Just as Jesus sent his disciples out two-by-two, discipleship today requires support and accompaniment – something Pope Francis speaks of often. A mentor is there to encourage, guide, and support the participant, rather than to evaluate or critique their submission. As leaders, you each bring valued experience to this and already are in a current role of mentoring others.
Mentoring is a significant and required component of ANO Catechist Formation through FAH. In each formation workshop, learners complete a task (brief reflection) after each video segment, which can then be viewed by the mentor. This creates not only accountability for those in formation (because they know someone sees what they are writing), but most importantly, mentoring provides the opportunity for you (and any other individuals you assign as mentors) to journey with catechists/teachers – growing in faith together.
After Signing Up for FAH, Leaders should contact Deacon Michael Whitehouse: Parish and School Catechetical Leaders will be the "Institutional Leader" for their parish/school (unless the pastor/principal prefers someone else serve in this capacity; or there can be more than one leader if desired). After signing up for Franciscan at Home, please contact Deacon Michael Whitehouse ([email protected]) so that he can authorize you as the institutional leader for your parish/school.
First Step in Setting Up Mentoring for Catechists/Teachers: As a designated leader of your institution, you can go to your dashboard on Franciscan at Home (FAH) and under the learners section of your parish/school, you will find all individuals who have signed up for your parish/school. If you are at a school, make sure your teachers sign up for the school (or both if active in both) or else you will not be able to see them. Please instruct individual learners that once they log in to FAH, they should only take workshops through the "Institution Tracks" Archdiocese of New Orleans (NOT Franciscan Tracks - click here to see a screenshot of this). Once they begin one of these tracks (Initial Formation, Ongoing Formation, etc.), they must select that they wish to request a mentor for the workshop (click here to see an example screenshot of this). At that point you will receive notification that the individual is requesting a mentor. You then can log back in to FAH and assign that learner to any designated mentors at your school/parish.
How to Become a Mentor: Upon signing up for FAH, you will need to contact Deacon Michael Whitehouse ([email protected]) who will not only authorize you as an institutional leader, but will also designate you as a mentor at your parish/school (or technically as an institutional leader you can designate yourself). Click here to see a screenshot of this, which shows how you as a leader can designate yourself or any other individuals at your institution to be mentors, if so desired.
How to Assign Mentors to Catechists/Teachers: Once a catechist/teacher requests to be mentored, you will be notified that this learner is requesting a mentor. You will both receive an email to this effect, and you will see this in your FAH dashboard. In the section "Learners Needing a Mentor," you will see the names of the individuals and next to them will be a drop down menu which has all of the active mentors for your institution. Simply select the mentor you wish to assign to the learner and then click "Assign."
Franciscan at Home Mentoring Track
Please Note: catechetical leaders are to have their workshops mentored by archdiocesan mentors.