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collage of Joe Paprocki photos through the years of Catechist's Journey blogging

I End This Blog with a K.I.S.S.

Before you think I’m getting all sentimental, let me explain that the K.I.S.S. I am ending the Catechist’s Journey blog with stands for “Keep It Super Simple.” My inspiration for this comes from a surprising source: Pope Benedict XVI. Why is that surprising? Because Pope Benedict was not a simple man! He was one of the most profound and complex theological minds of the 20th and early 21st centuries. And yet, in 2009, when asked […]

Abraham Activities Pack

Abraham is a perfect model of someone who trusted and obeyed God. The Book of Genesis tells his story. Explore Abraham’s role in the story of salvation with an activity pack that includes a word puzzle, a diary that invites looking up passages from Genesis, and a sequencing challenge. The activities work particularly well for young people studying salvation history in grade 6.

Family Catechesis at St. Barnabas: A Pentecost Celebration

We wrapped up the year of family catechesis at St. Barnabas with a wonderful Pentecost celebration that included a delicious catered hot breakfast of eggs, bacon, sausage, and hash browns. After breakfast, we invited the children to join in a Pentecost procession led by Deacon Andy. To the sounds of Marty Haugen’s “Lord, Send Out Your Spirit/Psalm 104,” the children carried the sacred objects for the prayer table as they waved red ribbon wands to […]

young woman looking at her reflection in pool - text: Reflecting on Our Individual and Communal Prayer Mini-Retreat - Malte Mueller/fStop/Getty Images

Reflecting on Our Individual and Communal Prayer Mini-Retreat: The Lord’s Prayer

Welcome to the final part of our three-part mini-retreat devoted to reflecting on our individual and communal prayer. May your life of prayer be enriched and filled with abundant blessings! The Lord’s Prayer Who is a famous person that you wish you could meet? Often, when the occasion arises and we have an opportunity to meet someone who is famous, we find ourselves at a loss for words. I remember when my brothers and I […]

Reflecting on Our Individual and Communal Prayer Mini-Retreat: Family Heirlooms

Welcome to part two of our three-part mini-retreat devoted to reflecting on our individual and communal prayer. May your life of prayer be enriched and filled with abundant blessings! Family Heirlooms I was born in 1959, right before the Second Vatican Council, so I remember slightly the Latin Mass and the beginnings of my religious formation with the Baltimore Catechism. Of course, the approach employed with the Baltimore Catechism included a fair amount of rote learning, […]