I had the pleasure of sharing lunch with Connie Rakitan, the coordinator of a program called Faith and Fellowship – a ministry of faith formation for people who suffer from mental illness. Statistics reveal that one in four American families are affected by mental illness. As catechists, we need to realize that 25% of those we teach are affected my mental illness, meaning that they or someone they know suffers from a mental illness such […]
One of the most frustrating things that I experience as a catechist is young people who are fully capable of reading but are reluctant to read. I’m not talking about reading aloud…I understand that some people don’t like to read aloud in front of others. I’m just talking about following along in the book as someone else reads aloud. I especially notice this in the boys. As we read, some of them will just stare […]
Over the weekend, I had the privilege of going to San Francisco for the first time in my life. I spent 2 days with a group of catechists and catechetical leaders exploring the relationship between catechesis and liturgy. I met many wonderful people there and in particular, was inspired by a catechetical leader (who also teaches 8th grade RE) who exemplifies the gift of fortitude. Victor is a very friendly, outgoing young man, with a […]
I’m going to be tied up over the next few days so I thought I would use today to share what I’ll be teaching this coming Monday. We have the third of our Confirmation Intensives. For this one, we are going to focus on the number SEVEN. Actually 7 x 3. What do I mean by that? We will have the young people participate in 3 sessions that evening, focusing on the following: the 7 […]
I’m always suspicious of people who tell me that when they were in Vegas, they won X amount of money playing a certain game or machine. They never tell you how much they lost along the way! In the same way, I’m about to tell you about a moment I had last night at religious education that was like hitting the jackpot. I’ll follow that, however, with a little disclaimer that shows it wasn’t all […]
For this evening’s Confirmation Intensive, my segment is to do a meditation on the Corporal Works of Mercy. Remember, our Confirmation Intensives are two hours long and aside from an opening and closing segment in their “homeroom,” the young people move about to fout different 20-minute mini sessions. My segment takes place in the chapel. This evening we are focusing on what Catholics BELIEVE and DO. Two of the mini sessions will be on the […]
The New Year often brings with it a bevy of Top Ten lists that look back over the previous year (e.g. ten best/worst movies, etc.). With that in mind, I thought I would put together a list of the Top Ten posts from my blog in 2007, based on the number of comments they received. Enjoy! 10. Feed the Catechists! 9. The Law of Love – It’s No Secret 8. First Guided Reflection 7. How […]
Happy New Year to all catechists and catechetical leaders! With each year comes another opportunity for us to serve the Lord by proclaiming the Gospel to another generation. May this New Year be filled with many blessings and may the Holy Spirit inspire us to teach with enthusiasm, confidence, boldness, creativity, and, above all, love!
As we celebrate this Christmas season, let the Herald Angels be an inspiration for us catechists. To be a herald is to be a bearer of the Good News. Each time we teach, we bring tidings of great joy: God is with us in Jesus Christ! We are, indeed, privileged to be heralds of the Gospel. May the Herald Angels inspire you this Christmas season and throughout the New Year! God’s blessings during this Christmas […]
I know that it is better to give than to receive, but receiving is nice too! I was touched to receive Christmas gifts from several of my students (I’m sure it was their parents who put them up to it!). What a nice gesture to express appreciation for the partnership we catechists enter into with parents. I was also delighted to receive a beautiful leather bound New American Bible from my DRE, Arlene. It will […]
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