The Diocese of Davenport has partnered with STEP at the University of Notre Dame to offer online formation for the people of the diocese.

With the diocesan partnership, individuals from the Diocese of Davenport who enroll in a STEP course will receive a 25% discount on the standard course fee of $99 by selecting "Davenport" when asked to select a diocesan discount code.  

• Biblical Literary Forms
• Core Course:  Introduction to the Catholic Faith
• Faith and Science:  The Catholic Approach
• The RCIA:  Can We Get the Rite Right?
• Women and Catholicism in the US
• Youth Ministry 101

STEP stands for the Satellite Theological Education Program, which is offered through the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame.

It is an online program for adults who wish to deepen their faith by studying Scripture, Catholic doctrine, liturgy and other areas of theology.  Courses are offered six times a year and last for 6-7 weeks at a time.  Individuals may register for a single course of interest or pursue a Certificate of Theology.

Course materials are developed by Notre Dame faculty and other qualified instructors.  Each course is led by a trained facilitator who guides the learning process.  For most courses, all course materials are available within the course software or the Internet.  A few courses have a single text which participants will need to purchase prior to beginning the course.

STEP Courses are designed with the adult learner in mind.  Participants enroll in the course and are placed in a cohort of 12-20 participants taking the same course and are assigned a facilitator.

Each week, participants complete the following:

• Assigned Reading/Viewing of Lecture
• Written Assignment Response (150-200 words)
• 2 additional posts on the Forums
  • Answering a discussion/reflection question, responding to another participant's post
• Participate in a 1-hour Chat session (Scheduled by the facilitator - 2 options per week)
  • Chat sessions are via text within the course software (no microphone or video required)

All STEP courses will be beneficial to your personal faith journey.  There are no pre-requisites for any of the courses.  Many participants take the Core Course:  Introduction to the Catholic Faith as their introduction to STEP.  It also fulfills part of the requirements for Diocesan Basic Formation. 

Catholic School Teachers are encouraged to take Catholic Faith and Tradition for School Teachers, which is an adaptation of the Core Course designed specifically for those working in Catholic Schools.

After that, select a course that interests you.  Please contact the Office of Faith Formation if you would like guidance in selecting a course.

While the first week of a STEP course is Orientation Week, the Office of Faith Formation is available to conduct an orientation to the software and course requirements for individuals.  After registering for a course, if you would like an orientation from the Office of Faith Formation, please contact us.