Jason Whitehead named diocesan director of evangelization and catechesis

FORT WORTH — With nearly 10 years’ experience in Catholic faith formation, Jason Whitehead has been appointed the director of evangelization and catechesis for the Diocese of Fort Worth. 

Although he summed up the duties of the position succinctly — “to proclaim the Gospel, teach the faith, and pray and work for vocations” — Whitehead holds many varied responsibilities. 

He oversees parish-based catechesis, which includes religious education, sacramental preparation, and RCIA. He supports parishes by vetting curricula and guest speakers, and he will help pastors interview candidates for parish youth ministers and religious education coordinators, if requested. 

At the diocese, he oversees education plus youth, respect life, marriage and family life, and Hispanic ministries.

Whitehead pursued a career in Baptist ministry until further study led to his call to enter the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil service at Holy Family Parish in 2012. In 2014, he became RCIA coordinator at St. Patrick Cathedral. He has worked for the diocese since 2016, as assistant director of evangelization and catechesis then director of faith formation.

He earned a Master of Arts degree in moral theology from Holy Apostles Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut.

One of his near-term goals is to expand the courses and locations offered by the St. Junipero Institute, the diocese’s adult formation program. 

The director said he is “so proud to be a part” of the diocese, which he said is “very much committed to keeping intact what the Church calls the deposit of faith. We strive to hand that faith on whole and entire, and in its purity, without minimizing it or watering it down.”

He continued, “When you stand against the tide of the world and stand up for what Christ taught, that makes us all better. It calls each and every one of us outside of ourselves and to become, in cooperation with God’s grace, saints.”