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Pop-Up Catechesis: Praying the Acts of Faith, Hope, and Love

In the movie Ghost, Sam (Patrick Swayze) never says the words, “I love you” to Molly (Demi Moore), instead opting for the response, “Ditto.” His inability to say the words, “I love you,” cause Molly to question Sam’s commitment to their relationship. She rightly wants him to say the words as an action that confirms his commitment to her. The truth is, some words we speak are “efficacious,” which means that speaking the words achieves […]

St. Barnabas Family Catechesis: Learning About Catholic Identity

Joe Paprocki

Yesterday, we had our March session of Finding God family catechesis, and our topic was Catholic identity (part of Finding God Unit 3, which focuses on the topic of Church). We had a very good session! Here are some highlights: We welcomed back Patrick McGowan, our catechetical leader, after a medical leave. Patrick remained with me to do the parent session since Deacon Andy was unavailable. One of the catechists stepped in to Patrick’s usual […]

Serie de formación catequética de Loyola Press

Catechetical Formation Series Now Available in Spanish

Joe Paprocki

I am very excited to announce that our popular online formation and training experience for catechists, the Catechetical Formation Series, is now available in Spanish! Introducing Serie de formación catequética! The Catechetical Formation Series is a program I developed for Loyola Press to provide basic training and formation for catechists in the areas of being, knowing, and doing. As the program grew in popularity, along with that came requests for a Spanish version. To guide […]

Catechists as Echoes of Love - microphone image

Catechists as Echoes (Part II): Echoes of Love

Julianne Stanz

This article is the second in a series about the word catechist, which comes from the Greek word, “to echo.” Choosing a name for a child or yourself is one of the most important choices that we make in life. Behind a name might lie a family story or a connection to a person of influence. A person’s name might have been inspired by an experience or a specific place. We receive a name generally […]

St. Barnabas Family Catechesis: Getting Ready for Lent

Joe Paprocki

This past Sunday, I facilitated the family catechesis session at St. Barnabas, as we prepared to enter the season of Lent in just a few short days. I have to say that this was one of the most fulfilling adult faith experiences of my long career, namely because of the high level of engagement and interest on the part of the parents and grandparents throughout this session! I felt inspired by the Holy Spirit the […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: Practicing the Virtue of Prudence

Joe Paprocki

“What were you thinking?” Many of us have been on the receiving end of this question, most likely when we were children and our parents asked us this question after we had done something stupid. The question assumes the answer: “You obviously were not thinking!” Prudence is the habit of thinking before acting. This flies in the face of today’s mentality of “Just do it!” While there is something to be said for spontaneity, some […]

Catechists as Echoes of Hope - microphone image

Catechists as Echoes (Part I): Echoes of Hope

Julianne Stanz

The word catechist comes from the Greek word “to echo.” As catechists, we echo the teachings of the Church. We also echo our own personal relationship with Jesus Christ through our words and deeds. This series of articles will look at the ministry of catechesis through the lens of the word echo. We will explore what it means to be a catechist who echoes hope, love, truth, and mercy. First, we begin with four characteristics […]

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Family Catechesis at St. Barnabas: Preparing for Lent

Joe Paprocki

Our next family catechesis session at St. Barnabas takes place on February 4, just ten days before Lent begins. (Ash Wednesday is February 14!) So it makes sense that our topic for that day will be Lent, Holy Week, and Easter. Here are a few thoughts about this upcoming session: This will be the first time I’m with the parents since December when we covered Advent. Our January session was a safe-environment session for the […]

Guided Reflection on the Celebration of Confirmation

Joe Paprocki

It’s helpful to take some time after a celebration of Confirmation to reflect on the actions of the Rite and to help the newly confirmed recognize the graces experienced in the sacrament. At a gathering sometime soon after the Confirmation Mass, lead young people in a guided reflection to process their experience of the sacrament. Prepare to share the reflection by reading it through ahead of time. During the session you may wish to use […]

Lent: A Less-Jolting Wake-Up Call

Joe Paprocki

Most wake-up calls are not pleasant. I’m talking about the kind of wake-up calls associated with having a heart attack, getting pulled over for DUI, losing a job you thought you’d have forever, losing a loved one, experiencing a financial loss, or having a close relative or friend attempt suicide. Such wake-up calls are a kick in the gut that compel us to pause and reflect on our lives and consider making significant changes in […]