Volunteer to be a Catechist or Catechist Aide

Are you called to be a

Catechist or a Catechist Aide?

A catechist must be a confirmed, practicing Catholic who is at least twenty-one and agrees to teach all things in line with Catholic church doctrine. A catechist is a person with a positive attitude and willingness to share their faith with our children and youth. Responsibilities include attendance at catechist meetings, class preparation time, and presence at every class. In addition, catechists must complete the Youth Protection Program with the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown to work with children: Youth Protection Information Page

OLV CCD is in need of catechist aides for grade levels PreK-2nd grade. We are also in need of guest catechists for all grade levels to fill in when one of our catechists are out. They provide the plans. A catechist aide must be a Confirmed, practicing Catholic who is at least seventeen yrs. old. A catechist aide is a person with a positive attitude and has a willingness to share their faith with our children and youth. Responsibilities include attendance at catechist meetings, presence at every class and assisting the lead catechist. In addition, a catechist aide must complete the Youth Protection Program with the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown to work with children: Youth Protection Information Page

Catechists Aides & Guest Catechists are needed for primary level classes for the 2025-2026 school year.

Class is held 10:30am-11:20am on Sundays.

Please contact Susan Ishmael: directorccd@ourladyofvictory.com

Volunteer Lead teachers, Aides, and Substitutes are needed and welcome! Contact Susan Ishmael (DRE) at directorccd@ourladyofvictory.com for with questions or for more information. Please refer to the information below. All those working with children in our diocese enter through a thorough process to maintain a safe environment for our children. You cannot work with the children in any capacity until you have proper training and clearances.

Youth Protection and Clearances

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has established a statute that requires all individuals working with children as either employees or volunteers to obtain and submit certain clearances and complete PA-required online training. In addition, the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown requires that all OLVCS employees and volunteers submit Diocesean forms and complete the Diocesan Youth Protection online course.

These requirements have been set with the safety of our children in mind.

COMPLETING THE YOUTH PROTECTION PROCESS

To begin the clearance and online training process, go to the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown Youth Protection website. As you complete this process you will be required to download and fill out Diocesan forms, as well as apply for and receive notifications of your clearances. You will also complete one Diocesan-required, online training program AND one PA-required, online training program.
Once you have completed the trainings, filled out the forms, and obtained documentation of required clearances, submit all required paperwork and copies of clearances to the OLV Youth Protection Coordinator:
Electronic Copies:
Electronic (scanned) copies of paperwork and clearances should be emailed to youthprotection@olvcs.org. It is helpful if you can label your documents with your name and the type of document.
Hard Copies:
To submit your paperwork as a hard copy, enclose all documents in ONE envelope and send it to the following address:

Youth Protection Coordinator
Our Lady of Victory Catholic Church
820 Westerly Parkway
State College, PA 16801
NOTE: You only need to submit your documents one way, either hard copy or electronically.

The OLV Youth Protections Coordinator will review your documents and submit them to the Diocese for final approval. She will contact you once your approval is granted. This approval can take 4-6 weeks.
If you have already obtained clearances through another organization, it is recommended that you contact the OLV Youth Protections Coordinator BEFORE you begin, to see if you might be able to transfer some of these approvals.
If you have any questions or need assistance in accessing the trainings or paperwork, contact the OLV Youth Protection Coordinator.

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