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Leland Nagel – Born Into Eternal Life

It is with deep sadness that the catechetical community mourns the passing of Leland Nagel, the Executive Director of the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. Just one week ago, hundreds of members of the catechetical community gathered with Lee in St. Louis for the NCCL Conference. This weekend, Lee was visiting his brother’s family and was with them when he entered into eternal life, passing away in his sleep Sunday night/Monday morning. Here is a […]

Energize, Evangelize, Catechize: NCCL 2014 in St. Louis

Joe Paprocki

I had a very enriching experience at the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership in St. Louis this past week, mainly because of the fantastic opportunities for networking with so many talented catechetical professionals! I had the privilege of delivering 2 workshops: one on my latest book, Under the Influence of Jesus, and one on my earlier book, 7 Keys to Spiritual Wellness. Thanks to all who attended my workshops and for the great interaction and […]

A Catechist’s Self-Assessment

Joe Paprocki

With the end of most religious education program years occurring, this is a good time for catechists to do a little bit of self assessment. Feel free to use the following by yourself, with a peer or group of peers, or with your DRE. 1 = poor/I disagree 2 = fair/I somewhat disagree 3 = good/I somewhat agree 4 = excellent/I agree I became more aware of my vocation as a catechist 1 2 3 […]

End of the Year Guided Reflection for Catechists

Joe Paprocki

Several years ago, I put together a guided reflection for catechists to reflect on the catechetical year in a prayerful manner. This can be done alone or in a group setting. For your convenience, I’m re-posting it here. We often tell our learners to use their imaginations. Now it’s your turn. Use your imagination to reflect on this past year as a catechist. (Pause.) First, find a position that feels most comfortable to you. (Pause.) […]

Survey Results In

Joe Paprocki

Last evening, I surveyed my students (8 of 9 were present), asking them to indicate which activities we did this year were their most or least favorite. I compiled a list of 20 activities we did throughout the year and asked them to rate each one on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being “least favorite” and 10 being “most favorite. First, I am happy to report that NOT ONE activity of the […]

One Last Session!

Joe Paprocki

It’s hard to believe, but this Tuesday is the last session I have with my 6th graders! Where did the year go? It has been a wonderful year and I am so grateful to these 9th sixth graders for being such a great class of kids and to my wife Joanne for being the best aide ever! Our official last class is next week when we take the kids to church for Mass so this […]

Bishop David O’Connell’s 5 “i’s” For Effective Catechesis

Joe Paprocki

I mentioned that when I was in the Diocese of Trenton, NJ, last week, I was inspired by Bishop David O’Connell’s homily in which he outlined, among other things, what he considers to be 5 essential elements for effective catechesis and effective catechists. Here are his 5 “i’s” – Identity: get in touch with the Lord Jesus Christ through his Word, through prayer, through meditation, through the sacraments especially Penance and the Eucharist, through […]

This is MY Story!

Joe Paprocki

I was delighted to discover last evening that my 6th graders had retained a great deal of what we covered during the year! In essence, I really emphasized 3 main topics this year: Old Testament stories, the Ten Commandments, and the Sacraments. Last night, we did a review of the Old Testament stories and it went very nicely. Here’s a pic that sets the stage: On the board is the theme/big idea for the session […]

Tonight’s Session: What’s Your Story? “This is MY Story!”

Joe Paprocki

This evening is the last chance I have this year to review with my 6th graders so I’m going to make the most of it! Here’s my plan: Big Idea: What’s Your Story? (This is MY Story!) Preliminaries (15 mins) Collect permission forms for Ronald McDonald House Mercy Experience Go over details for the upcoming Mercy Experience Opening procession and prayer ritual Engage (20 mins) Do “What’s Your Story?” ice breaker in which you ask questions […]

Using Arts & Faith: Holy Week with Young Adults

Special Contributor

Following are suggestions for using videos from Arts & Faith: Holy Week with the young adults of your parish. Invite your group to deepen their experience of Holy Week through reflection and discussion of Palm Sunday, Holy Thursday, and Good Friday. Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion Since I’m a chronic planner, living in the present moment is always hard for me. I like to think through all the possibilities and then take the next […]