I enjoyed a wonderful week on the east coast last week, spending Monday and Tuesday in the Diocese of Wilmington, DE, and Wednesday through Friday on the Jersey Shore with the parish catechetical leaders of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia!
Thanks to all for a wonderful time and for your great energy, creativity, and dedication to the catechetical ministry!
Here are some pics:
In the Diocese of Wilmington, DE, here is my colleague and friend Paul Gallagher, Loyola Press Educational Consultant, speaking to the crowd.At Avalon, NJ, here I am with good friend Sr. Helene Thomas Connolly, IHM, who is the IHM Director of Religious Education.
Fr. Steve Delacy, Director of Vocations for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, presided beautifully at the liturgies at Avalon and also was available for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. He was such a tremendous presence during this gathering!
This group knows how to celebrate! We enjoyed a rousing singalong after dinner led by the talented Mr. Bill Monaghn, who also provided outstanding music for our liturgies. Bill has a number of excellent resources for catechesis and liturgy on his Web site, www.monaghanmusic.com.
During the singalong, I asked Bill if he could play a polka and danced with my friend and colleague, Marianne Kane, a Ministry Consultant for Loyola Press. Unfortunately, my moves must have been too fast as Marianne ended up in the wheelchair with a strained ligament! So sorry Marianne!
Now, that’s a room with a view! The Jersey Shore from the Golden Inn, Avalon.
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.
I spent this past weekend at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress with 30,000 or so of my best friends! As always, it was a great experience. I had the privilege of giving a presentation on The Catechist’s Toolbox to about 500 catechists on Saturday afternoon, followed by a book signing in the exhibit hall. It was a great thrill. Thanks to all the wonderful catechists who came to my workshop on such a beautiful […]
Today was a most extraordinary day at the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership in Atlanta! First, the NCCL is a phenomenal opportunity to meet and mingle with some of the most innovative and successful catechetical minds (and hearts) in the United States. It is also a tight-knit group (all 600-700 of us!) so each year’s conference is like a family reunion. It is so wonderful to see and chat with peoplethat I never get to […]
I also wanted to give a shout out to Catechist Resources LLC, a small, family-owned Catholic publishing company that specializes in resoruces to support religious education (reproducibles, etc.) Take a look at http://www.catechistplace.com.
Hello Mr. Paprocki,
I was in Wildwood, Nj at a Charismatic Convention the weekend of 10/10-10/12/14 and Fr. Delacy did our opening mass and held workshops that were very informative and full of humor. I wish I could have joined you in Avalon prior to the weekend. Did you happen to attend this convention? Please let me know if you will be coming back to New Jersey and I can hopefully plan on attending where you are. You’re the best!!
Thank you kindly!!
I also wanted to give a shout out to Catechist Resources LLC, a small, family-owned Catholic publishing company that specializes in resoruces to support religious education (reproducibles, etc.) Take a look at http://www.catechistplace.com.
Hello Mr. Paprocki,
I was in Wildwood, Nj at a Charismatic Convention the weekend of 10/10-10/12/14 and Fr. Delacy did our opening mass and held workshops that were very informative and full of humor. I wish I could have joined you in Avalon prior to the weekend. Did you happen to attend this convention? Please let me know if you will be coming back to New Jersey and I can hopefully plan on attending where you are. You’re the best!!
Thank you kindly!!
Thanks Adele. I have no immediate plans to return to Jersey but it’s one of my favorite places to visit so I’m sure I’ll be back before long.