Stories from the Field Archives - Page 3 of 61

Next Up for Family Catechesis at St. Barnabas: Jesus

Our next session of Family Catechesis at St. Barnabas will take place on Sunday, October 29, as we venture into the second unit of Finding God, which focuses on Jesus. Specifically, our theme will be, “To Whom Can I Turn? Jesus: Fully Human, Fully Divine.” After our setting up of the prayer space and opening prayer, the session will begin by inviting families to discuss examples of unexpected problems or challenges that their families faced […]

family catechesis gathering - parents in conversation

Family Catechesis at St. Barnabas: Introducing the Unit on God

Joe Paprocki

Our journey into Finding God Family Catechesis at St. Barnabas Parish took its next step on Sunday, October 1, as we welcomed families to the first unit of study in Finding God, which focuses on God’s invitation and our response. Here is a summary of how things went: Once again, I arrived at 7:15 a.m. to set up my stuff for the 8 a.m. start. Patrick, the catechetical leader, had already seen to the set up […]

Patrick McGowan, the catechetical leader, addresses the group about family catechesis.

Finding God Family Catechesis Launches Successfully at St. Barnabas Parish

Joe Paprocki

Our first session of Finding God Family Catechesis at St. Barnabas Parish in Chicago launched successfully on Sunday, September 17! As I mentioned in a previous post, I am assisting the parish this year in implementing the Finding God Family Catechesis program. Here is a summary of how things went: I arrived 45 minutes early and found everything in the church hall set up meticulously by the catechetical leader, Patrick McGowan: round tables with white […]

Family Catechesis at St. Barnabas: Looking Forward to Our First Session

Joe Paprocki

I’m eagerly looking forward to the first session of Family Catechesis at St. Barnabas Parish in Chicago on September 17! As I mentioned in a previous post, I will be assisting the Director of Religious Education, Patrick McGowan, and the Pastoral Associate, Deacon Andy Neu, at the monthly gatherings at the parish. The focus of this first session will be simply “An Introduction to Finding God Family Catechesis.” Here are some particulars with regards to […]

I’m Back in the Trenches Again: Family Catechesis at St. Barnabas Parish

Joe Paprocki

Over the years that I’ve been writing this blog, Catechist’s Journey, I have served as a catechist for different age groups: intermediate (fourth and sixth grade) and junior high (eighth grade). I also have enjoyed sharing my experiences with you! Typically, I have posted my plans for upcoming sessions followed by summaries of what really happened. Eventually, my travel commitments made it too difficult to teach a weekly session, and then, of course, the pandemic […]

teens planting a tree - KidStock/Blend Images/Veer

World Youth Day: What Your Parish Can Do

Joe Paprocki

World Youth Day (WYD) is a gathering of millions of young adults, along with the pope, that takes place over the course of a week every two to four years, each time in a different country. It celebrates youth, demonstrates the universality of the Church, and is a moment of evangelization for the Church. This year, WYD is taking place in Lisbon, Portugal, August 1–6, 2023. WYD presents a great opportunity for your parish to […]

Focus on Those with Disabilities: U.S. Bishops Speak

Joe Paprocki

At the most recent plenary meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Orlando, FL, the bishops approved the drafting of a new pastoral statement to address the role of persons with disabilities in the life of the Church. The U.S. bishops’ last pastoral statement on persons with disabilities was published in 1978, so this is a great opportunity to refocus attention on our brothers and sisters with disabilities and to incorporate current language […]

Equipping Parents to Share Eucharistic Adoration with Their Children

Darcy Osby

Several years ago, I was redesigning my First Communion retreat to make it more experiential, especially the portion where I have the parents by themselves for a few moments while the children are participating in another activity. I was contemplating how I could not only teach the parents about, but also allow them to experience the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, so that they could pass that gift on to their children. […]

Catholic Teachers' Lounge with Jill and Colleen - a podcast by Catholic teachers for Catholic teachers

Catholic Teachers’ Lounge Podcast

Joe Paprocki

When I was a student at St. Ignatius College Prep, there was one room that I never explored: the teachers’ lounge. The teachers’ lounge was like a fortress or a sanctuary that no student was ever to enter (and rightly so). Several years later, when I returned to St. Ignatius to do my student teaching, I walked into the hallowed teachers’ lounge for the first time. There, to my astonishment, was my former Latin teacher, […]

Pop-Up Prayer: Guest Ana Barraza

Joe Paprocki

We continue our summer series, Pop-Up Prayer—brief interviews on the topic of prayer with prominent people in pastoral ministry from all over the country! In this episode, Ana Barraza talks about strategies for leading prayer for those with disabilities. Ana currently serves in the Diocese of Sacramento, CA, and has been involved in ministry for over 25 years as a catechist, youth minister, parish catechetical leader, music minister, retreat director, and special education teacher. Be sure […]