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 40 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.

Clearing Mary Magdalene’s Good Name

Joe Paprocki

This Wednesday, we celebrate the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, who for too long has wrongly been labeled as a former prostitute, a label that was reinforced by her portrayal in various Hollywood films such as Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Passion of the Christ (portrayed as the woman caught in adultery), the 1927 version of King of Kings, Mary Magdalene (TV movie), The Greatest Story Ever Told, and The Last Temptation of […]

Like Sheep Without a Shepherd

Joe Paprocki

This coming Sunday, we will hear a number of references to the “shepherd” in the Liturgy of the Word. The First Reading (Jeremiah 23:1–6) speaks of the shepherds who are scattering the flock. The Responsorial Psalm speaks of the shepherd who leads us to green pastures. In the Gospel, Jesus has compassion for the huge crowds because they are like sheep without a shepherd. Pope Francis reminds us that this image of a shepherd and […]

Creating Worship Kits for Parish Groups

Joe Paprocki

Many parish organizations have supply cabinets in which they stash their paper plates, napkins, coffee cups, pens, pencils, paper, and so on, so that when they meet, they can swing into action. I suggest that every parish organization have access to another important resource for their supply cabinet: a “worship kit.” Every time a group or organization gathers in the parish, someone should be responsible for setting up a prayer space and leading the group in […]

Looking for Ideas for Do-it-Yourself Service Projects

Joe Paprocki

I’m looking for ideas for “do-it-yourself” service projects—things that can be done on site at the parish with 20 or 30 adult volunteers in a couple of hours. One such idea, albeit quite ambitious, is the Helping Hands project from Catholic Relief Services. This requires 40 volunteers and a minimum of two hours to package 10,000 meals! For the upcoming Year of Mercy, I hope to work with a local parish to organize opportunities for […]

Independence Day: Revisiting How to Create a Declaration of DEpendence

Joe Paprocki

As we celebrate Independence Day, I thought it would be a good idea to revisit an idea from a lesson I taught several years ago about the Lord’s Prayer as our Declaration of DEpendence. Through the seven petitions of the Lord’s Prayer, we express our dependence on what God provides for us: his name, kingdom, will, daily bread, forgiveness, direction, and deliverance. Have a wonderful and blessed holiday! Here’s how to make your own “parchment.” […]

From Business Meetings to Worshipful Work

Joe Paprocki

Everything we do in parish life has a catechetical aspect to it. In other words, the way we do things in the parish teaches and forms us in our faith. With that in mind, an important venue for adult faith formation is parish business meetings. How do we conduct business when we gather adults together for parish pastoral council, parish finance team, school board or religious education advisory board, etc.? From my experience, it’s safe […]

Through the Year with the DRE

Joe Paprocki

Back in the day, when I was a “baby” DRE (Director of Religious Education), I turned to a nifty book for help: Through the Year with the DRE: A Seasonal Guide for Christian Educators (Gail McKenna, Paulist Press). The book is long out of print, but the idea stayed with me and inspired me to create a chart outlining the “typical” responsibilities that a catechetical leader/DRE is faced with over the course of a year. I […]

Works of Mercy Prayers and Activities Resource Packet

Works of Mercy Prayers and Activities—Free Resource Packet

Joe Paprocki

Mercy is a virtue that influences a person’s compassion for another. Mercy inspires the will to ease another’s misfortunes or suffering in either body or soul. The corporal and spiritual works of mercy are charitable actions that extend God’s compassion and mercy to those in need. However, the works of mercy are more than gestures or obligations. To gain merit in heaven, the actions must be performed as acts of love for our neighbor as […]

calendar pages - HomeStudio/Shutterstock.com

Planning Your Adult Faith Formation Calendar

Joe Paprocki

With all of the traveling that I do, sometimes my calendar can get a little crazy. I’ve gotten better at it, but I can remember some times when I asked myself, “What was I thinking when I said yes to this?” In parish life, we do this all the time. Even when we have calendaring meetings that should remove such conflicts, we still sometimes find ourselves overbooked and unable to devote time and energy to […]

Pope Francis on Catechesis Beyond the Scholastic Sphere

Joe Paprocki

Recently, Pope Francis made some very interesting comments about evangelization and catechesis. In particular, he said that catechesis needs to go beyond just the “scholastic sphere” and lead people to an encounter with Christ. I’m thrilled to hear him talk about this because, as important as familiarity with doctrinal concepts is, it means nothing unless we have a relationship with the living Christ. Catechesis needs to speak to both the head and the heart. In […]