Transfiguration Church will be the site of the Catechist Faith Formation Day on Saturday, Aug. 13, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. All are welcome to attend. This annual catechist certification day is being hosted by the churches of the North and Northwest Metro deaneries.

Several speakers and presenters will be featured at the conference, including keynote speaker Dr. Joe Paprocki, a national consultant for faith formation at Loyola Press in Chicago. With 30 years of experience in pastoral ministry in the Archdiocese of Chicago, Paprocki has produced several books on catechesis and pastoral ministry and has presented in more than 60 dioceses across North America.

The event will begin with Mass at 8 a.m., followed by Paprocki’s keynote address. Various breakout sessions will follow, covering topics such as middle school catechesis, lesson planning, the spirituality of teens and the new Roman Missal.

A few workshops presented in Spanish will also be a part of the event for the Spanish-speaking catechists. A Spanish keynote address will be given by Leonardo Sabogal, a seminarian of the Archdiocese of Atlanta.

The Spanish keynote will be given after lunch at 11:30 a.m., which will be followed by another series of workshops and breakout sessions. The afternoon workshops will cover such topics as music in the classroom, storytelling, technology instruction, the sacraments, mysticism, prayer and blogging.

A marketplace will be available, featuring vendors such as Mary’s Garden, LaSagrada Familia, Two Hearts Gifts & Books, EduFaith, Scouting Religious Medals and the archdiocesan Disabilities Ministry.

Last year nearly 600 catechists representing over 20 parishes participated in the conference. Advanced registration is required as no registration will be available the day of the event. Childcare for children ages 18 month to 5 years will be provided with advanced reservations.

Registration fee is $10 and may be completed online at catechist conference2011.wordpress.com. There is no registration fee for catechists from sponsoring parishes, which include St. Peter Chanel, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Michael the Archangel, St. Jude, St. Brigid, St. Catherine of Siena, Holy Family, St. Ann and Our Lady of LaSalette. A registration form may also be downloaded from the website and mailed to St. Peter Chanel Church, 11330 Woodstock Road, Roswell, GA 30075.

For detailed information, visit catechistconference2011.wordpress.com. To make reservations for childcare, contact Lori MacDonald at (770) 977-1442, ext. 145, or lmacdonald@