It’s a New Year, so it must be time for a new book by Joe Paprocki! Well, almost time! Here is the cover for my upcoming book, co-authored with my good friend Julianne Stanz: The Catechist’s Backpack: Spiritual Essentials for the Journey. The General Directory for Catechesis tells us that catechists must be formed in three areas: being, knowing, and doing (#238). I’ve provided catechists with books on doing the work of a catechist and […]
The next initiative that I’m undertaking in the area of adult faith formation at St. Cajetan Parish in Chicago is an experience titled, A Different Kind of “Me Time.” This is another opportunity designed to reach primarily the parents of the children in the religious education program, and it will take place in tandem with the children’s weekly Tuesday evening session. Once per month, catechists are invited to take their classes to the church for adoration […]
Thanks to so many of you for responding to my request to send in descriptions of what your parish is doing to help people grow in the first of the Six Tasks of Catechesis: Knowledge of the Faith. Here is a brief summary of what some folks are doing: Ladies’ faith-sharing group (meets three times monthly to discuss Scripture) Weekly Scripture study (some on the Sunday Scripture readings; some on books of the Bible; some Lectio […]
In his Urbi et Orbi message for Christmas 2013, Pope Francis said: I take up the song of the angels who appeared to the shepherds in Bethlehem on the night when Jesus was born. It is a song which unites heaven and earth, giving praise and glory to heaven, and the promise of peace to earth and all its people. I ask everyone to share in this song: it is a song for every man […]
All too often, adult faith formation is approached as “CCD for Grownups” with settings that are little or no different than academic classroom settings for children. In reality, adult faith formation can and should take many forms. One opportunity that is often overlooked is that of the local pilgrimage. As Catholics, we learn not only from Scripture but also from our Tradition. One of the great ways of learning from our Catholic Tradition is to visit […]
Over the past six weeks, I’ve shared a series of posts on how to host small faith groups in the parish, with an eye toward Lent. Special thanks once again to St. Barnabas Parish in Chicago for sharing the inner workings of their successful experience, Companions on the Journey, for our benefit. Here, in one convenient space, is everything you need to implement small faith groups in your parish! How to Host Parish Small Faith Groups […]
Jesus was often surrounded by large crowds, clamoring to hear the Teacher speak. But Jesus first was only known to a small group, the Apostles. After the Resurrection, the Disciples continued spreading Jesus’ message to other small groups—the Philippians, the Ephesians, the Corinthians—and the tradition of small groups of devoted followers continues to this day. That’s what we’ve been focusing on with the series on how to host parish small faith groups. The series strengthens […]
This is the last post in our series on how to host small faith groups in your parish. I have been drawing on the successful experience of St. Barnabas Parish in Chicago, which gathered over 200 parishioners to participate in small faith groups last Lent. Today we look at what must be done throughout the season of Lent to sustain the small groups and suggest some post-Lent follow-up ideas. Week Before the First Sunday of […]
In my work in adult catechesis this year, I am assisting the pastoral staff of St. Barnabas Parish in Chicago with articulating a vision for adult faith formation for the parish. We are using the Six Tasks of Catechesis to guide our efforts and we are presently working on the first task, which is Knowledge of the Faith. Here is where I could use your help: Please describe one initiative in your parish that is […]
As we continue our series on how to host Lenten small faith groups in your parish, we turn our attention to the immediate weeks before the program starts. I am drawing on the successful experience of St. Barnabas Parish in Chicago where last year, over 200 parishioners gathered to participate in small faith groups during Lent. Today’s post includes sample small group promotional materials that you can adapt for your own use. 5 Weeks Out […]
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