After all of the VIRTUAL walking we did on the first several days of our VIRTUAL pilgrimage to Italy, my VIRTUAL feet were a tad tired! It was nice to sit yesterday at the International Conference for Catechists and to soak up so much wisdom concerning the catechetical ministry. Wasn’t Pope Francis wonderful? I love his comment about not keeping Jesus to ourselves lest we become like statues in a wax museum “and we have […]
Up to this point, our VIRTUAL Pilgrimage to Italy has been filled with lots of sight-seeing which has been wonderful. Today, things get a little different as we jump headlong into the International Conference for Catechesis, the centerpiece of this whole experience to mark the Year of Faith with an emphasis on catechesis. Here’s our itinerary for the day (be sure to bring a notebook and pen with you…looks like lots of opportunities to take […]
I hope you have your virtual bags packed and your virtual tickets in hand as we get ready to embark on a VIRTUAL Pilgrimage to Italy, beginning Monday, September 23! As part of the Year of Faith, Pope Francis is hosting a Day for Catechists at the Vatican during the last week of September, 2013, culminating in the International Conference of Catechesis. A delegation of religious educators will be attending via a pilgrimage sponsored by […]
As part of the Year of Faith, Pope Francis is hosting a Day for Catechists at the Vatican during the last week of September, 2013, culminating in the International Conference of Catechesis. A delegation of religious educators will be attending via a pilgrimage sponsored by the NCEA as well as other organizations from September 23 through September 30, 2013. For those of us unable to attend in person, I thought I would offer the opportunity […]
In a general audience in August, 2011, Pope Benedict spoke of the importance of art in the life of faith, saying that artistic beauty can lead the human heart to God. “Art is capable of making visible our need to go beyond what we see and it reveals our thirst for infinite beauty, for God,” said the Holy Father. Whether you consider yourself an artist or not, we are all drawn to beauty. In fact, […]
On this Columbus Day, it seems appropriate to talk about the New Evangelization. Why? Because the treks of Christopher Columbus and his contemporaries epitomize the “old” evangelization: the quest to bring the Gospel to foreign lands. For many centuries, evangelization was thought of as something relegated to missionaries who traveled to faraway exotic lands to convert pagans. Today, we are in need of a New Evangelization – an effort that includes ALL Catholics in “re-proposing” […]
Don’t miss the free Webinar I’m offering on Tuesday, August 28, 2012 (7:00 pm CDT), “Teaching During a Year of Faith!” Details are below. A recording of the Webinar will be available here on my blog within a week of the live event for those of you who cannot participate on Tuesday evening. In the meantime, here is a Note Taking Sheet that you can download and use during the Webinar to help you keep […]
I’m very proud to announce that my book, Practice Makes Catholic is a finalist for the Excellence in Publishing Awards given by the Association of Catholic Pubishers in the category of Resources for Ministry. I’m honored to receive such consideration and am very proud of this book which is being used by so many people in parish ministry, especially in the areas of catechist formation, RCIA, and general adult formation. I’m also proud to be […]
Here are links to the various Lenten resources that we have to offer. We hope they are helpful to you as we journey together through this holy season! Resources to Download 7 Ways to Practice Lent—Free eBook Lent with the Saints Lenten Actions Cards A Whole Bunch of Values Lenten Countdown for Children Lent Activities Pack Stations of the Cross Booklet Praying with the Stations of the Cross—With Station to Station Questions for Reflection and […]
Many parish religious education programs host something called a “teaching Mass” which is a Mass during which the priest catechizes about the various parts and aspects of the Mass. Here’s an example. And another. I understand the thinking behind doing a teaching Mass and I applaud pastors and catechetical leaders who are doing all they can to teach about the Mass. We want children and families to have a better understanding of the liturgy which […]
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