The Effective Catechetical Leader series
Books

Now Available: Slide Presentations for the Effective Catechetical Leader Series

I am excited to announce that the slide presentations I’ve created for The Effective Catechetical Leader series are now available. When we at Loyola Press collaborated with the good folks at NCCL (National Conference for Catechetical Leadership), we talked about developing some ancillary materials that would enhance diocesan efforts to offer formation and training opportunities for catechetical leaders. It became obvious very early on that one such resource would be PowerPoint presentations—one for each of the […]

family praying at mealtime - FG Trade Latin/E+/Getty Images
Book Club

Memories of Family Prayer

I have to admit that, although I grew up in a very Catholic family, our experiences of family prayer were usually somewhat formal and perfunctory, consisting primarily of saying Grace before a meal, going to Mass together, or praying silently at the gravestone of a deceased relative. I don’t recall experiences of spontaneous prayer in which my parents or anyone else, for that matter, bowed their heads and prayed extemporaneously about a situation we were […]

The Prayer List by Jane Knuth - online book club
Book Club

An Interview About Prayer with Author Jane Knuth

Joe Paprocki, D.Min., interviewed author Jane Knuth about prayer and her book, The Prayer List. Joe Paprocki: When you inherited your family prayer list, your first reaction was, “Uh-oh.” Tell us more about that reaction. Jane Knuth: Frankly, it looked like a lot of work to me. Aunt Kay spent hours each day praying for people, and I didn’t want to invest that much time in it. I was busy! I didn’t have time to […]

Newsworthy
Newsworthy

What Is a Mass Mob and How Does It Work?

In today’s world of social media, we often have to learn new vocabulary for various phenomena that occur by way of the digital world. One such phrase is “flash mob,” which refers to a large public gathering organized via social media, at which people “instantly” arrive to perform some unusual or random act and then quickly disperse. Here’s an example of a flash mob performing part of Handel’s Messiah at a mall in Amsterdam. Before […]

Catechist's Toolbox Leader Guide
Books

Are You Using the Leader Guides for My Books?

From time to time, I receive requests from people asking me for or recommending that I develop leader guides for my books. The truth is, many of my books already have Leader Guides! These guides can assist you in leading formation sessions or book discussions based on each book. They are especially helpful for small faith groups that wish to focus on a single resource for a period of time. Be sure to visit the page […]

A Play - Paul the Apostle
Mary and the Saints

A Play: Paul, the Apostle

Bring St. Paul to life in your school or parish by producing the three-act play Paul, the Apostle. Young people can perform each act for their peers in the classroom, or adults and youth can work together to perform the entire play for a community audience. The acts introduce in a fun way: Paul’s Youth Saul’s Conversion Paul’s Missionary Journeys Perfect for a summer gathering around the Solemnity of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (June […]

children together
Approaches/Techniques

Learning by “Talking Things Out”—Interpersonal Learning

I have to admit that, as an introvert (technically speaking), I tend to cringe a bit when a facilitator or speaker tells us participants to turn to a neighbor or group of neighbors and engage in discussion. It’s just not my style. Of course, when I do follow instructions, I find that I meet some wonderful people and learn some amazing things! At the other end of the spectrum are people who are eager to interact […]

family at church
Liturgy and Sacraments

Sunday Mass: “Why Do We Have to Go?” (Part Two)

Recently, I posted about the challenge of convincing our children that going to Mass is a priority in our lives, especially when they push back and tell us that it’s boring or that they don’t get anything out of it. Rather than trying to convince them that it will be fun and exciting, it is more important that we concentrate on helping them to appreciate the deeper reasons why Sunday worship—the Eucharist—is so central to […]

The Prayer List by Jane Knuth - online book club
Book Club

Online Book Club: The Prayer List

Make plans to deepen your spiritual life this summer from the comfort of your favorite reading spot. Join us here at Catechist’s Journey for an online book club starting June 4. We’ll be reading Jane Knuth’s The Prayer List…and Other True Stories of How Families Pray. About the Book When Jane Knuth inherited the family “prayer list” from her aunt, she decided to continue the tradition of praying regularly with the list of needs and […]

girl with calculator surrounded by numbers
Approaches/Techniques

If a Young Mr. Spock Were in Your Religious Education Class

Sometimes I like to imagine what it would have been like to teach Catholic faith formation to either a famous or a fictional character. Recently, I thought to myself, “What would a catechist do if a young Mr. Spock showed up as a student in religious education class?” Of course, you remember Mr. Spock, the fictional character from Star Trek, who was half-human and half-Vulcan: an alien species that operated solely on logic and eschewed emotion. […]