May 2011 - Catechist's Journey

Stories on the Journey: How Did I Get Into This?

Now that the summer months are upon us, I thought it would be good to do something a little different that will serve to refresh us and get us ready for the upcoming year. I call it STORIES ON THE JOURNEY. I thought it would be a lot of fun (and inspiring) to share stories of our experiences as catechists: the joys, frustrations, hilarious moments, sacred moments, challenges, opportunities, successes, not-so-successful moments, creative moments, mentors […]

My First Catechetical TweetUp!

Joe Paprocki

At the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership, I attended an informal conference within th conference. It was called a TweetUp and it was organized by Jonathan Sullivan, the Director of the Catechetical Office in Springfield, IL. It was simply a gathering of Catholic bloggers and Twitter users -an opportunity to meet one another and compare notes and share stories. It was a lot of fun and very informative. Now, I guess I should start using […]

The Catholicism Project

Joe Paprocki

Tonight, at the NCCL conference, I attended a preview of Fr. Bob Barron’s exciting new Catholicism Project. Fr. Bob was a teacher of mine in my Doctor of Ministry program and is one of the most brilliant minds in Catholic thought today. His Catholicism Project is a multi-textured introduction and explanation of the depths of the Catholic faith. What sets Fr. Bob apart from other Catholic “personas” is his ability to speak intelligently about the […]

An Extraordinary Day at NCCL

Joe Paprocki

Today was a most extraordinary day at the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership in Atlanta! First, the NCCL is a phenomenal opportunity to meet and mingle with some of the most innovative and successful catechetical minds (and hearts) in the United States. It is also a tight-knit group (all 600-700 of us!) so each year’s conference is like a family reunion. It is so wonderful to see and chat with peoplethat I never get to […]

From Albany to Atlanta

Joe Paprocki

A great big THANK YOU to all of the good folks in Albany, NY, who participated in my workshops at the Spring Enrichment conference! We had a great time exploring ways to grow as catechists and how to make our classes more “Catholic.” After a couple of days to catch my breath, it’s off to Atlanta for the NCCL Conference where I’ll be doing a couple of presentations on catechetical leadership…always an honor to speak […]

Practice Makes Catholic Webinar Recording Now Available!

Joe Paprocki

As promised, the recording of the Practice Makes Catholic Webinar is now available for those of you (including me!) who missed it live. Remember, the voice you hear throughout the webinar is that of my colleague Jim Moran who bravely filled in for me as I was away at my Mother-in-law’s funeral. Thanks again Jim. Also, it’s been pointed out to me that the link to the Classroom Covenant in my PDF of Resources is […]

What Age to Confirm?

Joe Paprocki

I was quoted in an article in the current issue of the National Catholic Reporter, talking about the issue of what age to confirm. What are your thoughts about this issue? (pictured: Bishop Samuel Aquila of Fargo, N.D., and Fr. Luke Meyer, chancellor, talk with children at St. John Catholic Church in Wahpeton prior to their April 23, 2010, confirmation and first Eucharist Mass. (Diocese of Fargo/Tanya Watterud)

Q & A from Practice Makes Catholic Webinar

Joe Paprocki

I was delighted to receive the print out of comments and questions that participants sent in during last week’s Practice Makes Catholic Webinar. It was especially nice to see how much you enjoyed simply sharing ideas with one another. So, as you peruse the following, know that there are more comments than there are questions for me to answer. Practice Makes Catholic Q & A Remember that a recording of the Webinar will be available within […]

Thanks and So Many Other Things…

Joe Paprocki

First, I want to extend a great big THANK YOU to all of the people who expressed their thoughts and prayers over these last few days as we mourned the death and celebrated the life of my mother-in-law, Sophie, who passed away on Tuesday at the tender young age of 95. The funeral was a beautiful experience and it was good to be surrounded by so much love. While I was away, I hear a […]

PDF of Resources for Making your Class More Catholic

Joe Paprocki

Thanks for participating in tonight’s webinar! Here’s the PDF I promised with numerous links to resources that can help you to make your religion class more Catholic! Practice Makes Catholic Webinar resource list