First Session for 2013-14: Off to a Great Start!

I couldn’t be happier with how my first session went last evening, thanks to a great group of kids, a highly organized DRE, and a wonderful aide (my wife!) I ended up with 9 students having lost one boy and gaining one girl, so now, I have 6 girls and 3 boys. They come from 5 different schools but have “traveled” together through religious education at St. Cajetan for 6 years and have a great […]

Where Have You Gone, Thomas Groome? The Role of Experience in Catechesis

When I was a mere “babe” in the catechetical ministry (early 1980s), I was introduced to the notion of the catechetical process. At the time, those 2 words could not be spoken without also mentioning the name of Dr. Thomas Groome and his groundbreaking work, Christian Religious Education: Sharing Our Story and Vision . At the heart of Groome’s approach is an unmistakable connection between lived experience and the faith Tradition of the Catholic Church. […]

New Testament Learning Stations: READY!!!

I’ve completed the 4 Learning Stations for the New Testament that will be part of our lesson this coming Monday evening. Here they are in PDF:   GOSPELS Learning Station ACTS OF THE APOSTLES Learning Station LETTERS Learning Station REVELATION Learning Station Here are the Student Fill-In Sheets for the New Testament Learning Stations: Bible Learning Stations fill in sheets – NT And here are the New Testament bookmarks: NT Bookmarks Lastly, I’ll get to work […]

Year of Faith Retreat – Week 1, Day 1: God’s Revealing Moments

Welcome to our online summer retreat, Preparing for a Year of Faith! Take  a few minutes each day at your convenience to “gather” here on my blog as we seek to add some flavor to our faith lives by deepening our understanding of the truths of our faith as given to us in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Learn more about the Year of Faith. Watch a brief video explaining what this online retreat is […]

Teaching the Bible to 6th Graders Last Night

As one of my “catechist-at-large” responsibilities, I did an introduction to the Bible last evening with the 6th graders at Most Holy Redeemer parish in Evergreen Park, IL. It was a very enjoyable experience. Here are the details: There were about 30-35 kids present along with their 3 catechists and 3 aides. Each child had a New American Bible (although there were 2 different editions which precluded me from relying on page numbers. I don’t mind, […]

God Reveals Himself Through His Son, Jesus Christ

Here’s my plan for tonight, the 2nd session of the year. I was away for a few days, so I didn’t get to plan for this session as early as I usually hope to. But don’t we all face this from time to time? Anyway, here’s the plan: The theme (BIG idea) is “God Reveals Himself to us through his Son, Jesus Christ.” I will emphasize the notion that Jesus reveals to us who God […]