The Department for Religious Education and Catechism of  the Moscow Patriarchate is a Synodal Department of  the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate). The Department was founded on 1 February, 1991, by a decree of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy and by a decree of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Department works in cooperation with other Synodal Departments of  the Russian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate): Department for External Church Relations, Department for Church Charity and Social Service, Department for Cooperation with the Army and Law Enforcement Bodies, Publishing Council, Mission Department, Educational Commitee, Spiritual Academy and Seminary, Russian Orthodox University of St. John the Divine,  St. Tikhon Orthodox Theological Institute, and with the Ministry of General and Professional Education of the Russian Federation, Russian Academy of Education, Moscow Commitee of Education and other state and public organisations.
The Chairman of the Department for Religious Education and Catechism is appointed and dismissed by the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia.
At present the Chairman of the Department is Hegumen Ioann (Economtsev).
The Department is permanently located at the following address: 103051, Moscow, Petrovka street, 28/2; tel.: (095)209-13-10, (095) 921-08-66, fax: 209-68-15.