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.

Pop-Up Prayer: Guest Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy

Joe Paprocki

We continue our summer series, Pop-Up Prayer—brief interviews on the topic of prayer with prominent people in pastoral ministry from all over the country! In this episode, Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy, Director of the Office of Religious Education for the Diocese of Honolulu, talks about the need to stop, look, and listen when it comes to prayer. Jayne is the author of Cultivating Your Catechists: How to Recruit, Encourage, and Retain Successful Catechists. Be sure to check […]

Marian Devotions Poster

Joe Paprocki

Our Lady. Blessed Virgin. Queen of Heaven. Madonna. Maria. Mary. The mother of Jesus and the Church is known by many names, which reflect just how revered she is all over the world. The importance of Mary as Mother of God lies not only in that Mary was the woman who gave birth to Jesus, but in that she was the one who had faith in God and freely said yes to participate in God’s […]

raising of Lazarus - Elena Mertin/iStock/Getty Images

Proclaiming the Miracles (the Mighty Deeds) of Jesus

Joe Paprocki

When a company promotes a product, it goes to great lengths to convince us of what it can do for us. When candidates seek votes, they will provide long lists of accomplishments as proof that they can deliver. When we invite others to embrace Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, we need to provide “evidence” of what Jesus has done, is doing, and can do for each of us. A crucial part of the […]

Pop-Up Prayer: Guest Dr. Ansel Augustine

Joe Paprocki

We continue our summer series, Pop-Up Prayer—brief interviews on the topic of prayer with prominent people in pastoral ministry from all over the country! In this episode, Dr. Ansel Augustine, Director of the Office of Black Catholic Ministries for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, talks about the need to see prayer as both an ongoing conversation with the Lord and something for which we need to carve out time. Be sure to check out the […]

Catechists as Mystagogues - text over watercolor background by Sergey Ryumin/Moment/Getty Images

Catechists as Mystagogues: Telling Stories of the Mighty Deeds of the Lord

Joe Paprocki

People demand to see results. That’s nothing new. Before we purchase something, we want to hear and see unsolicited endorsements from previous purchasers. Before we vote for someone, we want to know about the candidate’s previous accomplishments. So, it should come as no surprise that, when John the Baptist found himself imprisoned for “campaigning” on behalf of Jesus, he (John) sent some of his disciples to Jesus to confirm that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. […]

Pop-Up Prayer: Guest Elsy Arévalo

Joe Paprocki

Welcome to our new summer series, Pop-Up Prayer—brief interviews on the topic of prayer with prominent people in pastoral ministry from all over the country! We could all use some tips when it comes to prayer, especially during these very difficult and challenging times. In this episode, Elsy Arévalo, Instructor and Assistant Director of the Center for Religion and Spirituality at Loyola Marymount University, explains that prayer is not about us reaching out to God as […]

Our 15th Anniversary Giveaway: A Well-Built Faith

Joe Paprocki

We continue our year-long celebration of the 15th anniversary of the launch of Catechist’s Journey and publication of The Catechist’s Toolbox. Our celebration continues today with the chance to win a copy of my book, A Well-Built Faith: A Catholic’s Guide to Knowing and Sharing What We Believe. I wrote A Well-Built Faith because too many Catholics struggle to comprehend and articulate their faith. A Well-Built Faith—which I developed around a construction theme—makes it easy […]

Introducing Young Children to the Examen

Joe Paprocki

One of the centerpieces of Ignatian spirituality is the practice of the Daily Examen, a brief prayer exercise to help busy people recognize the presence and movement of God in their daily lives. Many wonderful books have been written to help adults practice this powerful prayer, with A Simple Life-Changing Prayer and Reimagining the Ignatian Examen being among the best. Previously, I have blogged about teaching young children how to practice the Examen. Now, thankfully, there […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: Speaking God’s Language Through Rituals

Joe Paprocki

There is a fine line between routine and ritual. A routine is something we do the same way habitually, with little or no thought. Every morning, we mindlessly follow a routine: turn off the alarm, turn on the coffee pot, eat a bowl of cereal, brush our teeth, and so on. A ritual is something we do the same way habitually, with deep, intentional thought. Blessing ourselves with holy water, genuflecting, anointing with oil, walking […]