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.
I am very excited to announce that our popular online formation and training experience for catechists, the Catechetical Formation Series, is now available in Spanish! Introducing Serie de formación catequética! The Catechetical Formation Series is a program I developed for Loyola Press to provide basic training and formation for catechists in the areas of being, knowing, and doing. As the program grew in popularity, along with that came requests for a Spanish version. To guide […]
For the month of March, our Finding God Family Catechesis gathering at St. Barnabas will focus on the unit on Church, with the theme of “Catholic Identity: Does My Faith Make a Difference?” I particularly love this topic, because we Catholics indeed have unique ways of thinking, speaking, and acting that can and should make us stand out from the crowd! In this session, we will explore five characteristics of Catholic identity as drawn from […]
Part of my growing up included working in my dad’s drugstore. As I grew older, I began to strategize ways to increase sales. I learned about the reality of impulse buying and proceeded to surround the check-out area with impulse items such as gum, disposable lighters, snack bars, breath fresheners, travel-size beauty items and sundries, and so on. The truth is, we do a lot of things on impulse, which means that we act without […]
As an introvert, I have a hard time making small talk. In fact, I often joke that people are hesitant to have lunch alone with me, because before long, the conversation will be deep—not heavy or controversial, but just meaningful. During the past month alone, three such conversations resulted in tears (a mixture of sad/joyful tears) being shared. I consider these meaningful conversations to be spiritual conversations, or conversations that touch the heart. In fact, […]
Our brains are wired to take the path of least resistance. Now, that can be a good thing, since we all strive to avoid unnecessary conflicts and obstacles. However, there are some things in life that are worth fighting for, such as striving to end injustice and oppression. For situations like that, we need the virtue of fortitude—a virtue that helps us strengthen our resolve, resist temptations, and overcome obstacles in the moral life. In […]
With Ash Wednesday quickly approaching, now’s the time to think about how you will introduce the Lenten pillars of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving to your students. In addition to using the seasonal chapters in your textbook, take some time for reflection on these traditional practices. Download a Guided Reflection on Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving. This prayerful reflection introduces young people to the three Lenten disciplines and invites conversation with Jesus about how to make prayer, […]
This past Sunday, I facilitated the family catechesis session at St. Barnabas, as we prepared to enter the season of Lent in just a few short days. I have to say that this was one of the most fulfilling adult faith experiences of my long career, namely because of the high level of engagement and interest on the part of the parents and grandparents throughout this session! I felt inspired by the Holy Spirit the […]
One of the most well-known and cherished Scripture passages is Micah 6:8: “What does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” But what exactly does it mean to “do justice”? Too often, justice is thought of in legal terms and is equated with punishment or even vengeance. However, justice is a positive thing and refers to holding up our end of the […]
With Lent just over a week away (Ash Wednesday is February 14, 2024.), I’d like to invite you to make plans to focus on the life of Jesus this season through two special opportunities. Lenten Read-Along—Each year Loyola Press hosts a Lenten Read-Along, which is an opportunity to join with others in reading an inspirational book at a relaxed pace, giving time to savor what we read during Lent. This year’s Lenten Read-Along invites us […]
It’s time for me to pick your brain again! From time to time, I like to post a poll question just to see what’s going on in the heads of catechists. This time around, I’d like to know what you are most interested in learning about when it comes to Catholic teaching. Please take a moment to answer the question below, and check back here for results. Thanks!
