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Faith Formation Programs

Loyola Press serves the Catholic community by offering resources that support faith formation for children and the people who guide them. Providing programs in digital and print versions, in English and bilingual, we are committed to partnering with and supporting all those in ministry with friendly, flexible, and comprehensive tools for learning. Learn more about curriculum products, resources for serving children with special needs, and adult faith formation books and online tools from Loyola Press. […]

Loyola Press Opening Doors Award

Joe Paprocki

The Loyola Press Opening Doors Award honors a parish community that demonstrates a spirit of belonging and engagement practices that facilitate the meaningful participation of people with disabilities in all aspects of their parish community. Resources like Adaptive Finding God help welcome all of God’s children into the life of the Church; we want to hear about your programs too. The winning parish will receive a plaque as well as a monetary award to be […]

The Six Tasks of Catechesis #6: Missionary Initiation, or Evangelizing our Faith

Special Contributor

The last of the Six Tasks of Catechesis is missionary initiation, or in terms of the remembering phrase HELP ME, evangelizing our faith. Here’s how our bishops explain this task: “The ‘world’ thus becomes the place and the means for the lay faithful to fulfill their Christian vocation. Catechesis seeks to help the disciples of Christ to be present in society precisely as believing Christians who are able and willing to bear witness to their […]

Reading Ahead and Preparing for the Year to Come

Shannon Chisholm

Each summer I like to dedicate my office time towards a specific project. Last summer I opted to cozy up with the catechist’s books and become really familiar with the curriculum. Though I have taught much of the material in previous years, I wanted to have a more intimate understanding of our textbooks and the subjects that my students would cover. At my parish the DRE traditionally dictates which chapters should be taught each week. […]

At Home with Jesus the Teacher

Joe Paprocki

It’s not a surprise that the “Jesus the Teacher” figure created by Loyola Press as part of the Adaptive Finding God program for children with special needs has been quite a hit! What’s so impressive are some of the creative ideas that our Loyola Press customers have come up with for using the Jesus the Teacher figure with children and families. One customer shares that she has arranged for every child in her class to take […]

Adaptive Finding God Is Here

Joe Paprocki

Parents of children with special needs desire with all their hearts to help their children enter fully into the faith experience, prepare for the sacraments, and live their lives as participating members of the Catholic Church. Loyola Press is proud to help make this a reality by providing the Adaptive Finding God Program! Adaptive Finding God (grades 1-8) is the foremost program of its kind, offering faith formation for children with special needs, and is […]

Autism, the Holy Father, and Loyola Press

Joe Paprocki

Recently, Pope Francis hosted a three-day conference at the Vatican (sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Health) titled “The Person with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Animating Hope.” Over 600 experts from nearly 60 countries gathered with several hundred parents and children affected by autism. Loyola Press was proudly represented by Tom McGrath (Author, Speaker, Vice President for New Product Development) and Joellyn Cicciarelli (Director of Curricula Development), both of whom are intimately involved in the development of […]

Filming for Adaptive Finding God Video – A Star Is Born (And It’s Not Me!)

Joe Paprocki

Last weekend, I had the distinct privilege of spending the day filming for a training DVD for the new Adaptive Finding God Program which will be available in January, 2015! This resource is the foremost program of its kind, offering faith formation for children with special needs, adaptable to a variety of settings and situations. For more information about the Adaptive Finding God Program, click here. Here is the truck from the film crew…they needed […]

A Catechist’s Self-Assessment

Joe Paprocki

With the end of most religious education program years occurring, this is a good time for catechists to do a little bit of self assessment. Feel free to use the following by yourself, with a peer or group of peers, or with your DRE. 1 = poor/I disagree 2 = fair/I somewhat disagree 3 = good/I somewhat agree 4 = excellent/I agree I became more aware of my vocation as a catechist 1 2 3 […]

End of the Year Guided Reflection for Catechists

Joe Paprocki

Several years ago, I put together a guided reflection for catechists to reflect on the catechetical year in a prayerful manner. This can be done alone or in a group setting. For your convenience, I’m re-posting it here. We often tell our learners to use their imaginations. Now it’s your turn. Use your imagination to reflect on this past year as a catechist. (Pause.) First, find a position that feels most comfortable to you. (Pause.) […]