All work and no play makes this catechist a dull boy. So I’m getting some much needed R & R! While I’m on vacation until late July, I thought it’d be fun to share some of my favorite jokes from my books, A Well-Built Faith and The Bible Blueprint. Here’s today’s contribution: Marvin and Tina were not a very religious couple but tried their best; they only went to church once a year. As they were […]
This is nothing that we didn’t already know, but a new 2010 survey (8000 respondents) compiled for the strategic planning process of the Archdiocese of Chicago identifies some key challenges that we face in the areas of evangelization and catechesis. Here are just a few findings (a complete summary is forthcoming)… Most Catholics who leave the faith do so by age 24. Further, in our survey, the one factor that correlated by far the most […]
I just found out that a very talented and loveable colleague passed away after a battle with cancer. Marco Matonich was a pastoral associate, liturgical musician, director of liturgy and evangelization at Divine Providence parish in Westchester, IL. Marco was a unique individual and he spread the love of Christ wherever he went. I am appreciative that he touched my life. May he rest in peace.
Planning and preparation are key to the success of any catechist. Here are 11 tips to help you with your lesson planning: Long-Range Planning—The lesson you are planning is only part of a larger plan for the whole year. Make sure you get a picture of the whole calendar year and see how much time you have to carry out what you hope to accomplish. Get a good “feel” for how this lesson can build […]
Today, we celebrated Fr. George Lane, SJ, who is now beginning his new role as President Emeritus of Loyola Press. Fr.George has been at Loyola Press since 1969 and has served as President since 1989. I had the honor of offering a few words at today’s celebration and here’s what I said, making reference to Fr. George’s wonderful practice of stopping by EVERY employee’s office/cubicle each and every day: Fr. George, many of us today […]
This is an activity that I like to do with older participants (especially adults) who have a little more knowledge of the Church’s repertoire of hymns. I call it “If I Were a Church Hymn” and it basically invites participants to think of which Church hymn they would choose as either: their theme song the hymn that best captures the state of their spiritual life at this moment their all time favorite hymn The activity […]
I came across the following recording of a webinar that looks interesting. I haven’t had the time to participate in it myself but I intend to. In the meantime, let me know what you think. Catechizing Digital Natives from Jonathan Sullivan on Vimeo.
This past Saturday, I had the joy and privilege of conducting a Being, Knowing, and Doing professional development workshop for a wonderful group of catechetical leaders (and a few catechists as well) in New Orleans. It was my first trip to the Big Easy and it was SO enjoyable. Many, many thanks to the great folks who made me feel so at home there and contributed to a most productive day of looking at how […]
Over the past few days, I’ve enjoyed a visit to Springfield, IL, for the installation of my brother Tom as bishop. We had a wonderful time and it was a fantastic celebration. Here are a few pics. In the sacristy after the Installation Mass with just part of the family. A visit from Abraham Lincoln at the reception at the Old State Capitol […]
This week, I’m featuring short excerpts from my book, A Well-Built Faith, focusing on the 4 pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Here’s a brief look at the fourth pillar: Prayer. A survey conducted years ago asked people in successful marriages to identify the top ten qualities of a healthy marriage. One might think that sex, given all the attention it is given in our culture, would have been the number one quality. […]
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