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.

How to Be a More Evangelizing Catechist #2: Introduce Jesus as Savior

Joe Paprocki

We began our series on how to be a more evangelizing catechist by talking about the need to proclaim an alternate reality (the Kingdom of God) to our brokenness. Today, we continue by emphasizing that the way to this alternate reality is Jesus Christ and that we are incapable of getting there on our own; we need a divine intervention. I’m sure you are familiar with the concept of an intervention: a carefully planned gathering […]

Videos Are Supplemental

Joe Paprocki

I love showing videos when I teach. However, I have learned over the years that videos are to be a supplement to the lesson. This is especially true in faith formation since our faith is a living, incarnational faith transmitted by living people. Imagine if the Gospel of John said, “For God so loved the world that he sent a video of his only Son, Jesus…” No, Jesus came in the flesh and continues to share […]

How to Be a More Evangelizing Catechist #1: Proclaim an Alternate Reality to Our Brokenness

Joe Paprocki

Welcome to the first post in my series on How to Be a More Evangelizing Catechist. In my introduction to the series, I talked about how marketing efforts often rely on nine formulaic strategies for persuading people that they need to purchase the product or service being advertised. They kick off their efforts by emphasizing that something is missing from your life or that something in your life, as you live it now, is broken […]

Lent: So What’s Up with the Number 40?

Joe Paprocki

“These forty days of Lent, O Lord, to you we fast and pray…” We all know that Lent has 40 days, but it may cause us to wonder about the significance of the number 40. Did you know that the number 40 appears in the Bible nearly 200 times? What’s up with that? In the Bible, the number 40 is symbolic and represents a significant period of time during which an individual’s faith is tested. What is […]

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Hooking Your Students: An Idea for Lent

Joe Paprocki

I’m a firm believer in doing short transitional activities (three to five minutes) in religious education that engage the students and act as segues into the “meat” of the lesson. They act as attention-getters or “hooks” that make a connection for the students. Here’s an example of one such activity that can be used to introduce the season of Lent. Select four or five students, and hand each of them some paper plates, paper cups, and plasticware (or […]

Holiness Habits for Lent

Joe Paprocki

The three Lenten disciplines of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving assist us in developing a sense of selflessness, which is the key to holiness. This means breaking the habit of putting ourselves and our own needs first. Be inspired in your holiness habits this Lent with my free downloadable article. Whether you’re new to Lent or have been practicing its disciplines for decades, find inspiration to deepen the “kingdom habits” that dislodge the old and usher […]

How to Be a More Evangelizing Catechist (Series Intro)

Joe Paprocki

I am happy to announce a new series of posts that I will be writing right here at Catechist’s Journey titled “How to Be a More Evangelizing Catechist.” I’d like to begin by introducing you to Claude C. Hopkins, an advertising pioneer and the reason you brushed your teeth this morning! To make a long story short, Hopkins made brushing one’s teeth popular in the early 20th century, when few felt the need to do so. […]

“If These Walls Could Talk…” Catholic Walls Do Talk!

Joe Paprocki

This is a picture I took several years ago of my wife, Joanne, pausing to sit and reflect at the Art Institute of Chicago. This is generally what we do when we encounter art: we pause and let it “speak” to us. Art that relies on images, shapes, and objects speaks to us without using words to tell a story. I remember as a young child attending the Latin Mass and not understanding most of it. […]

Catechists Need Tools, Not Replacements

Joe Paprocki

I continue to see catechetical materials being published that promise to “do everything for you” when it comes to forming people in faith. The implied message is that “anyone can do it”—all you have to do is press “Play” on the DVD player, and a charismatic person on a video will ignite the fire of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of those observing. The catechist is all but replaced, reduced to a functionary who […]

An Example of Excellence in Special Needs Faith Formation

Joe Paprocki

Here’s a good news story! While many parishes are making strides in offering quality faith formation for young people with special needs, one parish stands out as an example of excellence. St. Rose of Lima Parish in Gaithersburg, Maryland, was recently honored as the recipient of the Opening Doors Award, presented by the National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) in partnership with Loyola Press. With the award comes a check for $1000 and a plaque. St. Rose of […]