Teaching Skills Archives - Catechist's Journey

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Promoting Catholic Identity, Part 5: An Attitude of Faith and Hope

This is the fifth and final article in a series on the five characteristics of Catholic identity and how we can nurture those in our children. In his apostolic exhortation The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis cautions Catholics against becoming “sourpusses” (85). Pessimism and defeatism are not Catholic attitudes. We are people of Easter joy because of our confidence in the Resurrection. Our attitudes are rooted in our identity, so as we help our […]

Promoting Catholic Identity, Part 4: A Reverence for Scripture and Tradition

Darcy Osby

This is the fourth article in a series on the five characteristics of Catholic identity and how we can nurture those in our children. An important part in developing our Catholic identity is fostering a deep appreciation for the source of the knowledge of our faith. The Catholic Church recognizes that God’s Revelation comes to us in two ways: Scripture and Tradition. Many children may not get an experience of Bible passages in context, as […]

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Promoting Catholic Identity, Part 3: A Respect for Human Life

Darcy Osby

This is the third article in a series on the five characteristics of Catholic identity and how we can nurture those in our children. We teach children to love and serve others, but do we ever explain why? Service is not just something nice to do; it is an important piece of our Catholic identity. We believe that every human life is sacred, because each person is created and loved by God. Therefore we are […]

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Promoting Catholic Identity, Part 2: A Commitment to Community

Darcy Osby

This is the second article in a series on the five characteristics of Catholic identity and how we can nurture those in our children. Children often see “church” as a pretty building to which they go to pray. They often are unaware that the Church is first and foremost a community of people. Jesus told us, “For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20). Together, we […]

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Promoting Catholic Identity, Part 1: A Sense of Sacramentality

Darcy Osby

The purpose of our catechesis is not simply to teach facts about the Catholic faith, but to pass on the Catholic faith. It is not enough for our children to know about Catholicism or go through the motions of being Catholic without identifying themselves as Catholic. Our identity is the orientation of our lives, our sense of who we are and our place in the world. If we want our children to fall in love […]

The Evangelizing Catechist: A Webinar with Joe Paprocki

Joe Paprocki

It’s that time of the year when many catechists—both new and veteran—are gearing up for a new year of faith formation! To help catechists more effectively proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ and truly transform hearts and minds, I am excited to offer a free webinar: The Evangelizing Catechist, on Tuesday, August 16, 2022, at 2:00 p.m. (CDT). In this webinar, I’ll be drawing from my book, Preparing Hearts and Minds: 9 Simple Ways […]

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Helping Children to Cope with Violence and Tragedy—Again

Joe Paprocki

This year, we are marking the 15th anniversary of this blog, Catechist’s Journey. Sadly, within the first year of the blog’s creation, I found myself writing a post about helping children to cope with news about a mass shooting at Virginia Tech. A year later, I posted in the wake of a mass shooting at Northern Illinois University. Several years later, I posted again, as a result of the Newton mass shooting. Once again, within […]

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The Little Red-Haired Boy

Eileen Morgan

I was sitting at my desk after checking in on each of the faith formation classes. An aide from the first grade came into the office with a young boy. He had bright red hair, freckles, and a scowl that said he knew he was in trouble. The aide told me that she and the catechist had tried everything to get this boy to behave in class—time out, sitting with the aide, making sure they […]

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Helping Young People See a Path by Setting Goals

Joe Paprocki

I have long-argued that one of the problems with how we form people in faith is that we don’t present Catholicism as a “spiritual path.” Too often, we present it as a set of doctrines to adhere to or simply a way of belonging to a group of like-minded people. This explains why so many young people end up being attracted by New Age movements or Eastern religions that present themselves as a spiritual path […]

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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 […]