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Being a Catechist

Stories on the Journey, Week Four: “Oopsies! I Goofed”

Welcome to Week Four of Stories on the Journey! Thanks for all of the great stories you’ve shared so far! Betty from Arizona sums it up pretty well: Thanks for sharing these inspiring stories that keep me motivated to continue facilitating adult religious education at my parish! In case you missed the stories, here they are: Week One: How Did I Get Into This? Week Two: Kids Say/Do the Darndest Things  Week Three: Touching the […]

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Roman Missal Changes

A Catechist’s Guide to the New Translation – from the Diocese of Lansing

Thanks to my colleague Denise, here’s a resource for catechists to use to implement the new translation of the Roman Missal. It’s from the Diocese of Lansing, MI, and it is quite thorough. http://www.dioceseoflansing.org/catechesis_k12/Roman_Missal_Children_Adolescents.pdf It basically constitutes a mini-curriculum on the Mass that would require 8 sessions. What I’m hearing from a lot of catechetical leaders, however, is that they are not planning on setting aside such large chunks of time from their regular curriculum (for […]

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Technology in Catechesis

Using SKYPE in Catechesis

My friend Victor Valdez, a DRE in Mountain View, CA, sent me this link about an 8th grade language arts teacher in Iowa who invited his students to select a name from the CNN Heroes finalists so that he could arrange for them to speak with him or her using SKYPE. Eighth Graders Learn Big Lessons from CNN Heroes Assignment Victor astutely suggests that this would be a great idea for a religious education class in […]

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Miscellaneous

Nice Thoughts About Honoring Parents

I came across some nice thoughts about parents of children in religious education from Lisa Mladinich. She relates how many catechists lament the fact the some parents take little interest in their children’s faith formation. She then goes on to offer some positive advice for honoring them instead of critizing them and provides some practical ideas for catchists to reach out to parents. Good article. Honor Their Fathers and Their Mothers I do have a […]

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Comings & Goings

Jammin’ in Joliet!

Thanks to all the folks who spent the day with me today at the St. Charles Borromeo Pastoral Center in the Diocese of Joliet, IL, for a Being, Knowing, and Doing workshop. We had a wonderful day looking at how we can provide formation for catechists that includes these 3 dimensions. Special thanks to Tom Quinlan, the Director of the Religious Education Office, and Joyce Donahue, Catechetical Associate. I was also honored to have in attendance 2 representatives […]

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Miscellaneous

Anyone Starting RE Class THIS Week? Anyone Already Started?

Most parish religious education programs begin after Labor Day, so I’m sure a number of you are beginning classes this week. My first day is next week, Monday, September 13! When do you begin and how do you feel leading up to this year’s first class? Anyone already started? How’s it going so far?

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Newsworthy

Thanks from Nancy!

Last week, a catechist from Puerto Rico, Nancy, asked for some help with regards to info about tuition and fees charged for parish religious education programs. Your response was very generous and helpful. Thanks from me and here’s thanks from Nancy! Thanks to all of you!!!  You have been a great help!!! Love always – from the beautiful island of Puerto Rico!! Nancy

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Catechetical Leaders

Thanks for Helping Nancy!

A couple of days ago, I put up a post asking if folks could help Nancy in Puerto Rico who was asking about fees/tuition charged for parish religious education programs. Your response has been very generous! Here are more comments that came in by way of websupport: Hi Joe – I am a DRE in two parishes at the East End of Long Island which is part of the Diocese of Rockville Centre and I […]

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Easter

Passport to the Holy Land

Holy Week is a time in which we figuratively transport ourselves over time and space to the Holy Land to walk with Jesus on the road to Calvary. One Director of Religious Education, Victor Valdez, invites parishioners to walk this journey in a creative and unique way by having the children of the religious education program reconstruct a miniature Holy Land on the Parish Green! The site includes displays of the areas of Nazareth, Bethlehem, […]