Whether you work with little children, teenagers, or adults, you are not alone in catechetical ministry. These posts highlight stories from catechists and faith formation leaders in the field, sharing the ups and downs of their work.
For our next (and final) Confirmation Intensive, we are focusing on the Rite of Confirmation which includes the following: the Presentation of the Candidates the Bishop’s Homily the Renewal of Baptismal Promises the Laying on of Hands and the Anointing with Chrism the General Intercessions I’m currently sharing with you what I’m developing for each of these 5 elements of the Rite (the kids will experience five, 15-minute mini-sessions, one on each of the 5 elements). We […]
For our next (and final) Confirmation Intensive, we are focusing on the Rite of Confirmation which includes the following: the Presentation of the Candidates the Bishop’s Homily the Renewal of Baptismal Promises the Laying on of Hands and the Anointing with Chrism the General Intercessions I’m currently sharing with you what I’m developing for each of these 5 elements of the Rite (the kids will exerience five, 15-minute mini-sessions, one on each of the 5 elements). We […]
For our next (and final) Confirmation Intensive, we are focusing on the Rite of Confirmation, which includes the following: the Presentation of the Candidates the Bishop’s Homily the Renewal of Baptismal Promises the Laying on of Hands and the Anointing with Chrism the General Intercessions I’m currently sharing with you what I’m developing for each of these 5 elements of the Rite (the kids will exerience five, 15-minute mini-sessions, one on each of the 5 elements). We […]
For our next (and final) Confirmation Intensive, we are going to spend the evening doing some liturgical catechesis: focusing on the Rite of Confirmation which includes the following: the Presentation of the Candidates the Bishop’s Homily the Renewal of Baptismal Promises the Laying on of Hands and the Anointing with Chrism the General Intercessions Over the next week or so, I’ll share with you what I’m developing for each of these 5 elements of the […]
OK, here’s the scoop for this coming Monday’s Confirmation intensive. Now, before I share this, I want to make a disclaimer that I may have made before but bears repeating. The activity I’m about to describe to you took many hours – several days, actually – to plan. I want to make it clear that the average catechist is NOT expected to spend this much time planning sessions. Please remember that, for all intents and purposes, […]
Last night was our second Confirmation intensive (a 2-hour session made up of five 10-minute mini-sessions sandwiched in between an opening and closing session in their “homerooms.”) Thank God, things went pretty well once again. Here are the highlights: half of the kids forgot it was an intensive. When I clarified that they were staying till 9 o’clock, a half-dozen cell phones were promptly whipped out to call home to re-arrange pick-up times! the kids […]
We’re looking ahead to our next Confirmation intensive on January 5, after the Christmas break. The theme of this one is: Talk the Talk and Walk the Walk. As Confirmed Catholics, our young people will need to be able to talk about their faith. Of course, the Nicene Creed is the “alphabet” – the building blocks – of our language of faith. It is the first place to go to search for words to respond […]
Whenever he is told of good news, Fr. George Lane, S.J. (President of Loyola Press) immediately responds by saying, “Thank you, Jesus!” What a great example he sets! So, having been blessed with a successful evening for our first Confirmation intensive last night, my first response is just that: “Thank you, Jesus!” Attendance was almost perfect (the kids know by now that if they miss, there’s a make-up, and it’s usually not much fun!). The […]
Tonight is our first Confirmation intensive for our 8th graders and everything is shaping up nicely (except for the weather…frigid temps and blustery winds!). My prayer is that our young people will recognize how significant this preparation for their Confirmation is and will see it as a time of a deepening encounter with the Lord. One of the fun parts of this evening is the fact that the kids will be rotating between 5 catechists. […]
What a shame that an idiot like Hitler ruined such a good phrase: “my struggle” (of course you know that is the translation of Mein Kampf, his notorious autobiography/statement of his twisted ideology). I bring this up because I am always amazed and also amused (and of course, touched) at the fact that I get more feedback on my blog posts in which I share my struggles or moments of weakness as a catechist than […]
