A Catechist Aide Just For You!

Joe Paprocki Liturgy and Sacraments

God's Gift DVD sample with Miriam Hidalgo

I know most catechists appreciate having an aide to assist them, especially when that aide can act as a “co-catechist” of sorts, jumping in from time to time to offer support, insight, and perspective on the lesson being taught. This is especially helpful for catechists who teach younger children whose attention spans can be so short! With that in mind, Loyola Press is happy to provide those of you teaching First Eucharist and First Reconciliation with your very own catechist aide on DVD!

Our God’s Gift programs for First Eucharist and First Reconciliation come with DVDs to enhance your presentation and your engagement of the children. Remember, at Loyola Press, we seek to equip and empower you as a catechist, not replace you! There are five DVDs per sacrament, and each DVD has the tracks in English and Spanish.

So who are your new catechist aides? For starters, I am one of them. For each sacrament, I provide a 20-minute explanation of the rite. You can check out a sample here:

Your biggest help, however, is going to come from the chapter-by-chapter tracks, which you can integrate into every session you teach! Each segment is only three to five minutes long and reinforces the main idea of the lesson you are teaching. And the best thing is that each segment is hosted by a real, live, human being who is an experienced catechist! Here are a few samples for you:

That’s a pretty good “bench,” as they say in baseball!

To find out more about God’s Gift and the DVDs, contact your Loyola Press Educational Consultant.

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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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