I’m excited and pleased to announce that this year, I will be working with the pastoral staff at Christ the King Parish in Chicago, IL, to focus on adult faith formation. The parish is led by Fr. Larry Sullivan, who was a student at Quigley Seminary South High School when I taught there from 1981–90, so I’ve known Fr. Larry for a long time and am thrilled to be collaborating with him. He and his […]
Other than my patron saint, Joseph, and St. Ignatius of Loyola, few saints have inspired me as much as St. Augustine, whose feast we celebrate today. When I was a student at St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago, I studied Latin for four years and also took an elective on The Confessions of St. Augustine. The class consisted of five or six of us students translating the Confessions from Latin to English line by line under […]
As you and your catechists begin the new learning year, what might you say is the most important thing that you can do to prepare? When I consider that question in light of my own ministry work, I may be tempted to say something about having my materials and my space in order. But when I pause to reflect more deeply, I remember that the most important thing I can do to prepare is pray. […]
Volunteer catechists come to a new year of faith formation with enthusiasm, excitement, and a love for God, the Catholic faith, and children. But often they also come with apprehension because they have had little to no training in classroom management—things like what to do when the children won’t stop talking or when they interrupt the flow of the lesson in other ways. No catechist should panic, because this month we’re offering 10 Tips for […]
I have a confession to make. I am a soccer mom. This week we will have soccer matches every night for four nights in a row. I am also a DRE and a Ministry Consultant, treasurer for the soccer organization and Saturday concession coordinator, and mother and general problem-solver for five children ranging from middle school to post-college struggling adult. I wear many hats, often simultaneously. I find life out of balance on many occasions […]
We don’t make disciples of Jesus Christ by engaging others in debate or by lecturing to them about principles of dogma. Jesus’ preferred method of engaging others and teaching about the Kingdom was through storytelling. People are more open to hearing a story about an everyday life experience in which God’s nearness is revealed. As a Church, we need to take our cue from the highly successful TED talks, which effectively persuade and inspire countless numbers of […]
A couple of years ago, I was wishing my mom a happy birthday when she said, “To be born on the Feast of the Queenship of Mary—what an honor!” This weekend, we celebrate this wonderful feast (August 22) as my family and I also celebrate my mom’s 88th birthday. Catholics know that anything we say about Mary is a reflection of what we believe about her Son, Jesus. In essence, we celebrate Mary’s Queenship as […]
At a recent Theology on Tap event, I met a young woman named Jennifer. As we talked, I learned that she was a catechist at one particular parish but that she frequently attended Eucharistic Adoration at another parish. I asked her which one she was a member of, and she replied, “Neither. I’m multiparishional. My idea of a parish community is something that is fluid and customizable to my needs and time. Besides, what are […]
Before I do any planning or take action in my catechetical ministry, I try to pray for the particular graces I need to do the work Christ has entrusted to me. I begin by imagining that my life is like a house with many rooms. Much like in my own home, there’s the room I work really hard on to get “just right” when company is on the way—the room in which I am proud […]
Working with young children can be a challenge, but children can also be fun and even give you insights into our faith when you look through their eyes of innocence and imagination. With that in mind, here are five tips for working with little children in faith formation sessions. Know that logic doesn’t always work. While it is possible to reason with older elementary students, as well as middle and high schoolers, young children have […]
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