Articles by Joe Paprocki

About Joe Paprocki

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.

Looking for Song Suggestions: Name that Sin/Virtue/Gift

Joe Paprocki

Many years ago, when I was teaching a Confirmation class, I came up with an activity to teach about the Seven Deadly Sins, the Seven Virtues, and the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit using music. In essence, I identified “contemporary” songs that speak to each of these items—yes, 21 songs. The gist of the activity is for catechists to play segments of these songs and invite the young people to match them to the […]

being knowing and doing - text on stained glass background

The Toolbox Series: Where Should I Start?

Joe Paprocki

After the success of The Catechist’s Toolbox, the folks at Loyola Press asked me, “What’s next? What else do catechists need and what are they looking for?” Thankfully, that question was the beginning of what has come to be known as “The Toolbox Series”—a series of books designed primarily for catechists (as well as for those seeking basic knowledge of the Catholic faith), all following the same user-friendly format of The Catechist’s Toolbox. The Toolbox […]

Living the Mass the Other Six Days of the Week: The Concluding Rites

Joe Paprocki

As the National Eucharistic Revival continues, we reflect on the parts of the Mass and what each part is calling us to do and be the other six days of the week. Our inspiration is my book, Living the Mass: How One Hour a Week Can Change Your Life, co-authored by Fr. Dominic Grassi. Today, we look at the Concluding Rites and reflect on how they help us to begin the work of living out our baptismal commitment […]

Patrick McGowan, the catechetical leader, addresses the group about family catechesis.

Finding God Family Catechesis Launches Successfully at St. Barnabas Parish

Joe Paprocki

Our first session of Finding God Family Catechesis at St. Barnabas Parish in Chicago launched successfully on Sunday, September 17! As I mentioned in a previous post, I am assisting the parish this year in implementing the Finding God Family Catechesis program. Here is a summary of how things went: I arrived 45 minutes early and found everything in the church hall set up meticulously by the catechetical leader, Patrick McGowan: round tables with white […]

Pop-Up Prayer: Guest Dr. Andy Kereky

Joe Paprocki

Typically, when we think of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, we think of the audience as consisting primarily of adults. So, imagine my surprise when I learned of a pastoral minister leading retreats for children based on the Spiritual Exercises! We may not all be rushing to lead children in the Spiritual Exercises; however, we can all learn a few things about praying with children from his work. Join me for this episode of […]

children packing food - photo by Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/DigitalVision/Getty Images

It’s Never Too Early for Apprenticing Young Children

Joe Paprocki

In a previous post, I wrote about the importance of apprenticing others into discipleship. Since then, I’ve been asked, “Is it possible to apprentice young children into discipleship, or does this apply only to teens and adults?” Without hesitation, I would say that yes, we are called to apprentice young children at the earliest possible age! So, what does this look like? By way of quick review, an apprenticeship involves the following: the mentor and […]

Forming Disciples: Meeting Jesus

Joe Paprocki

As catechists, we work with the Holy Spirit to form disciples of Jesus Christ. With that in mind, we’ve been devoting some attention to the concept of discipleship by sharing insights from Fr. Brice Higginbotham, author of Remaining with Jesus: Discipleship in the Gospel of John. Fr. Higginbotham has been recording short videos while he is pursuing a Licentiate in Sacred Scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. In this segment, Fr. Brice helps us […]

A Church on the Move: 52 Ideas in 52 Minutes

Joe Paprocki

There is no time like the present for a parish to pause and take stock of its way of proceeding in order to reignite energy, stop doing things “the way we’ve always done them,” and become a Church on the move! To assist in this endeavor, I’ve recorded a free presentation. In this presentation, I offer a fast-paced look at the suggestions from my book, A Church on the Move: 52 Ways to Get Mission […]

Family Catechesis at St. Barnabas: Looking Forward to Our First Session

Joe Paprocki

I’m eagerly looking forward to the first session of Family Catechesis at St. Barnabas Parish in Chicago on September 17! As I mentioned in a previous post, I will be assisting the Director of Religious Education, Patrick McGowan, and the Pastoral Associate, Deacon Andy Neu, at the monthly gatherings at the parish. The focus of this first session will be simply “An Introduction to Finding God Family Catechesis.” Here are some particulars with regards to […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: Understanding the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist

Joe Paprocki

When it comes to teaching about the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, one might wonder: why doesn’t the Church grant permission to a group of scientists to examine reverently an unconsecrated host and a consecrated host under a microscope (much as the Church has allowed scientific studies to be conducted on the Shroud of Turin) and report on the differences they see between the two? I can tell you why the Church doesn’t […]