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Catechists in Action – RCIA Participant Shares Moving Insight

In this segment of Catechists in Action, Marge Garbacz prepares to move on to the next segment of the RCIA discussion on Human Dignity but pauses to invite a participant to share a thought. Watch for the following: Marge notices that one of the participants looks like he wanted to say something so she interrupts herself and invites him to do so. Mauricio, one of the RCIA candidates, shares his thoughts on the idea of […]

9/11 Prayers for Peace

Joe Paprocki

I received the following from Jennifer about what her class did on 9/11 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the tragedy and to pray for peace. Great job, Jennifer! Joe, I thought you might appreciate what my 8th grade CCD class did on September 11. I’ve copied the email sent to their parents. I’m so proud of them. Thanks, too, for The Catechist’s Toolbox and recent webinar on teaching jr. high classes which have been great […]

40 Ideas for 40 Days – Lenten Activities: CRS Rice Bowl

Joe Paprocki

Here we go with your next Lenten activity! Note: In 2013, Operation Rice Bowl was renamed CRS Rice Bowl by Catholic Relief Services. CRS Rice Bowl Bring in 100 pennies and place them on a table in the center of the group. Tell the young people to imagine that these pennies represent all of the earth’s resources and wealth. Ask for 10 volunteers to represent the world’s population. Divide the pennies in the following manner (according to […]

More On Batman

Joe Paprocki

Here is an email from a DRE in the northern suburbs of Chicago, writing about how he uses Batman Begins to teach Catholic Social Teaching! Joe: I appreciated your post on the Dark Knight (although I did not read it in detail, since I have not yet seen the movie, and I’m trying to avoid spoilers!) I use the previous movie (Batman Begins) as a way of pointing out themes in Catholic social teaching. For […]

More About the Church's Catechetical Documents

Joe Paprocki

The other day, I offered some quotes and reflective questions on the Church’s catechetical documents. I thought it might be good to follow-up with a little annotated bibliography of sorts, describing just what these various documents are about. In the weeks before many religious education prorgrams begin, you may want to read one or several of these documents (the shorter ones of course…if you wanted to read the Catechism, the General Directory for Catechesis or […]

“Greatest Hits” from Church Catechetical Documents

Joe Paprocki

Whether you are a beginning catechist or a returning catechist, it is good to be familiar with the Church’s documentary tradition when it comes to catechesis. Over the years, the Church has provided us with numerous resources to guide and inspire the ministry of catechesis. Here are just a few of what I consider to be some of the most inspiring lines from these documents (this list is not intended to be definitive…if there are […]

A Different Kind of Homework for R.E.

Joe Paprocki

I’m pondering a different kind of homework for my religious education students for next year. Typically, we think of homework as completing some type of worksheet, writing an essay or a paragraph, or reading a chapter and answering questions. I’m talking about a different kind of homework: assignments that amount to practicing what we preach. In other words, we hope that what we teach our young people will have an impact on how they live […]

Assessment in Catechesis: Authentic Assessment

Joe Paprocki

Authentic assessment is exactly what the name implies: it is genuine and real. Authentic assessment is performance-based: learners put into action what they’ve been learning. Beyond being able to speak or write about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, learners must have opportunities to live out the call to discipleship. Service Experiences—Provide suggestions for specific ways that your learners can put their faith into practice serving others, either individually or as a […]

Assessment in Catechesis: Formal Assessment

Joe Paprocki

A formal assessment asks the question: What do you know or understand? This type of assessment, accomplished in either written or oral forms, models Jesus’ attempts to assess his disciples’ understanding of his teaching and actions. When using quizzes or tests, keep the following in mind: Make sure that the items included on your quizzes or tests are consistent with the learning outcomes for your lessons. Provide your learners with opportunities for self-assessment. In other […]

Focus on Those with Disabilities: U.S. Bishops Speak

Joe Paprocki

At the most recent plenary meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Orlando, FL, the bishops approved the drafting of a new pastoral statement to address the role of persons with disabilities in the life of the Church. The U.S. bishops’ last pastoral statement on persons with disabilities was published in 1978, so this is a great opportunity to refocus attention on our brothers and sisters with disabilities and to incorporate current language […]