Recently, I stopped by a parish to see a staff member. The receptionist greeted me warmly, inquired how she could be of help, contacted the staff member, and then invited me to have a seat until he was available. Then, she did something that I’ve never exprienced in all my years of visiting parish offices and rectories. She asked if I wanted something to drink! I was indeed thirsty and requested a glass of water […]
I’m looking for some creative ideas for Parent Sacramental Prep “Meetings” for First Reconciliation. My goal is to get away from the all-too-familiar 45-60 minute talk given by the pastor, associate pastor, DRE, or guest speaker, during which the parents sit passively and listen and then are given some logistics about First Reconciliation and sent on their way. I would like to do something that is more mystagogical – engaging the parents in some reflection […]
Today we hear a lot about people demanding their rights! Fortunately, we live in a country that guarantees those rights according to the Constitution. If there were a “catechist’s bill of rights,” one of those rights would be training and formation and I wish that more catechists would speak up, demanding this right. I’ll never forget my friend Brian Lemoi, Director of the Catechetical Office in the Diocese of St. Petersburg, FLA, telling me that, […]
For those of you who can’t get enough of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, Loyola Press is proud to offer Pope Francis: Life and Revolution, a biography of Jorge Bergoglio, written by his good friend and internationally respected journalist, Elisabetta Piqué. Over 75 individuals were interviewed for Pope Francis: Life and Revolution, including lay people, priests, bishops, and cardinals who have known or worked with Francis at various times in his life. Insights from these […]
One of the patterns that we need to break in order for ongoing Adult Faith Formation to take root and grow is the bad habit of lecturing to adults for 45 minutes or an hour and calling that adult catechesis. In many parishes, adult faith formation takes the shape of a staff member (pastor, associate pastor, deacon, pastoral associate, DRE) deciding that he or she will offer a series of classes for 6 to 8 weeks. […]
As if we haven’t had enough of the Left Behind series, now a “major” motion picture starring Nicolas Cage is set to be released. Unfortunately, this means that once again, people will succumb to the false notion that there is going to be a Rapture at which time the saved will be whisked away to heaven and the rest will be “left behind.” Thank goodness we have someone like my friend Joyce Donahue to provide […]
Each year, the Catholic Church in the United States designates the third Sunday in September as “Catechetical Sunday”– a day on which to celebrate and pray for the Church’s mission to teach the Gospel to all people. This year’s theme is “Teaching About God’s Gift of Forgiveness.” As a catechist, you are responding to a call to share the gift of faith with others, even as you deepen your own faith. This call may have […]
Flip through any tabloid magazine and you’ll see splashy spreads touting all the ways the rich and famous are just like us! They drink coffee. They have children. They are busy going about their lives. These magazines act like this is information we should care about, and worse, we should emulate. In our celebrity-obsessed culture, it’s not easy to remember what real role models are made of. Instead of People, we should be reading Saints. […]
Thanks be to God, we had a wonderfully successful kick-off event for the Religious Education program at St. Cajetan that focused on the adults as well as the children. The goal was to begin to chip away at the “drop-off” mentality and I think it is safe to say that last night we made a significant dent! I counted at least 100 adults present and we prepared 115 folders! Here’s a pictorial summary: Signage was key […]
A New Catechesis for the New Evangelization: New Ardor, Methods, and Expression – A Webinar Facilitator: Joe Paprocki, DMin Brought to you by Loyola Press, A Jesuit Ministry Thursday, October 23, 2014 7:00–8:00 p.m. (CT) Click to register! Catechists are at the forefront of the New Evangelization. We are called to “re-propose” the Gospel to the world, relying on an approach that is “new in its ardor, methods, and expression.” (St. John Paul II) In […]
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