A Night in Naperville

I had a great evening in Naperville, IL, yesterday, with 150 catechists at St. Raphael Parish! We talked about the tools that catechists need to be more effective and the DRE, Jane Ehrlich, had copies of my book, The Catechist’s Toolbox available for sale. She also went out of her way to prepare a focal point that featured a couple of tookboxes, including a giant multi-drawer toolbox! To top it all off, she also placed tools on the tables where the catechists were sitting! What a hoot!

We had a great time talking about our experiences and sharing our insights and suggestions for being more effective. I found it (as I always do) very energizing, inspiring me to want to do my best in my next session.

I think that catechists really enjoy hearing about some of the struggles that I have in my sessions and how I try to deal with them. It helps them to realize that the challenges they face with their own classes are universal and that we’re all in this together, so we need to keep positive and strong and find ways to be more effective.

My best wishes to all of the good folks out there who made the evening so enjoyable and my prayers that each and every one of you continue to find such rich support in your catechetical community!

About Joe Paprocki 2742 Articles
Joe Paprocki, DMin, is National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press, where, in addition to his traveling/speaking responsibilities, he works on the development team for faith formation curriculum resources including Finding God: Our Response to God’s Gifts and God’s Gift: Reconciliation and Eucharist. Joe has more than 35 years of experience in ministry and has presented keynotes, presentations, and workshops in more than 100 dioceses in North America. Joe is a frequent presenter at national conferences including the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, the Mid-Atlantic Congress, and the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. He is the author of numerous books, including the best seller The Catechist’s Toolbox, A Church on the Move, Under the Influence of Jesus, and Called to Be Catholic—a bilingual, foundational supplemental program that helps young people know their faith and grow in their relationship with God. Joe is also the series editor for the Effective Catechetical Leader and blogs about his experiences in faith formation at www.catechistsjourney.com.

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