Newsworthy

Today, catechists not only have excellent catechetical textbooks placed in their hands, but they also have access to quality Websites offered by the various publishers where additional resources can be accessed. The nice thing is, for many of these resources, you don’t have to be using that particular publisher’s textbook to gain access to. (Of course users of that publisher’s textbook have access to even more). Be sure to visit these Websites for quality resources […]

Yesterday, I received a letter from my DRE reminding us about our first catechist meeting on August 27. In the letter, she included the following which I thought I’d share with you. Gifts for you to give to your students: CARE – Before beginning your planned lesson, ask your students about their week and how they’re doing. Listen carefully and caringly. HOPE – Tell your students about the good things that are going on in […]

The other day, I wrote about leading children in reflective prayer or meditation. People often ask just what this “looks like.” I thought it would be helpful to share an example. The following guided reflection is from Finding God: Our Response to God’s Gifts, Grade 5 (Loyola Press): Called to Holiness Time: approximately 10 minutes We all have imagination. Imagination allows us to go places and to do things that might otherwise be impossible. Today […]

A DRE in the northern suburbs of Chicago, Matt Furjanic, published a nice article in his parish bulletin titled “Top 10 Ways to Help Your Child Get the Most of His/Her Religious Education Sessions.” Nice job, Matt! Take an active interest in your child’s work – review lessons together, look in your child’s folder each week when he/she brings it home. Help your child complete any homework assignments. Post papers/artwork on the refrigerator or bulletin […]

I’ve been reminding my young adult audiences at Theology on Tap that, according to the Code of Canon Law, they have a right to sound catechesis! All too often, young adults (and for that matter, adults in general) are neglected when it comes to offering catechesis which is to be a lifelong endeavor and not relegated to a childhood experience. Many young adults are surprised to discover that catechesis is their right according to canon law. […]

I doubt that the average catechist is going to read Sacramentum Caritatis (The Sacrament of Charity), Pope Benedict XVI’s Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation on the Eucharist. For one, the document is nearly 27,000 words long. For another, most catechists and average Catholics for that matter don’t make a habit of reading Apostolic Exhortations. For the most part, it is a beautifully written document, presenting the truths about the Eucharist in language that speaks to our times. […]

Today is Good Shepherd Sunday. The image of the Good Shepherd is often depicted in stained-glass windows and on holy cards, showing Jesus in spotless white robes holding a lamb. Nice image but not at all realistic. Shepherds are the equivalent of cowboys in the Old West. They are rough and gritty, working under often difficult conditions to tend to cattle. I offer this image, not to dismiss the Good Shepherd image, but to re-visit […]

In recent years, many catechists are finding themselves involved in teaching over the summer in “Vacation Bible School,” once a phenomenon found fairly exclusively in Protestant circles. Several Catholic versions of VBS exist and other creative DREs have found ways to adapt Protestant VBS to Catholic settings. I’ve not been involved in VBS although I think its a great idea. The parish where I serve as a catechist has run a very successful VBS for […]

We’ve all heard the phrase, “Seeing is believing.” This is pretty much what the apostle Thomas was saying in response to the other apostles who had encountered the Risen Lord. Thomas wanted and needed something tangible to put his faith in. In many ways, Thomas is symbolic of the age we live in. More and more, people are putting their faith and trust into that which is material and tangible. Pope Benedict XVI addresses this […]

Happy Easter to all! I was overwhelmed at the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday at the Gospel Acclamation which was so joyful and thunderous. It occurred to me that we have no secrets as Christians. What we have is mystery but we PROCLAIM it loudly to the world. As catechists, we do not pass on a secret…we proclaim the mystery of faith revealed to us in the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. This is […]