2008 - Page 8 of 18 - Catechist's Journey

What 4th Graders Say About Prayer

I recently received a report from a catechist (Kim) who has been doing reflective prayer (meditation) with 4th graders. What follows is a summary of their responses to 3 simple evaluation prompts: the thing I like most about our prayer times together is… / What I have learned about myself and my relationship with Jesus during our prayer times is… / Additional comments… Here’s what 4th graders are saying about prayer: The thing I like […]

“Greatest Hits” from Church Catechetical Documents

Joe Paprocki

Whether you are a beginning catechist or a returning catechist, it is good to be familiar with the Church’s documentary tradition when it comes to catechesis. Over the years, the Church has provided us with numerous resources to guide and inspire the ministry of catechesis. Here are just a few of what I consider to be some of the most inspiring lines from these documents (this list is not intended to be definitive…if there are […]

Nice Review of A Well-Built Faith

Joe Paprocki

Thanks to the folks at Good News Daily for providing the following positive review of my new book, A Well-Built Faith! New Book Helps Catholics Nail Down the Facts of Their Faith CHICAGO, (Christian Newswire) – The Catechism of the Catholic Church is over nine hundred pages long, so it comes as no surprise that many Catholics think of their faith as complex–and certainly too complex to share with others! In A Well-Built Faith: […]

8 Reasons to Bring Your Child Regularly to Mass

Joe Paprocki

One of the biggest frustrations that catechists have is the fact that so many of our students are not attending Mass (because their parents are not attending). Here is a helpful resource I recently came across titled, “8 Reasons to Bring Your Child Regularly to Mass.” It is in a parent “magazine” called “Together: Preparing at Home for First Eucharist” ((written by Tom McGrath) that is a part of the God’s Gift: Eucharist program (Loyola […]

The Liturgical Calendar, the Paschal Mystery, and the Grand Canyon

Joe Paprocki

If you’ve ever visited the Grand Canyon, you know that its immenseness is overwhelming: 277 river miles long, up to 18 mles wide, and a mile deep! All around the rim of the Canyon are numerous breathtaking look-out points. What do visitors to the Grand Canyon do? They walk along the trails and pause at various look-out points to take in the view from specific vantage points. Along the way, they are looking at the same […]

Learning Outcomes

Joe Paprocki

Too often, when we catechists plan for our lessons, we concentrate on what it is that WE will be doing. “I’ll cover chapter 10, then play Jeopardy to review the main points of the lesson, then I’ll lead prayer, and so on…” It’s important to remember that, in our planning, the focus should be on what the participants will be doing. Today, most catechist manuals use the phrase learning outcomes to identify what the participants […]

Discerning the Call to Be a Catechist

Joe Paprocki

To be a catechist is to have a vocation – a call from God. This means that if you are contemplating becoming a catechist, you need to involved God in the decision-making. We call this discernment. Here are a few tips I’ve written on the practice of discernment: Many choices we face in life are very complex. How do we know what God wants us to do? What is God’s will for us? This is […]

Greetings, Australia!

Joe Paprocki

What an amazing world we live in that a catechist in North America (me) can somehow connect with a potential catechist in Australia, some 10,000 miles away! I received the following comment from a prospective catechist in Australia after she viewed my catechist recruitment video. Joe, Viewed your video clip as I am considering the call to become a catechist in my Parish in New South Wales Australia.As you would be aware we have just […]

Catechetical Sunday – September 21, 2008

Joe Paprocki

Have you marked your calendar for Catechetical Sunday? It officially takes place September 21, 2008. Of course, check with your parish DRE…some parishes celebrate on a different date because of conflicts in their local calendar (it’s not a liturgical feast, so parishes can celebrate it whenever they want). Be sure to check out http://www.usccbpublishing.org/client/client_pages/catsun.cfm

Recruiting Catechists – Check Out My Video

Joe Paprocki

I have a new “weapon” in the ongoing battle to recruit new catechists! Click on this picture: Recruiting catechists is one of the most difficult challenges that catechetical leaders face! We catechists know that the invitation to become a catechist, while flattering, can also be intimidating. We’re not sure if we are qualified or capable of forming others in the faith. As a result, we often come into this ministry with a pinch […]