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Focus on Those with Disabilities: U.S. Bishops Speak

At the most recent plenary meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Orlando, FL, the bishops approved the drafting of a new pastoral statement to address the role of persons with disabilities in the life of the Church. The U.S. bishops’ last pastoral statement on persons with disabilities was published in 1978, so this is a great opportunity to refocus attention on our brothers and sisters with disabilities and to incorporate current language […]

National Eucharistic Revival - bread and wine wheat and grapes

The Eucharistic Revival and Inclusion

Joe Paprocki

As we journey deeper into our Eucharistic Revival, let’s be mindful of our responsibility to call all of God’s people to the Table of the Lord, especially those with disabilities! Recently, the National Community of Catechetical Leaders (NCCL) hosted an online conference that focused on inclusive catechesis that engages learners of differing abilities. One session in that conference featured the work of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) and was presented by the Executive […]

Silent Prayer Circle

Kathleen Butler

I like to vary how my class prays partly to give everyone more tools in their prayer toolbox, but also because not everyone learns or prays in the same way on a given day. When I teach about the Holy Family, I teach my first-graders simple signs in sign language (ASL), which we practice together. Thanks to YouTube, you can easily teach yourself signs and phrases in ASL. I have learned how to sign “thank […]

Book Club Bonus - Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy and David and Mercedes Rizzo - Music in Family Prayer

Book Club Bonus: Music in Family Prayer

Special Contributor

Editor’s note: In our online book club, we’re reading Jane Knuth’s The Prayer List…and Other True Stories of How Families Pray. Each Tuesday through August 7, 2018, we’ll bring you Book Club Bonus Days—sharing additional stories of family prayer, continuing the weekly conversation, and more. Find all the book club posts here. My Uncle’s Song “After singing a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” (Matthew 26:30) In the midst of anguish and […]

Why Some Kids Just Can’t Sit Still—And Shouldn’t

Joe Paprocki

“Sit still!” What catechist, teacher, or parent hasn’t uttered those words to a squirmy child? Some children simply love movement and thrive on experiencing reality through bodily movement. For them, sitting still is akin to closing their eyes to a reality that they prefer to access through movement and experimentation. Their constant movement is not necessarily an inability to pay attention but is a desire to use their bodies to experience life. Experts refer to […]

All God's People - The Effective Catechetical Leader series

The End of the Catholic Bubble—One Size Does Not Fit All!

Joe Paprocki

I love sharing this blast from the past with folks! This is a picture from my childhood. (I’m the cute little guy on the right with hands folded.) Like many Catholic kids growing up in the 50s and early 60s, we often “played Mass” at home. My mom created vestments for us to play priest and a nun’s habit for my sister Ramona (back row, left) and collected “vessels” for us to use—chalice, paten, tabernacle […]

"The program's hallmark is respecting the students' dignity." - quote from story on green background

Shepherd’s Flock: One Parish’s Experience with Adaptive Catechesis

Kathleen Butler

Certainly, everyone in catechetical ministry understands that all students—including those with special needs—are called to witness the Gospel. Every parish has children whose needs may not be adequately met in the typical classroom approach to faith formation, and my parish is no different. For more than a decade, our Shepherd’s Flock program has been ministering to students with learning challenges. Some are on the autism spectrum; others have Down syndrome or other genetic disorders. The […]

Cultivating Your Catechists - The Effective Catechetical Leader series

Four Ways to Retain Catechists

Joe Paprocki

It is estimated that there are about 500,000 volunteer catechists in the United States and that, each year, one-third of them—150,000—”turn over.” I’m sure that sometimes it feels like all 150,000 catechists who leave are from your parish! The truth is, it takes a lot of hard work to retain catechists. In her new book, Cultivating Your Catechists: How to Recruit, Encourage, and Retain Successful Catechists, Jayne Ragasa-Mondoy shares four principles for retaining catechists. Support […]

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Baltimore, MD

Feeling Peace on the Feast of the Assumption of Mary

Paul Gallagher

I moved to Maryland on August 14, 1989. I left my home in California to attend grad school at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, and I was so excited to get started on this adventure. As I look back, I’m amazed at my lack of apprehension about leaving my family and friends and flying across the country. Ah, youth. Since I knew I had to find an apartment quickly, I had made a reservation at a […]

Helping Young People Understand Feasts and Holy Days of the Liturgical Year

Joe Paprocki

As we prepare to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption (August 15), I thought it would be a good opportunity to take a closer look at what holy days are all about and to help young people understand them. A good way to start is to ask young people where they may have gone on vacation and if anyone did any sightseeing at places such as the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, or an art gallery […]