What is it that all DREs know about the majority of Catholic families today? They are overwhelmed by an overbooked schedule of events and work, and growing our faith is often deferred to those once-in-a-while moments when things are quiet; that is not necessarily weekend Mass. So how do we find future catechists? I propose we INVITE people to consider the call to be a catechist. I = INITIATE a conversation. Regular parent gatherings or […]
We’re a little past the halfway point of the year in my parish’s program, and in reviewing the track of lessons, I noticed that I hadn’t yet used any skits this year. Our upcoming lesson on Jesus as Teacher will change that. Session 13 in Finding God, Grade 7, focuses on Jesus the Teacher. The chapter introduces the Sermon on the Mount, particularly the Beatitudes, and Christ’s teachings about the Kingdom of God, with a […]
This is the fifth article in a series about the spiritual life of catechists, inspired by the list of characteristics in the National Directory for Catechesis. Have you ever met someone who was “on fire” for God? When you encounter someone who speaks about faith with contagious enthusiasm, that’s missionary zeal. It’s memorable—and contagious. Zeal is not a word we use much today. The dictionary defines zeal as “great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of […]
Editor’s Note: Several of our new Catechist’s Journey contributors will be familiar to those of you who read DRE Connect. Today, we share with you one article in a series by Joyce Donahue. This post originally appeared on DRE Connect. This is the fourth article in a series about the spiritual life of catechists, inspired by the list of characteristics in the National Directory for Catechesis. In the film The Blues Brothers, the main characters, […]
This is the second article in a series about the spiritual life of catechists, inspired by the list of characteristics in the National Directory for Catechesis. Have you ever encountered truly genuine people, those about whom you can say, “With (name), what you see is what you get”? That’s essential for catechists. The NDC calls this, “a coherence and authenticity of life.” It is “characterized by [the catechist’s] faithful practice of the faith in a […]
Last week, we hosted an evening of adult faith formation at St. Cajetan parish that featured 5 adults forming a panel to share their stories of faith connected with the Rosary. While the event was sparsely populated (I’ve yet to solve the mystery of getting parents to attend faith formation while their children are in class…still working on it!), a bonus feature was that the 7th grade catechist brought his students over to “listen in.” […]
Editor’s Note: Several of our new Catechist’s Journey contributors will be familiar to those of you who read DRE Connect. Today, we share with you the first article in a series by Joyce Donahue. This post originally appeared on DRE Connect. This is the first article in a series about the spiritual life of catechists, inspired by the list of characteristics in the National Directory for Catechesis. One aspect of a catechetical leader’s responsibilities is […]
Last week I announced that we’d be welcoming some new contributors to Catechist’s Journey. Today I’m happy to share with you who these new voices are and a little bit about each of them. Joyce Donahue, MA, MPS, serves as Catechetical Associate in the Diocese of Joliet Religious Education Office. A former parish DRE and liturgy director, she currently volunteers as parish catechist and musician at St. John the Baptist Parish, Joliet, IL. She blogs […]
For some years now, I have been a fan of Stephen Colbert, host of “The Colbert Report” (pronounced Col-behr Re-pohr) on Comedy Central. Colbert makes no secret of his Catholicism and uses his show, from time to time to do some unconventional catechizing. Below is one of my favorites Now, America Magazine has done a feature on Colbert titled “Truth and Truthiness: What Catholic catechists can learn from Stephen Colbert.” In short, the article emphasizes how Colbert […]
Over the course of this past week, we’ve been blessed with firsthand reports of the Pilgrimage to Italy and the International Conference for Catechesis from Dr. Joe Bound, the Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Green Bay; a man dedicated to sound catechesis. Thanks, Dr. Joe, for your excellent reports! We appreciate you taking the time to share your summaries as well as your impressions of the experience of the pilgrimage! Safe travels […]
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