In addition to recommending published curricula for faith formation, the Office of Religious Education develops some items for parish leaders and families to assist in handing on the Faith. If you need help in finding resources for learning about or teaching the Catholic Faith, please contact the ORE anytime ([email protected] | 205-776-7128). 

• Catechetical Institute (Franciscan at Home - Diocese of Birmingham)  - The Diocese of Birmingham is proud to partner with Franciscan University at Steubenville to provide ongoing formation for those studying and sharing our Catholic faith. This partnership is at the service of parish catechists and catechetical leaders, Catholic school teachers and administrators, families, study groups, and clergy.

• Diocese of Birmingham - Evangelization and Faith Formation YouTube channel
  • Catechism Film Series - a comprehensive, online series of short videos led by local clergy and catechists which presents the teachings of the Faith as articulated in the Catechism and in its Compendium.
  • "Catholic Wisdom Tradition" Series - 2022 Coffee and Catechesis lecture series delivered by Dr. David Anders
  • "Personal Relationship with Christ: What it Means for a Catholic" Series - 2023 Coffee and Catechesis lecture series delivered by Dr. David Anders

• Living Catholic webcast series (archive) -  in 2021, Dr. David Anders hosted conversations with leaders in the Diocese of Birmingham and beyond to share ways to live out our Catholic Faith more fully and with joy. This series is also available as a podcast from https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/livingcatholic

• MCODE Coaching - With a group of over 10 local coaches, the Office of Religious Education offers teambuilding workshops to parish leaders, using the Motivation Code (MCODE) coaching program. MCODE engages participants in a process of deepening self-discovery, attending closely to each person’s stories of lasting fulfillment in order to better appreciate the unique way each person has been formed by God and called to holiness. MCODE workshops (and individual coaching sessions) are available for parish staff, as well as catechetical and core teams. If you would like to host an MCODE workshop for your team, contact Daniel McCormick at [email protected]

• Al Sagrado Corazon - Teams of trained, volunteer mentors travel to schools once weekly to host hour-long, afterschool faith formation sessions for students in grades 1-5. The lessons share stories and teachings taken directly from the Bible, use simple but evocative images and manipulatives to aid students in comprehension and expression, invite the children to experiences of prayer and dialogue, and offer engaging art projects to bring the lessons home. Mentors invite students to think through the life and words of Jesus, to respond to his love by how they live their lives.

• Alabama Catholic Fútbol League - ACFL is a sports ministry of the Catholic Diocese of Birmingham in Alabama, sponsored by the Office of Religious Education and Catholic Extension. Its purpose is to assist players in growing as disciples of Christ and witnesses for him in the Church and in the world. Through its activities, it aims to build up participants in skill, personal virtue, and in Christian friendship with one another.

• St. Jerome Bible Bee (coming soon) - a fun and free catechetical game series which parents and teachers may use to introduce students from grades 3-12 to the wealth and beauty of the Sacred Scriptures. The program includes biblical passages taken from the prayers and readings at Mass, organized into a series of study guides, worksheets, and activities. The program culminates in a parish "Bible Bee," similar to a spelling bee or quiz bowl. It rotates through the lectionary cycle with new materials through years A, B, and C, and scales difficulty according to age, with easy resources for grade 3-5, more challenging selections for grades 6-8, and the most difficult material for grades 9-12.

• Totus Tuus (Summer Camps for Children and Youth) - Totus Tuus is a Catholic summer youth program dedicated to sharing the Gospel and promoting the Catholic Faith through catechesis, evangelization, Christian witness and Eucharistic worship. The goal of Totus Tuus is to help young people grow in the understanding of, and strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ.

• Youth Christian Initiation - a collection of 10 short presentations and worksheets that introduce young people preparing for the Easter sacraments to important elements of our Catholic faith. Each session is intended to be paired with guided, scriptural introductions to the rosary so that candidates can be introduced to basic prayers (the Creed, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be) and to key stories from the Gospels. 

• ORE Main Page
• RE Standards and Guidelines
• Safe Environment Materials
• Al Sagrado Corazon
• Alabama Catholic Fútbol League