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 40 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.

L.A. Religious Education Congress 2017

Joe Paprocki

Another LAREC—Los Angeles Religious Education Congress—is in the books and, as always, it was a phenomenal experience to be with over 40,000 brothers and sisters in Christ, all of whom were fired up for the mission of proclaiming God’s word to all people. It was an honor and a privilege to give two presentations to a total of nearly 1000 participants, and I was fed and nourished by the breakout sessions I attended (especially those […]

First Sunday of Lent, Year A: Confident in God’s Protection and Faithfulness

Joe Paprocki

What’s your security blanket? For young children, security blankets and other such comfort objects are healthy things. They are “transitional objects” to ease the trauma of separating from their mothers. However, we all must eventually cut the apron strings and leave our security blankets behind. Unfortunately, we tend to replace our plush toys with more sophisticated security blankets, not to ease the anxiety of our separation from our mothers, but to ease what we sense as […]

What Is Hygge and Why Care?

Joe Paprocki

Knowing all too well that I am hopelessly square, some of my younger, hipper, edgier friends and colleagues at Loyola Press keep an eye out for trends among young adults related (if even remotely) to spirituality and faith formation. Recently, my friend Annie alerted me to the growing interest in something called hygge (pronounced hoo-gah), which is a Danish word for the mindset that folks in Denmark strive toward in order to help them cope […]

On the Road with Joe: Mid-Atlantic Congress 2017

Joe Paprocki

Last week, I had the pleasure of presenting at the Mid-Atlantic Congress in Baltimore and enjoyed spending time with several hundred of my best friends exploring ways to do catechesis more effectively in a rapidly-changing world. We specifically looked at a number of strategies outlined in my book, A Church on the Move: 52 Ways to Get Mission and Mercy in Motion. Thanks, friends, for all of the wonderful work that you do proclaiming the […]

Melting Those “Stone Faces” at Parent Meetings

Joe Paprocki

When I am asked to present at a parent meeting (First Reconciliation or First Eucharist), I am often met by a lot of what I call “stone faces”—a look on the parents’ faces that says they would rather be anywhere else but here! Don’t get me wrong: the folks are cordial, just not very emotive, and I remind myself that most are coming straight from work or a long day at home. A big part […]

Living Lent Daily and Other Lent Resources from Loyola Press

Joe Paprocki

Lent, which is right around the corner, is a time when we appreciate good resources that can help us and others pay closer attention to our spiritual lives, and there is no better place to turn to than Loyola Press. As always, Loyola Press is ready to assist you in guiding others through the season of Lent, while offering features for your own spiritual enrichment. First and foremost, we are excited to walk with you through Living […]

“Alternative Facts” and the Eighth Commandment

Joe Paprocki

Recently, we have been hearing references in the news to the phrase “alternative facts” when folks are debating the veracity of the reporting on an event. The truth is, while there can be different perspectives and different interpretations of the same event, there is an objective element to the story that demands accuracy. For catechists, this issue provides us with an opportunity to talk about the Eighth Commandment, which is ultimately about communicating truth. I’ve always […]

Going to Mass Is Liberating

Joe Paprocki

As those of us responsible for adult faith formation seek strategies for responding to people—especially Millennials—who see little or no reason for going to Mass, here is one approach we might want to consider: stressing that going to Mass is not only a statement of faith but is also a statement of liberation. For the people of Israel, liberated by God from oppression through the Exodus/Passover event, proclaiming that “God reigns” was not only a […]

Watch Your Language!

Joe Paprocki

I recently came across the article, “Be Aware of Your Language” by Justin Knowles, in which he warns about not assuming that our young people have any “real background of the Bible, its stories or any of this church talk that many of us keep using.” While not written from a Catholic point of view, this article gets at the heart of the New Evangelization, which tells us that we must not assume that those we […]