A Sign of the Times

Here’s a good example of how times have changed and how catechists need to be aware of how kids will respond to something. As I was observing a second grade class last evening, the catechist was asking the kids to name the 7 Sacraments and giving them clues to help them recall each of them. When it came to the Sacrament of Matrimony, the catechist offered a clue inviting the kids to complete the sentence . She said, “This is something your parents did. They got….?”

A girl raised her hand and without hesitation completed the sentence by blurting out…”DIVORCED!”

Yikes! Indeed, times have changed. The catechist regained her composure and said, “OK, before they got divorced, they got….?”  Finally, someone answered, “MARRIED!”

I guess we can never assume kids will give the answer we would expect!

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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