Just about 20 years ago, I was minding my own business at the Office for Catechesis in the Archdiocese of Chicago when Loyola Press approached me and asked me to contribute to a new series they were working on in collaboration with NCCL called The Effective DRE Skills Development Series. Not only did the series go on to touch the lives of numerous catechetical leaders, the contact with Loyola Press eventually led to an invitation to join the company.
More recently, representatives from NCCL approached Loyola Press about the possibility of updating that series since so much has happened in the world and in the Church in the intervening decades. I was asked to serve as the General Editor for the series. I’ve spent the last six months working on the new Effective Catechetical Leader series, and I can tell you without hesitation, it has been a labor of love!
And now, in collaboration with NCCL, we are proud to announce that the new Effective Catechetical Leader series is here!
I have had the pleasure of working with five outstanding authors, all top catechetical leaders in the country, who each contributed a book to the series (along with one I wrote), and the series was officially launched recently at NCCL’s annual conference, which was held in Dallas. This is the only series to encompass all the aspects of catechetical leadership, providing the practical skills, strategies, and approaches that ensure successful parish faith formation in an evangelizing manner, which leads directly to a vibrant Church. Each book in The Effective Catechetical Leader series also comes with 10 downloadable worksheets to help you put into practice what you are learning.
Further, the new ECL app puts wisdom and practical help in the palm of your hand. Drawn directly from the six books of The Effective Catechetical Leader series, the ECL app provides an opportunity for catechetical leaders to center themselves spiritually each day, focus on specific pastoral issues, and identify go-to strategies for meeting the challenges of serving as an effective catechetical leader. The app is available for iOS and Android devices.
Please join me in welcoming The Effective Catechetical Leader Series! Learn more about the series or place your order here.
Called by Name: Preparing Yourself for the Vocation of Catechetical Leader by Joe Paprocki
Cultivating Your Catechists: How to Recruit, Encourage, and Retain Successful Catechists by Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy
Developing Disciples of Christ: Understanding the Critical Relationship between Catechesis and Evangelization by Julianne Stanz
Catechetical Leadership: What It Should Look Like, How It Should Work, and Whom It Should Serve by Adrián Alberto Herrera
Excellence in Ministry: Best Practices for Successful Catechetical Leadership by Tom Quinlan
All God’s People: Effective Catechesis in a Diverse Church by Donna Tolliver Grimes
Hello,
I am searching for a catechist interview. I am a new DRE and I am wondering if that is a wise idea. I will appreciate your feedback
Hi Martha,
The quick response is “YES!” it is a good idea to interview your catechists, not just when you are recruiting them, but also, at the beginning and end of each year. For the full response, click here: https://catechistsjourney.loyolapress.com/2017/08/interviewing-your-catechists/.