New Director for the National Office for Religious Education

Wednesday, November 29 2000

(Ottawa – CCCB) Ms. Joanne Chafe has been named the new Director of the National Office for Religious Education (NORE), succeeding Mrs. Bernadette Tournageau who retired last February.

The appointment was made by the CCCB Executive Committee at its regular meeting of November 22-23, 2000.  Ms. Chafe had been serving as Acting Director since Mrs. Tournageau’s retirement.   She will also serve as secretary of the English-Sector Episcopal Commission for Christian Education.

The National Office for Religious Education develops and publishes catechetical orientations and resources, and provides seminars, workshops and in-service at every level of catechetical ministry in Canada.

Ms. Chafe has been working with NORE since 1977, first as an assistant Director and member of the NORE catechetical team, then in 1983 as the project specialist in the adult portfolio. At the invitation of the Holy See, she attended the October 1997 International Congress in Rome for the promulgation of the revised General Directory for Catechesis.

Ms. Chafe is currently President of the International Forum on Adult Religious Education in the Roman Catholic Church.

She holds a master’s degree in education with a specialization in religious education from Boston College, a master’s in theological studies from the Atlantic School of Theology, and at present is a candidate for a doctorate in adult and continuing education at Teacher’s College of Columbia University.