We’re spending time this summer sharing stories from our own experiences as catechists. This week’s topic is, “Not Bad, If I May Say So Myself.” Let’s hear your stories about a time when you felt that a session you led went particularly well. In all humility, sometimes you just gotta give yourself a pat on the back—and a word of thanks to the Holy Spirit! Share your story here on Catechist’s Journey by typing in the comments section […]
We’re continuing to share stories from our experiences as catechists. This week’s topic is, “Well, That Didn’t Go as Planned.” Let’s hear your stories about a time when your lesson plan didn’t quite work out as you planned and what you learned from the experience. Share your story here on Catechist’s Journey by typing in the comments section at the end of this post. Keep your story brief; one or two paragraphs is fine. Return each day […]
We’re spending time this summer sharing stories from our experiences as catechists. Today’s topic is, “How Did I Get into This?” Let’s hear your stories about how you came to serve as a catechist or catechetical leader. No two stories are the same, and I’m always amazed at how the Holy Spirit uses so many different techniques to call people into this ministry. Some feel pulled, others feel pushed, while still others feel as though […]
Catechists are some of the best storytellers in the world, and we don’t have to travel far to find good stories to share. So many of them happen right under our noses and involve those we teach. With that in mind, I thought we’d spend some time this summer sharing stories from our own experiences as catechists. This week’s topic is, “Kids (and Adults) Say and Do the Darndest Things!” Let’s hear about those unforgettable moments […]
With this catechetical year winding down, it’s a good opportunity to stop and assess or evaluate yourself as a catechist. One way to do this is to use the Catechist’s Self-Evaluation that I put together. I encourage you to complete this and to share it in discussion with either a fellow catechist or your catechetical leader. Of course, anyone who knows me and my work, knows that I am a tireless advocate of ongoing formation […]
One of the best things about a blog such as Catechist’s Journey is that it is not a one-way street where I do all the talking! I love to read and respond to your comments and e-mails and especially enjoy taking unscientific surveys to learn more about the visitors to Catechist’s Journey. We had fun and learned a great deal from our last poll question, which asked you to share how long you have been serving as […]
Thanks to so many of you for taking the time to answer our little poll about how long you have served as a catechist. An extra thank-you to those who shared such wonderful stories! More about those in a second. Of the 150+ respondents, nearly half (43%) indicated that they have served as a catechist for more than 25 years, while nearly a fifth (18%) have served for 16–25 years! This resonates with what I […]
Often, when I do presentations for catechists around the country, I ask my crowd, by show of hands, how long they have been a catechist: newbies? 1–5 years? 5–10 years? and so on. I’ll never forget how one woman, at a presentation in Texas, had her arm up through 40, 45, 50, and 55! I finally just asked her how long she had been a catechist, and she proudly announced, “60 years!” as the crowd […]
Editor’s note: Today we kick-off a celebration of our 10th anniversary here at Catechist’s Journey. Ten years ago, Joe Paprocki started writing about the joys and frustrations of his classroom catechetical experiences. Since that time, we’ve welcomed a group of regular contributors to this blog to share their wisdom and experiences in the field of religious education. In honor of our anniversary, we’ll have special posts all this week and next Monday (the actual anniversary […]
Serving as a catechist means dealing with kids whose minds are often elsewehere! All too often we find ourselves having to discipline kids because of disruptive behavior. Like the late comedian Rodney Dangerfield, we shake our heads and say, “tough crowd, tough crowd” and “I get no respect.” Fact is, we’re in good company. Scripture tells us about the many “tough crowds” that St. Paul faced as he proclaimed God’s Word. It comes with the […]
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