Most wake-up calls are not pleasant. I’m talking about the kind of wake-up calls associated with having a heart attack, getting pulled over for DUI, losing a job you thought you’d have forever, losing a loved one, experiencing a financial loss, or having a close relative or friend attempt suicide. Such wake-up calls are a kick in the gut that compel us to pause and reflect on our lives and consider making significant changes in […]
St. Jerome famously said, “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ.” Unfortunately, for many Catholics, the Bible still remains a bit of a stranger and becomes an untapped source for deepening our relationship with Jesus. Too many of us still feel ill-equipped when it comes to navigating the Bible and interpreting what we read. With that in mind, I have put together a video introduction to the Bible that catechists can use with adults and young […]
Join me for a webinar with Julianne Stanz on Thursday, January 25, at 10 a.m. CST, as she talks about her newest book, The Catholic Parents’ Survival Guide: Straight Answers to Your Kids’ Toughest Questions. This will be a great opportunity for parents, grandparents, catechists, and other interested adults to learn how to speak to children about Catholic beliefs, ethics, morality, and faith practices. It will also be a great chance for you to get […]
Now that we are halfway through the catechetical year, it’s a good time to shake things up a little and try something new! It’s important to remember that today’s learners are accustomed to switching tasks frequently, so it never hurts to try some new methods that can break up monotony and lead to deeper engagement with learners. With that in mind, let’s see what kind of new activity you are most drawn to considering. Please […]
As catechists, we work with the Holy Spirit to form disciples of Jesus Christ. With that in mind, we’ve been devoting some attention to the concept of discipleship with the help of Fr. Brice Higginbotham, author of Remaining with Jesus: Discipleship in the Gospel of John. Fr. Higginbotham has been recording short videos while pursuing a Licentiate in Sacred Scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. In this segment, Fr. Brice explains what we learn about […]
As I’ve shared previously, Pope Francis has announced a Jubilee Year for 2025 with the theme of “Pilgrims of Hope.” In preparation for the Jubilee Year, Pope Francis asked Catholics to prepare by dedicating time in 2023 to studying the documents of the Second Vatican Council. Pope Francis has called for 2024 to be a Year of Prayer. The Jubilee website suggests the following: In preparation for the Jubilee, dioceses are invited to promote initiatives […]
As long as I’ve been writing this blog, I have emphasized that catechist formation and catechist support in general is not just some act of kindness toward catechists. Rather, it is something the Church owes catechists! Imagine someone entering a religious community and being welcomed in and assigned a ministry without first going through a novitiate and formation process! The religious community that a person makes a commitment to owes it to its members to […]
Over the years, many catechists have commented to me that they admire those who teach junior high and high school and that they opted for the “easier” age group of pre-K and primary grades. I’ve always turned it right back around on them and expressed my admiration for anyone who can teach the youngest among us! It is a gift that I never felt I had, which is why I have always gravitated toward teaching […]
Happy New Year, everyone! While I don’t make a big thing out of New Year’s resolutions, I think it is always good to set goals and to articulate them. As we begin 2024, I thought it would be fun for us to make and share some catechetical New Year’s resolutions! Mine is to cut down on the amount of talking I do during presentations so as to leave more time and space for discussion. What’s […]
The January session for family catechesis at St. Barnabas will be a children-only session on safe environment. Since my role is to facilitate the parent sessions, I’ll actually have the day off! As part of the implementation of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, the Archdiocese of Chicago requires its parishes and schools to provide valuable training to children and youth annually. This important training is designed to educate children and […]
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