Articles by Kathy MacKenzie

About Kathy MacKenzie

Kathy MacKenzie has been involved in youth faith formation for the past 12 years, most recently as Director of Religious Education at St. Timothy Parish in Norwood, MA. She holds a BA from College of the Holy Cross and an MS from Brown University, both in mathematics, as well as an MA in Theology and Ministry from Boston College. Heralding from a long line of active Church music ministers, she has naturally found deep joy in sharing her faith with those around her. A passionate advocate for works of mercy involving people of all ages, Kathy also finds great meaning in bearing witness to the life stories of others. She is a wife and mother of two teenagers. She enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and chocolate.

7 Keys to Spiritual Wellness: What’s Your Security Blanket?

Kathy MacKenzie

Editor’s note: This post is one in a series inspired by Joe Paprocki’s book 7 Keys to Spiritual Wellness. In the book, Joe introduces each key with a fun or thought-provoking question. Each Friday we’ll share an excerpt from 7 Keys to Spiritual Wellness that poses a question, followed by a response by a catechist or catechetical leader. What’s your security blanket? For young children security blankets and other such comfort objects are healthy things. They are “transitional objects” […]

mother and daughter with Advent wreath at home - Warling Studios. © Loyola Press. All rights reserved.

Celebrating Advent by Making Wreaths with Your Families

Kathy MacKenzie

As our young families gathered on the first Sunday of Advent, the buzz of excitement was undeniable. Our parish hall was transformed into an Advent workshop where they created their very own Advent wreaths. Before me lay a sea of long tables at which the families worked, chatted, collaborated, and prayed. Christmas music harmonized with the hum of warm and friendly conversation; the atmosphere was most certainly alive with joy. Together, our families wove the […]

Getting Families Involved in the Classroom with Show-and-Tell

Kathy MacKenzie

One day last spring, I was hanging out in the lobby of our parish center, as I often do when classes end for the day. It was 5:00 P.M., and some of the parents had spent the entire hour waiting for their children by relaxing in one of our chairs, reading a book to pass the time. Others had just arrived, having run a quick errand since dropping off their children an hour earlier. This […]

woman writing in plan book next to laptop computer - photo by Liza Summer on Pexels.com

How to Prepare Catechists for the New Year

Kathy MacKenzie

As a parent, I know that pleas for volunteers come fast and furious in the fall. These pleas arrive just as we are trying to get our own children to practices, lessons, and school activities on time. When homework, dinner, laundry, and outside job responsibilities are added to this seemingly endless list, I am reminded that my catechists are under a lot of pressure. I ask a lot of these volunteers. As DREs, we must […]