This Christmas, my wish for you is that you proclaim the birth of Jesus with renewed spirit, fire, and enthusiasm! The great Christmas song, “Go Tell it on the Mountain,” inspires us to proclaim the birth of Jesus “on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere!” That’s what catechists do. We tell the world that Jesus is in our midst and invite others to make him the center of their lives. I know that readers of Catechist’s […]
Anyone from a large family knows that the only way parents “survive” having so many kids is by pressing the older siblings into service to care for the younger ones! As the seventh of nine children, I recall my older sister Ramona taking care of us younger ones on many occasions when Mom and Dad were tending to other responsibilities and running errands. We need to employ this same approach in faith formation as part […]
I was reading an Advent devotional recently and one of the reflection questions asked, “What will you do this week to bring hope to others?” My immediate reaction was, “I don’t have time to do anything more than I’m already doing! I’m spending every free moment helping my son Mike and his wife Sarah get their new home ready to move into before the holidays.” Then it occurred to me that I didn’t have to think […]
The celebration of First Eucharist is always a special event in the life of a parish. Make it more meaningful for everyone involved by hosting a parent gathering with the help of my latest free PowerPoint presentation. Jesus Christ is present with us all the time, but in the Eucharist, we have a real presence—something substantial that we can touch, hold in our hands, taste, and consume. The Eucharist is truly the presence of Jesus—God—in […]
On his recent trip to Africa, Pope Francis spoke to catechists and teachers and had a powerful message for them—a message that is, in turn, for all who serve as catechists. In his message, the Holy Father emphasized that the work of catechists is rewarding but not easy. It is important for us to know that the role of the catechist in many places throughout Africa and also in South America is quite different than […]
Welcome to the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy, which officially began just a few days ago on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, December 8, 2015! Mercy is a concept that is at the heart of Pope Francis’s papacy and is a much-needed reality in today’s world and in our Church. Here are a few resources to support you in your efforts to observe and celebrate this Year of Mercy with those you teach. Loyola […]
I just came across these two videos that provide enrichment for the Advent season. The first video is via Catholic News Service and features youth minister Emily “Em” Anderson (St. James Catholic Church, Falls Church, VA) providing some insights into how to make Advent a more holy season. I especially like her suggestion of praying the Liturgy of the Hours during Advent. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDfix2aokos The second is Bishop Barron’s reflection on Advent as preparation for a […]
I recently did a presentation on Catholic identity for the Catholic school teachers of the Diocese of Worcester, MA. Realizing that a portion of my audience was made up of teachers who do not teach religion class, I focused on ways that teachers in any subject area can reinforce Catholic identity in their learning environment in the Catholic school. Here are 10 such ways: Begin your class each day with a ritual greeting such as, “This […]
I was born in 1959, which means that my first few years of faith formation in the early to mid-60s involved the Baltimore Catechism and its emphasis on memorizing. After the Second Vatican Council, my remaining years of formal faith formation (mid-60s and 70s) moved in new directions inspired by the Council but with a definite shift in one specific area. Memorization was deemed an old-fashioned, lifeless way of learning. The result, of course, is that as I […]
It’s not a surprise that the “Jesus the Teacher” figure created by Loyola Press as part of the Adaptive Finding God program for children with special needs has been quite a hit! What’s so impressive are some of the creative ideas that our Loyola Press customers have come up with for using the Jesus the Teacher figure with children and families. One customer shares that she has arranged for every child in her class to take […]
Copyright © 2006-2024 Loyola Press. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution, or retransmission of the contents of this service without the express written consent of Loyola Press is expressly prohibited.