family faith Archives - Page 2 of 10

Lent cross - Charissame/iStock/Getty Images

Family Catechesis at St. Barnabas: Preparing for Lent

Our next family catechesis session at St. Barnabas takes place on February 4, just ten days before Lent begins. (Ash Wednesday is February 14!) So it makes sense that our topic for that day will be Lent, Holy Week, and Easter. Here are a few thoughts about this upcoming session: This will be the first time I’m with the parents since December when we covered Advent. Our January session was a safe-environment session for the […]

Moving Toward a Family Catechesis Model

Joe Paprocki

More and more parishes are moving toward a family catechesis model, much like the one at St. Barnabas Parish in Chicago that I’ve been blogging about over the past few months. Moving toward a family catechesis model takes some time and a lot of communication so that parents can embrace the change more fully without their heads spinning! Most importantly, parents need to be assured that they are indeed capable of teaching their children about […]

Family Catechesis at St. Barnabas: Introducing Advent and Christmas

Joe Paprocki

Recently, we held our monthly Finding God Family Catechesis gathering at St. Barnabas to introduce the seasons of Advent and Christmas. Here is a summary of how things went. Attendance was good once again. It appears that families are getting into a groove as the year progresses. The families, especially the children, arrive with good energy and enthusiasm, and the space where we gather is always prepared by Patrick, the catechetical leader, to be warm […]

Family Catechesis at St. Barnabas: Welcoming the Seasons of Advent and Christmas

Joe Paprocki

Our next monthly session for our Finding God Family Catechesis program at St. Barnabas will take place on Sunday, December 3, the First Sunday of Advent, which means that our focus for the adult session will be on the seasons of Advent and Christmas, with a particular emphasis on the theme of God’s Promise: The Covenant. Here is the plan for that session: Our opening prayer ritual will reflect the season of Advent as we […]

family catechesis pageant announcement being made

Family Catechesis at St. Barnabas: Parents Talk About How Home Sessions Are Going

Joe Paprocki

Yesterday marked the first time that we gathered for family catechesis after the parents have had a month to do faith formation sessions at home with their children. It was also the day that we introduced the Finding God unit on Jesus. Here is a summary of the proceedings. Attendance was very good this month; we even picked up a few new families! After our opening prayer ritual (setting up the prayer center with sacred […]

Next Up for Family Catechesis at St. Barnabas: Jesus

Joe Paprocki

Our next session of Family Catechesis at St. Barnabas will take place on Sunday, October 29, as we venture into the second unit of Finding God, which focuses on Jesus. Specifically, our theme will be, “To Whom Can I Turn? Jesus: Fully Human, Fully Divine.” After our setting up of the prayer space and opening prayer, the session will begin by inviting families to discuss examples of unexpected problems or challenges that their families faced […]

family catechesis gathering - parents in conversation

Family Catechesis at St. Barnabas: Introducing the Unit on God

Joe Paprocki

Our journey into Finding God Family Catechesis at St. Barnabas Parish took its next step on Sunday, October 1, as we welcomed families to the first unit of study in Finding God, which focuses on God’s invitation and our response. Here is a summary of how things went: Once again, I arrived at 7:15 a.m. to set up my stuff for the 8 a.m. start. Patrick, the catechetical leader, had already seen to the set up […]

Family Catechesis at St. Barnabas: Looking Forward to Our First Session

Joe Paprocki

I’m eagerly looking forward to the first session of Family Catechesis at St. Barnabas Parish in Chicago on September 17! As I mentioned in a previous post, I will be assisting the Director of Religious Education, Patrick McGowan, and the Pastoral Associate, Deacon Andy Neu, at the monthly gatherings at the parish. The focus of this first session will be simply “An Introduction to Finding God Family Catechesis.” Here are some particulars with regards to […]

I’m Back in the Trenches Again: Family Catechesis at St. Barnabas Parish

Joe Paprocki

Over the years that I’ve been writing this blog, Catechist’s Journey, I have served as a catechist for different age groups: intermediate (fourth and sixth grade) and junior high (eighth grade). I also have enjoyed sharing my experiences with you! Typically, I have posted my plans for upcoming sessions followed by summaries of what really happened. Eventually, my travel commitments made it too difficult to teach a weekly session, and then, of course, the pandemic […]

Living the Liturgical Seasons at Home: Easter

Celebrating Easter All Season Long

Julianne Stanz

By our conviction of heart and mind, we can be witnesses to the Resurrection just as Mary Magdalene was, not just at Easter but every day. Here are some simple ways to evangelize and keep our Easter joy all season long! Read. Read the Acts of the Apostles between Easter and Pentecost. Immerse yourself in the excitement of the disciples trying to become the Church community that Jesus intended them to become. Marvel at the […]