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Keeping Advent from Getting Lost in the Holiday Shuffle

The parish is abuzz with questions already: “Have you started your baking, shopping, planning, list-making, wrapping…?” No sooner has Halloween moved on than we find Christmas bursting onto the scene in every grocery store, department store, catalog, and flyer. It is a cycle that encourages us to be always thinking of and preparing for “the next thing,” rather than taking time to stop and become aware of the blessings and graces our God is trying […]

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The Spiritual Life of Catechists: Missionary Zeal

Joyce Donahue

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 a cause or an objective,” but in Scripture it has a deeper meaning. It can describe a fierceness against those who oppose God (see 1 Kings […]

Catechists in Action

Finding God at the Circus

Joe Paprocki

Several days ago, I received an e-mail from my friend, former colleague, and fellow blogger Sr. Julie Vieira, IHM, over at A Nun’s Life, in which she reached out for help to assist a sister who is doing catechesis for people in the circus. Yes, the circus! I, in turn, reached out to my colleague Julie Berggren, one of our Sales Managers, since I didn’t think Loyola Press had an educational consultant currently assigned to […]

Connecting with Christ: Fostering Relationships in Catechesis

Eric Gurash

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 […]

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Three Bits of Advice for Catechists I Need to Follow Myself

Darcy Osby

Last year was my rock-star year: I graduated with my M.Div., moved to a new state, learned the ropes of ministering as a DRE in a parish with over 800 children, planned a wedding and got married, and recovered from a stress fracture in my foot which required me to wear a boot for several months way too close to my wedding day. I was unstoppable. Recently one of my catechists asked me how it […]

The Spiritual Life of Catechists: Dedication to the Evangelizing Mission of the Church

Joyce Donahue

In the film The Blues Brothers, the main characters, trying to raise money to keep their Catholic school open, proclaim: “We’re on a mission from God!” That’s not a bad motto for any Catholic. Like Jake and Elwood, all of us are on a mission: to evangelize. Go and Make Disciples (USCCB, 1992) cites Pope Paul VI, who wrote that, “The Church exists to evangelize.” The bishops continue, defining evangelization: “At its essence are the […]

First Reconciliation Parent Session

Joe Paprocki

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of facilitating the First Reconciliation Parent Meeting at Most Holy Redeemer Parish in Evergreen Park, IL, where I served as a catechist for a number of years. I had been the presenter at this meeting several times in the past, however, I was not comfortable just delivering a talk in the church to the parents who sat passively throughout. I worked with the DRE, Lori Kennedy, to create a […]

The Spiritual Life of Catechists: Authenticity of Life

Joyce Donahue

Have you ever encountered truly genuine people, those about whom you can say, “With (name), what you see is what you get”? That’s essential for catechists. The National Directory for Catechesis calls this, “a coherence and authenticity of life.” It is “characterized by [the catechist’s] faithful practice of the faith in a spirit of faith, charity, hope, courage, and joy.” (229) Coherence and authenticity mean there is no disconnect between a person’s public actions and his […]

Adults Sharing Faith – Kids Listen In

Joe Paprocki

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.” […]

The Spiritual Life of Catechists: Finding and Sharing Love and Joy

Joyce Donahue

One aspect of a catechetical leader’s responsibilities is discerning whom God is calling to the vocation of catechist and planning refreshment (formation) for those whom God continues to call. A catechist is called to holiness with “a particular urgency” (National Directory for Catechesis, 229), and there are, the NDC tells us, important characteristics of the catechist’s spiritual life. The first characteristic is a love of God (Trinity), of the Church, the pope, and God’s holy […]