I enjoyed the morning at the Chicago Catechetical Conference at the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. I did a Bible workshop for about 200 Catholic school teachers, catechists, DREs, etc. We had a good time and it was great to strategize ways to build up our kids’ knowledge of the Bible. Now, I’m off to Austin, Texas, to speak at their Catechetical Conference on Saturday. The topic: The Language of Mystery! Have a great weekend!
I’m preparing for a presentation I will give at the Chicago Catechetical Conference this Friday morning – my topic is “5 Steps to Increase Your Students’ Bible IQ Dramatically.” Lo and behold, I find that the bishops at the Synod focusing on Scripture have something to say about the “secret” (I hate when they use that word!) for getting young people to read the Bible. Rather than the “secret,” I think what they are talking […]
In honor of Columbus Day, we have no religious education classes tonight, so I thought I would just mention a few odds ‘n ends. Over the past few days, I’ve received emails from catechists in Indonesia, the Philippines, and a number of states all over the U.S. It’s always amazing to realize just how much we catechists from all over the world share in common. Yesterday, my wife and I went to Mass at the […]
At this past week’s session, I focused on the question of “Who Is Jesus?” – a theme we will carry throughout the unit we are on. I played a recording of the song “Superstar” from the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar in which the very confused Judas asks the question: “Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, who are you what have you sacrificed? Jesus Christ, Superstar, do you think you’re what they say you are?” I talked about how […]
For the first 4 weeks of the program, I was working without an aide. Each time the DRE thought she had someone lined up, they would back out at the last minute. (Further evidence that recruiting catechists and aides is one of the hardest parts of the DREs job!). Finally, last night, I walked into class and there was my new aide. I broke into the biggest smile. Let me tell you why. 2 years […]
Like many Cubs’ fans, I’m sick over their most recent collapse. Now, I know that baseball is just a sport and I am in no way comparing the “suffering” of Cub’s fans to the real suffering that people face in life. However… We Cubs’ fans do suffer. Losing makes us sick. And, of course, the Catechism teaches us about illness and suffering: Illness and suffering have always been among the gravest problems confronted in human […]
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting Lisa Hendey, founder and Webmaster of www.CatholicMom.com. She happened to be in Chicago and visited Loyola Press at the invitation of Sr. Julie Vieira, IHM, a member of our staff who blogs about being a nun in today’s world (www.ANunsLife.org). Lisa’s site celebrates Catholic motherhood and focuses on learning and sharing about topics related to faith and family. She has many resources that are of great value to catechists. I […]
I have a Powerpoint meditation on Images of Jesus that I put together a few years back and plan to use this upcoming week with my class. The presentation contains 82 images of Jesus that I’ve found from various sources. In all, the presentation is set to run about eight minutes long and I have it timed to two songs that I play on CD: “Jesus, the Lord” (St. Louis Jesuit) and “Hold on to […]
One of my students has asked me the following question twice now in 4 weeks: “If we don’t want to be confirmed, we don’t have to right? It’s supposed to be our choice, right?” I’ve told her both times that she is correct but that this is a decision she needs to talk over with her parents. Obivously, there’s something going on there. I hope to find an opportunity to chat with her to see […]
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