Helping Students and Families Learn About Purgatory
BY SUSAN TASSONE
Purgatory — a masterpiece of God’s mercy
It’s no small wonder that coming up with a lesson plan on purgatory can be challenging....
God’s Sacramental Plan: Why we need the Sacraments and the Church
The big picture on why we need sacraments and the Church
BY MARC CARDARONELLA
Sacraments form the backbone of our religious formation programs. Parents celebrate them,...
Reconciliation and First Eucharist Preparation: An evangelization opportunity
BY DAVID DZIENA
A friend of mine (let’s call her “Jamie”) recently posted this question on Facebook:
I am struggling with something. I am not...
A Robust Catholic Identity
By Joe Paprocki
Overcoming the tendency toward a “beige Catholicism”
One of my favorite ideas to borrow from Bishop Robert Barron, is his notion of battling what...
The Catholic Commitment to Community
BY JOE PAPROCKI
Third in a series on ways to instill a robust Catholic identity in those we teach
Some years ago Verizon had a series...
From Boredom to Wonder: Learning the art of prayer at Mass
By Timothy P. O’Malley
Catechists have often heard the complaint that the Mass is boring. Children and teens express their boredom directly through yawns or...
The Still Small Voice
Helping young people discover silence and sanctuary
LISA MLADINICH
St. Teresa of Calcutta said, “We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise...
Reverence for Tradition
Our Catholic identity is shaped by a living heritage
JOE PAPROCKI
As Catholics, we have a “lot of baggage” — not in the sense of having...
Reluctant Catechist Seeks Advice
Question: I’m a reluctant catechist. I keep thinking there are folks more qualified for this than I. Yet here I am, saying yes but...
Five Ways to Use Manuals to the Max
Simply providing information does not necessarily assure faith formation. Similarly, simply providing a catechist with a manual does not necessarily assure that he or...
