and making it possible at such a small charge for the parishes. I am most grateful!
Gwen C., Diocese of Venice, FL
I came home and started a workshop that I couldn't fault! Part of my job is to pick out the problems in software (bugs, bad user experience, etc.) and I can be very critical! But there was nothing I could honestly fault. It is a brilliant online learning environment. The one thing I did believe I would disagree with is “a personal encounter” with the mentors and presenters. I have never seen that implemented successfully in my seven years in software. However, I feel it has been done very successfully here. I’ve gotten to know you more through your sharing of experiences, struggles and your testimony. You shared in an honest, humble and trusting way in the workshops.
Julianne C., Youth 2000 Leader, Ireland
We are very hopeful of such a collaboration in light of the excellent online support a formation for leaders engaged in a variety of ministries currently provided by the Catechetical Institute. Our diocesan formation staff and I envision this partnership as having great potential to supplement and enhance the ongoing leadership formation efforts in our geographically large diocese. We especially appreciate your emphasis on building in a mentoring process for catechists and other parish leaders who seek to grow in their faith and serve their communities.
Bishop Edward J. Weisenburger, Diocese of Tucson, AZ
Catholic-wise, the Catechetical Institute’s Formation Day was one of the happiest days ever for me. I am so excited that our universal Church has given us a universal direction and guide to become the best catechists possible. For many reasons, the day’s message has already been life changing and I have begun my first track and also shared the experience with other leaders in my parish. I’ve never experienced anything outside of Mass that has made me feel so connected to Catholic lay people all over the world universally. Again, I’m eternally grateful. Literally.
James W., Diocese of Jefferson City, MO
Every video in this workshop was well chosen and definitely worthwhile. I can see myself returning to watch these videos several times in the future. They are inspiring and clearly define a purpose and path to personal spirituality. Key strategies and concepts that will serve to refresh and renew ministry when obstacles and roadblocks arise (as I know they inevitably will!). Truly a great blessing and gift. Thank you!
Martha M., Diocese of Raleigh, NC

New Projects in Development

This track helps seminarians and priests explore authentically Catholic approaches to growing their parishes into centers of evangelization and discipleship.

 

Click here to learn more!

This track, taught by field-veterans, offers an array of practical workshops not only for newer diocesan officials, but also to support the bishop and his staff.

 

Click here to learn more!

Have you ever wondered how to best support children on their journey of life and faith, especially in these immensely challenging times?  

How can we help our young ones not only to learn about God’s truth in their heads, but also come to hunger for Him in their hearts?
 
Children have an immense capacity for God, who has written a desire for Him in their hearts. Jesus invites us, as adults, to participate with the Holy Spirit in guiding little ones to the Father’s Heart.  This Educating in Christ (EIC) Track is a unique adaptation of the work of Dr. Maria Montessori, Dr. Sofia Cavalletti, and Gianna Gobbi, master teachers and master catechists.  Designed by an educational expert, Dr. Gerard O'Shea, in collaboration with a team of catechetical experts assembled by Franciscan University’s Catechetical Institute, the EIC approach offers the unparalleled value of Montessori’s understanding of the child to two areas of need:  parents in the home and teachers serving in regular Catholic schools.  The EIC goal is to enable children in various educational circumstances to benefit from teachers, as well as mothers and fathers, who understand how to foster yearning for God, not just learning about God – and to do so for all ages of youth, from infancy to the end of the teenage years.  This series of workshops, associated resource website (EducatingInChrist.com) and training events make this superlative formative approach accessible, affordable, and adaptable for a much broader range of situations and locations, reaching far more children and families.
 
These thorough and practical workshops will help you to:

  • Deepen your sense of wonder at God’s work in a child’s heart from the earliest age.
  • Broaden your understanding of child development and discover how to foster each child’s capacity for God at every stage of development.
  • Increase your practical skill set for delivering the Gospel message to children in a concrete way that touches their hearts as well as their minds. 

Whether you minister to children in your home or at school, this track will help you to lead children in the great adventure of falling in love with God.

If you have questions about certification requirements, mentoring, or other questions, please visit our Q&A page for the EIC approach.

This track is designed to cultivate Spanish speaking leaders, grounding them in the truths of the faith and preparing them to lead from the heart of the Church.   Formed to be people of prayer and discernment, they will be prepared to respond to the needs of the Church in their communities.

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Este track está diseñado para capacitar a líderes hispanos, arraigándolos en las verdades de la fe y preparándolos para servir al pueblo de Dios con confianza y alegría. Formados para ser personas de oración y discernimiento, estarán preparados para responder a las necesidades de la Iglesia en sus comunidades.

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