The Spiritual Life of Catechists, Part 5: Missionary Zeal

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 […]

How to Host Parish Small Faith Groups, Part 1

During these past few months, as I’ve begun exploring the world of adult faith formation, I have become convinced that one of the key principles of AFF is that it is most effective when it is relational. In other words, we can’t simply gather adults and talk at them—they need to talk to one another! With that in mind, I am proud and excited to launch a series here on Catechist’s Journey that will lay […]

Connecting with Christ: Fostering Relationships in Catechesis

Social media is a part of everyday life. According to the Pew Research Internet Project, 74% of adults who are online report using social networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter. More interestingly, the data show that people who use Facebook get more support from their social ties and are half as likely to be socially isolated as the average American. The data also show that social networking sites such as Facebook revive […]

Adults Sharing Faith – Kids Listen In

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.” […]

A Week on the East Coast

I enjoyed a wonderful week on the east coast last week, spending Monday and Tuesday in the Diocese of Wilmington, DE, and Wednesday through Friday on the Jersey Shore with the parish catechetical leaders of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia! Thanks to all for a wonderful time and for your great energy, creativity, and dedication to the catechetical ministry! Here are some pics:

Responsiveness

Recently, I stopped by a parish to see a staff member. The receptionist greeted me warmly, inquired how she could be of help, contacted the staff member, and then invited me to have a seat until he was available. Then, she did something that I’ve never exprienced in all my years of visiting parish offices and rectories. She asked if I wanted something to drink! I was indeed thirsty and requested a glass of water […]

Men’s Spirituality

Last week, I had the pleasure of sitting in on the Men’s Spirituality group at St. Barnabas parish. This initiative began as a follow up to the parish’s Men’s Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP) and meets once per month under the direction of the Associate Pastor, Fr. John Hetland. From what I’m told, different guys come and go but in general about a dozen gather each month. There was an enthusiastic group of 9 on […]

Inviting Zacchaeus to Come Down from the Tree

A HUGE part of forming disciples is inviting people to take the next step (there is ALWAYS a next step!). Throughout Scripture, we see Jesus inviting people to take the next step in their faith journey. One such story is of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) and we see how this invitation was life-changing for him. Many of us in ministry can recall how our lives have changed because of an invitation. Here is a picture of […]

“Meet the Staff” Day at St. Barnabas!

Today I had the pleasure of meeting with the staff at St. Barnabas Parish in Chicago where I will be assisting in adult faith formation! They were very warm and welcoming and we enjoyed spending about an hour together during which time I introduced myself to them and articulated my goals for working with them on adult catechesis and reporting on my blog. We then engaged in some give and take as they asked some […]

Blog Tour First Stop: KarenBeattie.net

So I’ve hit the (cyber) road this week for my blog tour to spread the word about my latest book, Under the Influence of Jesus: The Transforming Experience of Encountering Christ. My first stop is Karen Beattie’s blog. Here’s how Karen describes herself: When I was a child, growing up in the middle of the Iowa prairie, my father read poetry to me before bedtime. He taught me a love for well-written words and literature, […]

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