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Take a Deep Breath in May

The month of May might just be one of my favorite times of the catechetical year. May provides an opportunity for DREs to take a deep breath, a momentary pause between the conclusion of the school year and the beginning of the summer. We delight in empty classrooms and suddenly open calendars. We return supplies to their places, clean out the clutter, and organize the paperwork. After all the Easter celebrations, May Crownings, First Communions, […]

Jesus: Not What the Church Teaches but Who the Church Lives

Julianne Stanz

“But how do we know Jesus was an actual person and not just made up?” John, one of my tenth-grade students, asked. “I know what the Bible says, but do we have any other evidence?” As catechists we are often asked this kind of question, and it can catch us by surprise. The temptation when faced with a question like this is to offer a standard response such as, “Well, the Catholic Church teaches us […]

Preparing for First Holy Communion

Cindy Coleman

Every year, the number one question from my second graders as they prepare for First Holy Communion is, “Mrs. Coleman, what does it taste like? My brother said it tastes like paper.” My typical response to this concern is, “Does your brother often eat paper?” My concerns as a catechist are a bit different than the children’s. The closer we get to First Eucharist, the more I worry: Are they ready? Do they truly understand? […]

Saint Peter: Flawed, Forgiven, and Faithful by Stephen Binz

Fishing for Men and Women

Special Contributor

If Jesus wanted to choose the ideal person to lead his church into the future, where would he look for such a person? We might suppose he could find such a person in Jerusalem, among the priests of the temple or perhaps among the educated and talented nobles of the city. Yet the person Jesus called for the task was not found among the religious leaders or the noble families of the capitol city. Simon […]

Holy Week: Entering the Passion Story

Joe Paprocki

As we journey through this holiest of weeks, and especially the Triduum, I invite you to reflect and respond to one or both of the following questions: Which character(s) in the Passion story do you find most intriguing (whether they are inspiring or tragic) and why? If you could paint a picture or create a sculpture of one moment in the story of Christ’s Passion, what would it be and why? I invite you to […]

Story, Art, and Prayer in Holy Week

Denise Gorss

Holy Week presents a perfect opportunity for catechists to change what might be the usual format for the session and create a retreat-like atmosphere to explore themes from this climax of the liturgical year. I do that in my seventh-grade classroom by focusing on several prayer experiences and activities aimed at helping the young people grasp the story of Jesus’ Passion and Death. I’ve written before about Preparing for Holy Week in Junior High, but […]

Living the Liturgical Seasons at Home: Easter

Living the Triduum and the Easter Season

Joyce Donahue

The high point of the liturgical year starts with the Triduum and continues throughout the 50 days of the Easter season. We can use this time to reflect on how we live the Paschal Mystery. Here are some ideas to incorporate the Triduum and the Easter season into everyday life. Make the Triduum count. Be present in the liturgical celebrations of the Triduum, from sundown on Holy Thursday until sundown on Easter Sunday. Holy Week […]

How to Be a More Evangelizing Catechist #8: Build and Deepen Commitment

Joe Paprocki

Many advertisements not only entice you to purchase a product, but they invite you to re-prioritize your life around an idea. Some of the best examples of this are diet plans, which are no longer just about losing a few pounds but are about adopting a new lifestyle. When I stroll into the kitchen at Loyola Press during lunch time, I see numerous people meticulously preparing their dishes according to the philosophy and strategy of […]

Saint Paul by Bartolomeo Montagna (cropped)

Saint Paul and How to Evangelize in the 21st Century

Joe Paprocki

By now, you are probably aware of a new movie about to be released: Paul, Apostle of Christ, starring James Faulkner as St. Paul and Jim Caviezel as St. Luke. The movie, to be released next week, is rated PG-13 and tells the story of how “two men struggle against a determined emperor and the frailties of the human spirit in order to live out the Gospel of Jesus.” (IMDB) As happened when the Church celebrated […]

Visual Stimulation for Those Children Who Hear “Wah-Wah-Wah-Wah”

Joe Paprocki

I’m sure you are familiar with the sound depiction of adults speaking in any of the Charlie Brown cartoons—a sound created by a trombone similar to “wah-wah-wah-wah.” For some visual learners, this is what a teacher’s voice can sound like. As a visual learner myself, I realize that often when I am listening to instructions, at some point the voice does indeed sound like the trombone-noise from a Charlie Brown cartoon! What does it mean […]