Volunteer in a Small Community of Faith with Persons with Disabilities

SPRED is a parish-based, lifelong ministry that provides faith formation and spiritual nourishment to catechists and people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

A SPRED community is a group of up to eight volunteer catechists who form a community of faith to welcome up to six persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Each community member with intellectual and developmental disabilities, whom we refer to as friends, enters into a one-on-one relationship with an adult catechist. The SPRED catechists accompany friends on their faith journey and grow in friendship with them. SPRED communities are organized to serve friends in one of the following age groupings: 6-10; 11-16; 17-21; and 22+, depending on the greatest need of the parish and surrounding area.

Who can be a volunteer catechist?

Mature adults who have a desire to deepen their faith within a small community of faith and are open to sharing friendship and accompanying friends on their faith journey can become a SPRED catechist. Prior experience with children or adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities is not required. Training and enrichment are provided for all catechists.

There are 110 SPRED communities throughout all of Chicagoland! We would love to help connect you to the closest one.