Catholicism Made Simple

Our CMS course was launched in 2000 with the intention of helping students to “Grow in the Love and Knowledge of God”.

Structure and Content

The course consists of 20 units dealing with the following topics:

  1. The Bible
  2. We believe in God
  3. Jesus Christ
  4. God the Father
  5. The Holy Spirit
  6. Creation and the Fall
  7. The Incarnation
  8. The Resurrection
  9. The Church
  10. Sacraments
  11. Baptism and Confirmation
  12. Holy Communion
  13. Mass
  14. Living and Forgiving
  15. Mary and the Saints
  16. Prayer
  17. The Kingdom of God
  18. The Church’s Mission
  19. Right from Wrong
  20. Death and Beyond

Sample Chapter

You can download a free sample chapter from the course here.

Course Fees

The course costs £20, but where it is being studied by several people in a parish or similar community working together as a group, we are working to reduce this. Contact the Registrar for details.

If the student works by email, there will be no further cost but students working by post must pay the cost of postage to and from their tutor. Usually this is the price of a first class stamp.

How long will the course take to complete?

There is no time limit on completion. The student can work at their own pace in their own home. We do, however, recommend a regular study routine. This helps continuity between units and promotes a better understanding of the subjects and how they relate to each other. Normally students take between 3 and 6 months but some take longer or have to suspend study for a time because of domestic or other problems.

Assessment and Certification

There is no formal assessment for this course, but you will receive feedback for each unit submitted. At the end of the course a Certificate of Completion is issued, and by this stage the student should have a good understanding of the main truths of the Catholic Faith.

Who is the course aimed at?

The course is particularly suitable for:

  • Those of any Religion who would like to learn about the Catholic Faith
  • Those who want to refresh the Religion they learned at school, to answer their children’s questions or prepare themselves for further religious study
  • Those preparing for Baptism
  • Young people preparing for Confirmation.
  • Prisoners who can study the course in their spare time and send their work to a tutor via the RC Chaplain

Prior Qualifications and Approval

No previous qualifications are needed to do this course. As long as your English is good enough to understand the course units and communicate with your tutor, that is all that is needed.

Neither do you need the approval of your priest or minister, but it might be a good idea to let them know your are intending to do the course before you start. However, if you live outside the United Kingdom, the approval of the bishop of the Diocese in you diocese is required by Our Lady’s Catechists before you can start the course.

Registrar

The Registrar for this course is John Crean. He is responsible for handling applications and allocating students to tutors.

You can download a sample chapter from this course here

How to Apply

You can apply online by clicking here.

Alternatively you can download an application form in Microsoft Word or PDF format, which you can fill in and send by normal post.

For further information about this course please contact John Crean by following the link below.

John Crean

Copyright

The course is copyright of Our Lady’s Catechists. It was written by Fr Harry Curtis, STL, B.Sc, M.Ed., who was Professor of Dogmatic Theology at St Mary’s College Oscott, Birmingham, and then Dean. He is now a Parish Priest in Coventry.