January 2014 - Catechist's Journey

Apprenticeships Instead of Service Projects

I recently received this comment from Jared Anderson about something creative and outstanding he is doing with his Confirmation program: The way that we incorporate Mission into our Confirmation program is that I require the candidates to do 4 month long Apprenticeships in an already existing Parish Ministry. There are 12 ministries (including myself as Director of Confirmation and Youth Ministries) that provide an adult mentor to provide ministry-specific formation and opportunities to get their […]

How to Lead Spontaneous Prayer – As Easy as Ber-a-khah!

Joe Paprocki

For many Catholics, the thought of being called upon to lead a spontaneous prayer can darn near bring on a panic attack! Never fear! Our Judeo-Christian heritage provides us with a simple formula to follow that will guide you in organizing your thoughts into a cohesive, intelligent, and heart-felt spontaneous prayer. First, take a look at his prayer offered by King Solomon (2Chronicles 6:14-17). At first, it looks like a lot of words, however, we’re […]

Catechizing Like Colbert

Joe Paprocki

For some years now, I have been a fan of Stephen Colbert, host of “The Colbert Report” (pronounced Col-behr Re-pohr) on Comedy Central. Colbert makes no secret of his Catholicism and uses his show, from time to time to do some unconventional catechizing. Below is one of my favorites Now, America Magazine has done a feature on Colbert titled “Truth and Truthiness: What Catholic catechists can learn from Stephen Colbert.” In short, the article emphasizes how Colbert […]

If I Were King/Queen for a Day: Students’ Ideas

Joe Paprocki

So, this past Tuesday, I asked my sixth graders to dream of what it is that they would do if they could be king or queen for a day. The purpose of this was to introduce to them the concept of the Kingdom of Israel leading up to Jesus’ proclamation of the Kingdom of God. I was blown away by their responses! They were not only imaginative but also very caring and Gospel-centered! In fact, […]

A Lo-Tech Session; High on Props – David: Shepherd and King

Joe Paprocki

Last evening was thoroughly enjoyable and, for the most part, very effective, as we focused on David as shepherd and king who points the way to the Good Shepherd/Christ the King. I decided to give the technology a rest since I’ve been using PowerPoints and videos a lot in recent sessions. Instead, I went all out on props which the kids loved. 6th graders are very much into this kind of theatrics! Here is one […]

David: Shepherd and King—Session 16

Joe Paprocki

Tonight we will be focusing our attention on David: shepherd and king who points the way to Jesus, the Good Shepherd and Christ the King. Here’s the plan. David: Shepherd and King BIG IDEA David: shepherd and king, points the way to Jesus: the Good Shepherd and Christ the King PRELIMINARIES (15 mins) Return corrected Ten Commandments quizzes. Opening procession to set up prayer table Opening prayer ritual ENGAGE (20 mins) Invite volunteer to come […]

Under the Influence of Jesus – Free Webinar!

Joe Paprocki

Under the Influence of Jesus: The Transforming Experience of Encountering Christ – A Webinar Facilitator: Joe Paprocki, DMin Brought to you by Loyola Press, A Jesuit Ministry Thursday, February 13, 2014 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Central Time (Find out what time this is for you.) The most important relationships are life-changing because they bring about a shift in your priorities and a transformation in your outlook. This is true of the single-most important relationship […]

A Call to Be “Maladjusted” from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Joe Paprocki

As we celebrate this Martin Luther King holiday, we will no doubt hear and see the words of his famous “I Have a Dream” speech countless times. And while I love that speech and the concept of working toward the fulfillment of a dream (the essence of the Kingdom of God), perhaps my favorite concept from Dr. King was his call for us to be “maladjusted” to the many injustices that infiltrate our culture. Here’s […]

Save the Date: My Next Free Webinar – Thursday, February 13, 2014

Joe Paprocki

Mark your calendars for my next free Webinar! Details to follow soon! Thursday, February 13, 2014 7:00 – 8:00 pm (Central Time)

It Was the Quietest of Times, It Was the Noisiest of Times!

Joe Paprocki

Our session this past Tuesday (Jan. 14, 2014) was very enjoyable and was a study in contrasts. I actually began the session (after preliminary chit-chat and our opening prayer ritual) with a guided reflection in which I invited the young people to talk with Jesus about what they have learned in the first half of the year. The kids were amazingly quiet! It was a very prayerful experience and, in all, lasted about 15 minutes. You […]