Special Contributor, Author at Catechist's Journey

The Six Tasks of Catechesis #2: Liturgical Education, or Expressing our Faith

The second of the Six Tasks of Catechesis is liturgical education, or in terms of the remembering phrase HELP ME, expressing our faith. Listen to our bishops: Since Christ is present in the sacraments, the believer comes to know Christ in the liturgical celebrations of the Church and is drawn into communion with him…Catechesis should promote “an active, conscious genuine participation in the liturgy of the Church” (NDC 20). Liturgical education calls for preparation before […]

Faith Tweets and Bible Trivia to Teach Salvation History

Special Contributor

Mary Dillman has served as a catechist for 13 years at St. Magdalen de Pazzi Church, in Flemington, NJ (Diocese of Metuchen). The parish is a large one with more than 3,000 families. Mary teaches sixth-grade religious education and has served as the lead instructional designer for the Salvation History curriculum the parish uses for sixth-grade youth. Here she shares several activities that worked best in her faith-formation classes this past year, as part of […]

The Six Tasks of Catechesis #1: Promoting Knowledge of the Faith, or Holding on to the Faith

Special Contributor

The Six Tasks of Catechesis begin with the task of promoting knowledge of the faith, or in terms of the remembering phrase HELP ME, holding on to the faith. When a relationship between two people deepens, they want to get to know each other. They spend hours talking, meeting friends and family. This getting to know each other lasts a lifetime. Our faith life is no different. Listen to our bishops: Such an encounter engenders […]

The Six Tasks of Catechesis: A Series of Articles to HELP ME

Special Contributor

The National Directory for Catechesis (#19B) tells us that, “The definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch but in communion, in intimacy, with Jesus Christ” and goes on in #20 to state that the fundamental task is the “formation of disciples of Jesus Christ.” The bishops then go on to outline six key elements that need to be incorporated to form disciples seeking this intimacy—the six tasks of catechesis. In […]

Mike Lorenzo and the 1 Percent Prayer Challenge

The 1% Prayer Challenge

Special Contributor

What would happen if you gave 15 minutes of your day completely to God? That’s what Mike Lorenzo is asking the community at St. John the Evangelist Parish in St. John, Indiana. Mike is the Pastoral Associate for Evangelization at the parish. He works closely with the pastor and his colleagues to instill a desire to be closer to God and strengthen their prayer lives. Over the Lenten and Easter seasons they launched an initiative […]

Using the Power of the Parish Website

Special Contributor

Once upon a time, 15 or so years ago, when you wanted to learn about a church or business, you checked the phone book first. Today, you’re probably hard-pressed to locate a phone book. Websites are the phone books of the 21st century. If you want to know the phone number of a local church, you find its website. If you need Mass times, you check the website. Need a copy of the latest bulletin—website. […]

Using E-mail in Your Religious Education Program

Special Contributor

Whether using it to work, to keep in touch, to learn, or to conduct business, e-mail has become an integral part of how we communicate. Add to this our ability to access e-mail through mobile devices, and we can clearly see its benefit as a communication tool for religious education programs. A Few Things About E-mail E-mail is flexible. While Facebook and Twitter are great for reaching your entire parent community with broad-based messaging, e-mail […]

How to Use Twitter for Your Religious Education Program

Special Contributor

What can be said in 140 characters or less? Enough to capture the attention of millions of people who are part of the fast-pasted, real-time information network known as Twitter. Twitter encourages people to design personalized news feeds by “following” what matters to them. No doubt the sources of that news are diverse. From international press to celebrities, from school systems to your neighbors, people are sharing and receiving information via Twitter. How might Twitter […]

Adult Catechesis: A Priority, Not an Option

Special Contributor

What was your favorite meal, favorite book, or favorite TV show when you were eight years old? How did you see the world? Fast forward to when you were in high school. How would your answers change? Now think about today; are your answers different? We’d be in deep trouble if we didn’t grow up and expand our tastes, knowledge, and skills. Unfortunately for many Catholics, when it comes to faith formation, we put on […]

“Friending” Facebook for Your Religious Education Program

Special Contributor

Quick question . . . have you checked Facebook today? Chances are you have, and you’re not alone. Facebook reports more than 800 million mobile active users alone. For many, social media and social networking are synonymous with Facebook. Users range from pre-teens to senior citizens. Now imagine being able to harness even a fraction of that interest and activity level for your religious education program. Believe it or not, it isn’t as tough as […]