The above quote is from the blog of author Robert Hutchinson. I love his January 26, 2009, post about becoming a catechist. He really captures the feeling that many catechist have when thrust in front of a group of kids. Enjoy his account! I have to say, it
I wish to extend my deepest sympathies to fellow author and blogger, the highly respected Amy Welborn, on the sudden and tragic death of her husband Michael. http://amywelborn.wordpress.com/2009/02/03/michael-dubruiel/ Please join me in praying for and with Amy at this very difficult time. Eternal rest grant unto Michael,O Lord, And let perpetual Light shine upon him. May his soul And the souls of all the faithful departed Through the mercy of God Rest in peace. Amen.
As catechists, we all wonder whether or not we are getting through to our young people. Sometimes, we can do formal assessments such as giving an exam. More often than not, we can do informal assessments such as the one I did this past Monday evening. I ended my session
For our final Confirmation Intensive last evening, we focused on the Rite of Confirmation, which includes the following: the Presentation of the Candidates the Bishop’s Homily the Renewal of Baptismal Promises the Laying on of Hands and the Anointing with Chrism the General Intercessions I’m currently sharing with you what I developed for each of these 5 elements of the Rite (the young people experienced five, 15-minute mini-sessions, one on each of the 5 elements). We conclude […]
Today’s idea is something that catechists of every grade level can take advantage of – I call it the Declaration of DEpendence. I originally came up with this idea when teaching about the Lord’s Prayer. It occurred to me that, with its seven petitions, the Our Father is clearly a prayer that expresses our complete dependence upon God. This is, of course, in stark contrast to the independence that we all strive for in our […]
Since September, 2008, I’ve been writing a column for CATECHIST magazine entitled What’s Your Catholic IQ? It’s been a very enjoyable experience and I’m told it is one of the most popular features in the magazine (it already was before I took over writing the column from Page Zyromski). These quizzes are a fun way for catechists to wrap your own head around the vast treasury of knowledge that the Catholic faith offers us. Likewise, […]
Today is Fr. George Lane’s 40th anniversary at Loyola Press, the Jesuit ministry in Chicago where I humbly and proudly serve. Fr. Lane, who has served as President of Loyola Press since 1989, is a true legend in Chicago (and in the publishing business) and especially in the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus. In addition to his amazing tenure at Loyola Press, Fr. Lane is also responsible for coordinating the efforts that saved and […]
Using moral dilemmas to teach Catholic morality is a tried and true, effective teaching method. I recently had an email exchange with a catechist about the topic of teaching morality and, in the course of our sharing, she generously shared with me some moral dilemma scripts she developed for teaching the virtues and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Here’s our exchange: Hi Joe, I, too, am an 8th grade catechist this year. I appreciate […]
I was very pleased with the results of the Confirmation exam given last night! This was the best that my students have done in recent years. First, I had provided the young people with a study sheet 2 weeks ago, telling them precisely what would be included on the exam. I believe this made a big difference because some of them actually studied! One young man (who has a minor learning disability and has a […]
I received a plea for help from my colleague and friend Sr. Julie Vieira, IHM, (be sure to visit her blog, A Nun’s Life) who is seeking an effective response to an inquiry she received from a mom trying to help her 11 year-old son understand the relationship between the theory of evolution and the Catholic faith. The mom writes: My son is 11 years old attending Catholic School and he has been asking questions […]
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