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.

Session 1: God Keeps No Secrets (9/17/13)

Joe Paprocki

After being postponed for one week due to excessive heat in Chicago, our first session of religious education for the 2013-14 catechetical year takes place tomorrow evening! Thank goodness temps are back where they belong for September in Chicago! The focus of 6th grade religious education is primarily on the Old Testament so, with that in mind, this first session will serve as an introduction to the Bible as one of the most important ways […]

3-Minute Retreat: A Heart Seeking Goodness

Joe Paprocki

Happy Catechetical Sunday! Now before another busy week begins, take a quiet moment to pray for your ministry and for your fellow catechists. A former high school teacher of mine enjoys reminding me and my best friend that, when we were students in his class, we tried so hard to be bad and failed so miserably! It just wasn’t in us to be bad. We came from good families who instilled the love of God […]

Catechetical Sunday – Open the Door of Faith

Joe Paprocki

This Sunday, September 15, 2013, is Catechetical Sunday – a day to celebrate the catechetical ministry of the Church: a “splendid ministry” as Pope Francis has characterized it! This year’s theme is “Open the Door of Faith.” 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 reached you through your pastor, the director of your parish’s […]

Join Me on a VIRTUAL Pilgrimage to Italy!

Joe Paprocki

As part of the Year of Faith, Pope Francis is hosting a Day for Catechists at the Vatican during the last week of September, 2013, culminating in the International Conference of Catechesis. A delegation of religious educators will be attending via a pilgrimage sponsored by the NCEA as well as other organizations from September 23 through September 30, 2013. For those of us unable to attend in person, I thought I would offer the opportunity […]

A Husband and Wife Reflect on Being Called as a Catechist

Joe Paprocki

Here are a couple of nice reflections about the call to serve as a catechist: Are You Being Called? My Wife Replies to “Are You Being Called?” Both were featured on Patheos.

A Session Planning Form – For Your Convenience!

Joe Paprocki

So, as it turns out, my first session of religious education for this evening was canceled due to the excessive heat here in Chicago! It is in the mid to upper 90s during this 2nd week of September! Well, that’ll give me more time to polish my own lesson which will now take place next Tuesday! In the meantime, I’ve put the finishing touches on a resource I think you’ll find helpful. It is a Session […]

3-Minute Retreat: Chosen to Love

Joe Paprocki

Now before another busy week begins, take a quiet moment to pray for your ministry and for your fellow catechists. When I was a kid, we were always choosing sides to play games, usually baseball. I was always hoping to be chosen by my cousin Mona who could crush a softball farther than any of us! It felt so special to be chosen by someone that I admired and looked up to. How affirming it […]

Looking Over My Teaching Space

Joe Paprocki

I had the opportunity today to get into the room in which I’ll be teaching 6th grade religious education this year! It is on the 2nd floor of St. Cajetan school…a nice spacious room with carpeted floor and dry erase boards! I’m looking forward to my first session this Tuesday evening!

A “Cornhusker” Weekend!

Joe Paprocki

I had a great weekend in the State of Nebraska, speaking at the Nebraskaland Festival of Faith. Thanks to our host, Don Kurre, the Director of the Catechetical Office for the Diocese of Grand Island, who has contributed so much to the catechetical ministry over many decades! I had the pleasure of meeting Bishop William Dendinger who, to his credit, was present for the entire 2-day conference…that is such an affirmation for catechists to have […]

Forming a 3-Dimensional Catechist Webinar: Another Way to Access the Recording

Joe Paprocki

It appears that some folks are having trouble accessing the recording of my Webinar, Being, Knowing and Doing: Forming a 3-Dimensional Catechist which I posted last week. To make things easier, here is another format by which you can access the recording. If you experience any problems, let me know! Thanks!