St. Cyril of Jerusalem Catechetical Institute
Welcome to the St. Cyril of Jerusalem Catechetical Institute homepage! The St. Cyril Institute is the flagship program of the Secretariat for Evangelization and Catechesis for the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, offering in-depth adult faith formation for catechists, teachers, DREs, and all interested Catholics who want to deepen their knowledge of the Faith and their walk with Christ. Please see below for our full curriculum, as well as our current course offerings. We offer courses on both the Fort Wayne and South Bend sides of the Diocese.

Spring 2026 Term
Our Vision
Prompted by the Holy Spirit, lay Catholics in our diocese are desiring deeper catechesis and formation in our Catholic faith. This desire comes from the seed of faith that is planted in baptism: “Adults in the Church, that is, all Christians, men and women, lay people, priests and religious are people who have a right and an obligation to be catechized…It springs…directly from the ‘seed’ of faith planted within and which hopes to mature as the adult grows in age and responsibility.” As lay adult faithful grow into their baptismal calling to be priests, prophets, and kings, they have a greater desire to “bear Christ to others” by handing on the faith within their families, parishes, and communities.
The St. Cyril Catechetical Institute is being formed as a response to this need and desire to advance in catechesis as adults. The over-arching goal of the Institute is not just to help adult Catholics explore answers to theological questions but to inspire them to integrate their lived experience of faith into the story of salvation and the Good News of Jesus Christ. The St. Cyril Institute seeks to include those who simply desire enrichment in this understanding of Catholic faith as well as those who want to pursue a certificate of adult catechesis and develop the catechetical foundations and tools for various teaching ministries within the Church. This flexibility will allow lay adult faithful to grow into their formation and contribute to the work of evangelization throughout the diocese and the world.
The St. Cyril Team
Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions! Questions can be directed to Melinda Doak at the email listed below.
[email protected]