CELEBRATING 90 YEARS WITH NCCL
Our deepest gratitude to all of our presenters and those who attended in-person and online on
November 13 - 15, 2025
We pray that you enjoyed the variety of presentations and interactive sessions designed to enrich your personal growth and catechesis in your diocese or parishes.
** Session Replays Being Edited -- Check Back Soon! **
ACCESS PRESENTATION SLIDES / HANDOUTSSUPPORT CATECHISTS IN THIS SPECIAL YEAR
SCHOLARSHIP
CAMPAIGN
You can empower a new generation of leaders to be “tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.”
Easily make a donation of $90 in honor of our 90 years, or another amount that fits your giving...
A 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