Being a Catechist Archives - Page 11 of 142

Five Hints to Setting Up a Good Classroom

Deacon Larry Sutton, author of Teaching Students with Autism in a Catholic Setting, shares five of his tips for setting up a good classroom. Watch the below video for a preview of the hints, and then read the full article that inspired the video: Hints to Setting Up a Good Classroom. Looking to build your classroom library? Enter to win the Harwood Mysteries trilogy from Loyola Press. Three winners will be selected at the end […]

boy with book in classroom - photo by Polka Dot/Getty Images

Accompanying Children Back to the Classroom

Julianne Stanz

“In his proclamation of the Kingdom, Jesus seeks, encounters, and welcomes people in their concrete life situations.” Directory for Catechesis #198 While the COVID-19 pandemic is not over, many states have seen the easing of restrictions around larger gatherings, and there has been an increasing sense that life is returning to some sense of normalcy. This fall, parishes and schools will find themselves welcoming students back to class after a much-needed summer of rest and […]

Saints and S’mores

Denise Gorss

This past year inspired many catechetical leaders to use their creativity to reach out in new ways to parishioners. One success story is Laura Soldner’s summer event, Saints and S’mores. Laura is the Coordinator of Family Formation (K–6) at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Parish in Monona, WI. She shares about the program in the following interview. Denise Gorss for Catechist’s Journey: What is Saints and S’mores? Laura Soldner: Saints and S’mores is a drop-in […]

young boy at desk with questioning look and question marks behind him - photo by Ozgur Donmaz/Photodisc/Getty Images

How Do We Know if We’re Making a Difference in the Lives of Those We Teach?

Joe Paprocki

I remember once when I was teaching high school religion classes, I heard a knock at my door. It was a former student of mine who had returned to say, “Hi.” I gave my class some work to do and went to chat with the former student in the doorway for a couple of minutes. We caught up on where he was going to college and what careers he might be looking into. Then, he […]

fishing net - photo by Waldemar Brandt on Unsplash

Family Love: A Vocation and a Path to Holiness

Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy

“Family Love: A Vocation and a Path to Holiness” is the theme Pope Francis chose for the World Meeting of Families that will be held in Rome in 2022. This theme was inspired by the Pope’s exhortations Amoris Laetitia (2016) and Gaudete et Exsultate (2018). It reminds us that family love is a vocation and a way to holiness. We cannot overlook the importance of understanding and sharing the profound and redeeming significance of family […]

children packing food - photo by Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/DigitalVision/Getty Images

Engaging Our Little Ones in Service: It Is the Way

Joe Paprocki

One of the first lessons we teach our children when they begin interacting with other children is to share. Even if something belongs to them, we encourage them to share with others. To borrow a phrase from The Mandalorian: “This is the way.” Indeed, sharing with others is integral to “the way” of Christian life. We call this way of living stewardship—the sharing of our time, talent, and treasure with others. I would contend that, […]

6 Keys to a More Evangelizing Catechesis - text with mosaic tiles surrounding it

Six Keys to a More Evangelizing Catechesis: Entering Through Their Door

Joe Paprocki

Welcome to our final installment of Six Keys to a More Evangelizing Catechesis, as we look at the notion of “entering through their door” and focus on using technology in faith formation. St. Ignatius of Loyola said that, when teaching or speaking to a group, it is always best to “enter through their door, but be sure to leave through your door.” His advice is that we need to meet learners where they are and […]

Six Keys to a More Evangelizing Catechesis: Experiences of Sharing God’s Mercy

Joe Paprocki

We continue with our series exploring six keys to making our faith formation experiences more evangelizing by focusing on key #5: experiences of sharing God’s mercy. Scripture tells us that faith without works is dead. (James 2:14–17) Likewise, Jesus’ Parable of the Last Judgment (Matthew 25) tells us that we will be judged on our love for others. If we truly want to touch the hearts and minds of those we teach, we need to engage […]

Six Keys to a More Evangelizing Catechesis: Spirituality and Prayer

Joe Paprocki

We continue exploring six keys to making our faith formation experiences more evangelizing by looking at the importance of spirituality and prayer. It is my contention that too many of us have grown up with a notion of God as a powerful, angry being who is to be feared—much as Dorothy and her companions trembled as they approached the Wizard in the classic movie, The Wizard of Oz, to ask for a favor. Or, we […]

Six Keys to a More Evangelizing Catechesis: Tradition

Joe Paprocki

We continue our series exploring six keys to making our faith formation experiences more evangelizing by focusing on key #3, which is Tradition. When we form relationships with other people, we ask them to reveal things about themselves (as we do about ourselves)—where they were born, what kind of work they do, what their hobbies are, what kind of family they have, what kind of music, sports, or other forms of entertainment they enjoy most, […]