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.

Adult Faith Formation and the Problem of “Church Groupies”

Joe Paprocki

When doing faith formation with young people, one of the problems is that no one wants to show that they enjoy being there; that would not be cool. I have found that, when doing faith formation with adults, there are some folks present who are at the opposite extreme. I call them “church groupies.” I’m not talking here of the same loyal folks who faithfully support everything and show up most of the time. I’m […]

Leading Others to Epiphany

Joe Paprocki

Soon we will celebrate the wonderful Feast of the Epiphany, when Jesus is revealed to all the nations as the Son of God. This feast contains so many messages and images that are apropos for catechists. Here are a few. The Magi do not travel alone. Although they are from different locations, the Magi come together to seek the king. We catechists recognize the wisdom in this. We do not travel alone. We are part of a […]

Prayer That “Fits” Current Science

Joe Paprocki

In late November my daughter got married, and it was a wonderful experience. In the days leading up to the wedding, my wife was fervently praying for good weather. For several weeks before the wedding date, Chicago experienced unseasonal warmth and lots of sunshine. Forecasters, however, warned that “big changes” were coming, and the target date for those big changes turned out to be our daughter’s wedding day. Needless to say, my wife was not […]

Christmas and Catholic Identity

Joe Paprocki

The celebration of Christmas is unabashedly Catholic. I describe Catholic identity as being characterized by five traits: a sense of sacramentality a commitment to community a deep respect for the dignity of human life, leading to a commitment to social justice a reverence for tradition a disposition to faith and hope and not despair These five characteristics are integral to the Christmas story, and Christmas can help us to strengthen our Catholic identity. I offer […]

How About a Year of Truth?

Joe Paprocki

Now that the Year of Mercy is over, some catechists have been asking what “year” we will be celebrating in 2017. The truth is, not every year has a theme such as 2016’s Year of Mercy. This was a special Jubilee Year proclaimed by Pope Francis. The notion of proclaiming a theme for each year was popularized by St. Pope John Paul II right before the celebration of the Millennium, when he declared three years […]

Unique Approaches to Scheduling Catechist Formation

Joe Paprocki

Recently, I came across a couple of parishes that take a unique approach to scheduling catechist formation so that it is integral to their faith formation program and not seen as something optional. One parish that holds their faith formation sessions weekly on Monday evenings designates the first Monday of each month for catechist formation. The young people do not have classes on that evening, but catechists are required to attend. Since the formation sessions occur […]

Reigniting the Flame—A Mid-Year Activity for Catechists

Joe Paprocki

The halfway point of the catechetical year can be a time when catechists find their energy and enthusiasm waning. In my book, 7 Keys to Spiritual Wellness, I warn about the danger of sloth, which is not to be confused with laziness. Rather, sloth is a lack of spiritual energy. The “antidote” that I recommend is unleashing your imagination in order to reignite hope, which in turn leads to joy, which is the heart of […]

Anniversary Giveaway Winners

Joe Paprocki

Thank you for celebrating the 10th anniversary of Catechist’s Journey with us. Giveaway winners have all been notified. The winners are: Saints Stories Package Lori Murawske Dear Pope Francis Family Kit Mary Ellen Lynch Bible Books Package Kathleen Butler Ignatian Inspiration Package Concepta Children’s Book Package Claudia Moreno Joe Paprocki Collection Franz

speakers - text: things every catechist needs to hear

10 Things Every Catechist Needs to Hear—My Blog’s 10th Anniversary

Joe Paprocki

It’s hard to believe but today is the 10th anniversary of Catechist’s Journey! We have journeyed long and far together, and it continues to be a great joy to walk the journey of this splendid ministry together with you! I can’t thank you enough for accompanying me. I have learned so much from you and deeply appreciate all of the ways you have shared your wisdom and experience with me and my readers. To celebrate […]

10 Memorable Moments in Catechesis

Joe Paprocki

Editor’s note: Today we kick-off a celebration of our 10th anniversary here at Catechist’s Journey. Ten years ago, Joe Paprocki started writing about the joys and frustrations of his classroom catechetical experiences. Since that time, we’ve welcomed a group of regular contributors to this blog to share their wisdom and experiences in the field of religious education. In honor of our anniversary, we’ll have special posts all this week and next Monday (the actual anniversary […]