CELEBRATE 90 YEARS WITH NCCL
REGISTER ON EVENTBRITE[Early Bird Registration until May 2, 2025!]
Let's join together to celebrate the living tradition of catechetical ministry in the U.S. and envision the future shape of catechesis for all ages and generations.
NCCL began in 1935 with the establishment of the National CCD Center in Washington DC and an association of diocesan directors of CCD. Now 90 years later we come together to celebrate the remarkable contribution that catechetical ministry has made to the Church in the U.S. and to imagine the future together.
November 13 - 15, 2025
Maritime Center at BWI Airport
(Outside Baltimore, MD)
CONFERENCE TOPICS
OPENING SESSION
NCCL at 90:
Sharing Stories of Faith and Service in Catechetical Ministry
An Interactive
Storytelling Experience
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
What We Are Seeing and Hearing in the
World of Faith, Culture, and Church
Zac Davis and Ashley McKinless,
Co-Hosts of the "Jesuitical" Podcast from America Media
SEMINARS
Emerging Trends and
Effective Practices in Catechetical Ministry
Presenters Lead the Exploration of 16 Topics
GENERAL SESSION
Envisioning the Future
of Catechetical Ministry
A Discussion of Findings and Implications
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION
Hope for the Future: Proclaiming and Teaching the Word of Jesus Christ in a New World
Sister Nathalie Becquart,
Under-Secretary for the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, Vatican
CLOSING SESSION
Reflections on the Future
from Catechetical Leaders
Being Inspired to Imagine the Future
of the Church's Ministry of Evangelization and Catechesis
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
Thursday, November 13th
11:00 am - Registration & Exhibits Open
1:00 pm - Welcome & Conference Overview; Opening Prayer; Opening Session
4:00 pm - Mass
5:30 pm - Dinner
6:30 pm - Keynote Presentation
8:30 pm - Evening Prayer
Friday, November 14th
8:30 am - Morning Prayer
9:00 am - Seminars, Part 1
12:15 pm - Lunch
2:00 pm - Seminars, Part 2
5:00 pm - Break
5:30 pm - Dinner
6:30 pm - General Session
8:30pm - Closing Prayer
Saturday, November 15th
8:30 am - Morning Prayer
9:00 am - Keynote; Closing Session; Closing Mass
12:00 pm - Close
(Box Lunches Available)
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION
Includes Meals and Housing for 2 Nights
Single Occupancy Room.
Event Starts at Noon on 11/13, Ends at Noon on 11/15 (EST)
Just $500 Early Bird Registration until May 2, 2025
Our meeting space at the Maritime Center is limited to 200 participants so please register early.
$600 Regular Registration
Commuter Fee is only $250 and includes meals and tuition
CLICK HERE TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT ON EVENTBRITEA LOT TO CELEBRATE:
SINCE 1934...
The National Community of Catechetical Leaders is dedicated to promoting the ministries of evangelization and catechesis in the U.S. Catholic Church by fostering a community of leaders who proclaim and teach the Word of Jesus Christ through the witness of accompaniment, education, and formation in the Catholic faith.
From the first centuries and throughout the history of the Church catechesis, “echoing the Word of God,” has been an essential ministry of the Church. The challenge of “making disciples” – of forming people of all ages and generations to live as disciples for a lifetime – is one of the most urgent tasks facing the Church today.
NCCL is committed to equipping, supporting, and networking catechetical leaders in dioceses, parishes, and other ministry settings to accompany, educate, and form people of all ages in the Catholic faith so that they may live as disciples in the world today.
OUR HISTORY:
NCCL, with a mission to enrich and strengthen the ministry of catechesis in the U.S., traces its roots to 1934 when diocesan directors of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) were first convened by Bishop Edwin O'Hara of Great Falls, Montana. The directors successfully petitioned the bishops to establish both an episcopal committee and a national center for the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. The episcopal committee was formed in November of that same year, and the national center was established in 1935. In 1936, the directors began to meet annually under the aegis of the National Center.
When the directors gathered in New Orleans for their thirtieth annual meeting in April 1966, they decided to form their own organization, independent of the National Center. Episcopal approval for the move was sought and given in September of that year by the Bishops' Committee for CCD meeting in Pittsburgh for the Twelfth National Catechetical Congress. The National Conference of Diocesan Directors of Religious Education/CCD (NCDD) was formally launched in January 1967. NCDD was organized around the ecclesiastical provinces in the US with the board of directors consisting of elected officers and a representative from each province.
In 1991, the organization changed its bylaws, structure, and governance to widen its membership and to facilitate decision-making and governance processes. In addition to diocesan directors and their staffs, membership was expanded to include academics, parish directors of religious education, publishers, and affiliated organizations. The organization was renamed the National Conference of Catechetical Leaders (NCCL). In 2022 the name was updated to the National Community of Catechetical Leaders to embrace the diversity of people in catechetical ministry.
What's Happening Right Now?
NCCL is proudly offering programs for parishes and professional development for catechetical leaders all across the country! Here's a brief overview of the different Lilly Endowment grant-funded initiatives and custom curated resources in the works...
NCCL At-A-Glance | Download PDF