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The Three Rs of Our Salvation Narrative: #1 Rescue

One of the goals of the New Evangelization is to simplify—without making simplistic—the central message of the Gospel so that it is accessible to all. A person shouldn’t have to be a theologian to understand the Good News! With that in mind, I have summarized the gist of our salvation narrative in three words: rescue, restoration, and reassurance. This is the heart of the kerygma—the primary proclamation of the Gospel. Through the life, teachings, miracles, […]

colorful craft sticks - image by deborahmiller56 on Pixabay

Gratitude Sticks

Kathleen Butler

My students are a little different each year. Several years ago, my first graders all had something to say in our prayer circle. The next year’s class was much quieter (except for a fidgety few). When I saw a variation of a pick-up sticks game on social media in which players named things they were grateful for, my creative wheels started turning! I quickly had an idea to get my quieter-than-normal group to speak up […]

Saint Brigid of Kildare painting - photo by Glaaaastonbury88 used under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

The Saints as Missionary Disciples: St. Brigid

Julianne Stanz

This is part three of a series exploring saints who lived as missionary disciples. Often called “Mary of the Gael,” St. Brigid of Ireland is one of Ireland’s most beloved saints and was an important part of my life growing up in Ireland. The parish church in my hometown is called St. Brigid Parish, and we celebrated her feast day on February 1 by making St. Brigid’s crosses and welcoming the coming spring. Much of […]

Preparing Prayer Experiences That Are Authentically Catholic

Joe Paprocki

One thing that many catechists struggle with is how to prepare and lead a simple prayer experience in a faith formation setting. Too often, we find ourselves searching the Internet for an inspirational poem or quote that speaks to the occasion, and we end up reciting that as the prayer while everyone else listens. While such poems or quotes may indeed be inspirational, it is important that our prayer experiences are authentically Catholic. That doesn’t […]

red-haired boy - image by Adina Voicu from Pixabay

The Little Red-Haired Boy

Eileen Morgan

I was sitting at my desk after checking in on each of the faith formation classes. An aide from the first grade came into the office with a young boy. He had bright red hair, freckles, and a scowl that said he knew he was in trouble. The aide told me that she and the catechist had tried everything to get this boy to behave in class—time out, sitting with the aide, making sure they […]

being knowing and doing - text on stained glass background

Forming Catechists, Part One: Being

Joe Paprocki

Early autumn, which coincides with the beginning of many religious education programs, is a good time to pay attention to forming catechists—especially those who are new to the ministry and are eager to learn the knowledge and skills needed to proclaim the Good News effectively! With that in mind, we’re going to take a closer look at the three dimensions of catechist formation: Being, Knowing, and Doing. These will ensure that your catechists are fully […]

Celebrate the Year of St. Joseph - text next to image of Joseph at work as carpenter

How Our Parish Is Celebrating the Year of Saint Joseph

Laura Soldner

When Pope Francis declared the Year of Saint Joseph, his aim was to “to increase our love for this great saint, to encourage us to implore his intercession and to imitate his virtues and his zeal.” (Patris Corde) Even though restrictions were still being implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we challenged ourselves as a parish staff to honor our Patron of the Catholic Church. We began celebrating the Year of Saint Joseph on his […]

Pop-Up Catechesis: A Walk Through the Mass—The Readings

Joe Paprocki

We continue our series, A Walk Through the Mass, today focusing on the Scripture readings of the Liturgy of the Word. What do you see when you look in the mirror? I’m talking beyond physical appearance. The truth is, too many of us see someone who is worthless, unlovable, shameful, inferior, untalented, unreliable, uninteresting, undeserving, or incapable of happiness. And it doesn’t help that we live in a culture that tells us that in order to be […]

The Fire of Eden Word Search - game to accompany the Harwood Mysteries

Summer Reading for Young People and Growing Imaginations

Joe Paprocki

Summer is a wonderful time for young people to get plenty of outdoor exercise as they grow physically. It’s important to remember that they are growing mentally, emotionally, and spiritually as well. With that in mind, summer is a great time to help young people exercise their imaginations! One of the most effective ways of exercising one’s imagination is through reading good literature. This is especially important in our times, when it can be tempting […]

children packing food - photo by Jose Luis Pelaez Inc/DigitalVision/Getty Images

Engaging Our Little Ones in Service: It Is the Way

Joe Paprocki

One of the first lessons we teach our children when they begin interacting with other children is to share. Even if something belongs to them, we encourage them to share with others. To borrow a phrase from The Mandalorian: “This is the way.” Indeed, sharing with others is integral to “the way” of Christian life. We call this way of living stewardship—the sharing of our time, talent, and treasure with others. I would contend that, […]