Catechetical Issues & Topics Archives - Page 70 of 70

Catholics are Environmentalists

What does the environment have to do with being a Catholic catechist? Plenty! The Catholic Conservation Center reminds us that “long before the current ecological movement developed, saints taught respect for all of God’s Creation.” The Center goes on to say: Since its inception, the Church has instructed us on the proper dominion and stewardship of Creation. This wisdom is made known to us through sacred Scripture, the living Tradition of the Church, the message […]

St. Ignatius of Loyola – A Catechist

Joe Paprocki

Today is the feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola. When we talk about Ignatius, we tend to focus on either spirituality, missionary work, or higher education. What is often lost in all of this is the fact that Ignatius was a catechist! He and his followers regularly gathered children in the churches and squares of Rome to offer instruction on the basics of Christianity. So on this feast of St. Ignatius, we renew our […]

May – The Month of Mary

Joe Paprocki

I remember with great fondness the May Crownings of my childhood…nothing said “spring is here” more powerfully than a good May Crowning. Are May Crownings passe? Hopefully not. As catechists, a May Crowning is a good opportunity for us to help those we teach understand that Catholics do not worship Mary but rather honor her. May Crownings may be considered out of date by some but, with the proper catechesis, they can continue to be […]

Reflecting on the Year

Joe Paprocki

Many of us catechists are either finished or close to wrapping up the “year” in religious education. This is a good time to reflect on this past year, asking the Lord to help us learn and grow from the experience. Here is a reflection you may want to use to review your past year. (I’ve written it in such a way that it is best read aloud by an individual who is leading others in […]

Silence is Golden

Joe Paprocki

I mentioned the other day that for the beginning of Advent, I invited the kids to pray in silence at the start of class. A friend of mine who used to be a 6th grade catechist remarked, “Oh, that’s the way I prayed with them almost all of the time.” I thought that was very refreshing. We sometimes think of prayer as a space that we have to fill up with words, when what we […]

The Kids Can Pray

Joe Paprocki

I think that kids have a natural ability to pray and that they especially like reflective prayer. When Patti (my co-catechist) and I lead the young people in a guided reflection, they become very peaceful and seem to relish the time alone with their thoughts and with God. After one of our reflections, I told the young people that another word for reflective prayer is meditation. They were pretty impressed that they were learning how […]