The Catechetical Review - Communicating Christ for a New Evangelization

Articles Under: Leadership & Catechist Formation

Youth & Young Adult Ministry – The Miracles God Can Work in Just Forty Hours a Week: The Fruits of Boundaries in Ministry
Who could survive a low-paying, time-consuming, unpredictable, and exhausting job for more than a few years? And if they do survive, who could possibly thrive, especially as a family? We are living proof that it is possible, but it takes an important skill that many of us were not taught: building and protecting boundaries . The first requirement to continue in ministry for more than a few short years is, of course, knowing ourselves to actually be called by God to this work. When we are called by God, bringing others into a deeper union with Christ and his Church... Read more
From the Shepherds – A Half Century of Progress: The Church’s Ministry of Catechesis, Part Three
The General Catechetical Directory (1971) – Catechesi Tradendae (1979) In this series of articles exploring a rather extraordinary fifty-year period in the Church’s catechetical mission, we have already considered the impact of the six International Catechetical Study Weeks. We now turn our attention to three pivotal catechetical documents promulgated at the level of the universal Church: the General Catechetical Directory (1971), and two apostolic exhortations, St. Paul VI’s Evangelii Nuntiandi (1974) and St. John Paul II’s Catechesi Tradendae (1979). By the time the final report of the International Catechetical Study Week at Medellin, Columbia was published in 1969, the Holy... Read more
A Return to the Kerygma: The Path to Renewal Free
If you find yourself in a fight, your extremities get cold. Your adrenaline kicks in and blood rushes to your core to pump your heart, support your lungs, and power your muscles so they can keep you alive. Moments of crisis are signals to get back to the heart of things. This isn’t only true of your body but of any institution. If a business is about to fail, it desperately needs to rush back to its “why”: Why do we exist? What are our core values? Are we being true to those values? If a marriage is in crisis,... Read more
AD: St. John Bosco Conference for Evangelization & Catechesis, July 11-14 Free
To learn more or to register for the St. John Bosco Conference, click here or call 740-283-6315.Read more
AD: Come, Follow Me Bi-lingual Training Conference, June 10-11, Nashville Free
Click here to register for this bi-lingual training in the Come, Follow Me method of catechesis.Read more
AD: Order James Pauley's newly revised Liturgical Catechesis book! Free
To order James Pauley's Liturgical Catechesis in the 21st Century, Revised Edition , go to www.LTP.org or call 800-933-1800.Read more
Falling in Love with the Church Free
Born into a Catholic family and baptized when I was sixteen days old, I grew up accepting the Church, receiving from her, but not understanding much about her identity. True, I appreciated the beauty in the stained-glass windows and the rich wood of the pews of my parish church. And in Holy Communion at a young age, I remember on occasion experiencing deep peace and comfort. I also felt a sense of awe, of a holy presence, when I entered the chapels of the Catholic schools I attended. Never in my years of Catholic school (during the 70’s and 80’s)... Read more
More than a Birdbath: St. Francis of Assisi, a Living Instrument of Catechesis
Most people within the Catholic Church, as well as those who would consider themselves religiously unaffiliated, have some name and image recognition of St. Francis of Assisi. For many, the dominant image is the ubiquitous St. Francis birdbath nestled in the greenery or the flower garden. Others may think of Francis of Assisi’s particular love for the poor and the lepers of his day. For others, when they think of St. Francis, their consideration is drawn to the stigmata he received that resembled the wounds of the poor, crucified Christ. These images all have a true connection to the man... Read more
From the Shepherds – A Half Century of Progress: The Church’s Ministry of Catechesis, Part Two
International Catechetical Study Weeks (1964–1968) We continue this series from the last issue of the Catechetical Review here in the From the Shepherds department because of its reflections on the writings of the bishops of the universal Church. The five decades between the Second Vatican Council and the publication of the third general catechetical directory in 2020 have been an extraordinarily important period in the history of modern catechetics. During this time the Church’s catechetical ministry has been afforded unprecedented support in documents of the universal Church as well as those of the bishops of the United States. This series... Read more
Catholic Schools – Apostolicity: Guarding the Deposit of Faith
A frequently asked question from the young women I teach is, “Don’t you feel like it’s unfair that women can’t be priests?” As a woman working in the Church and teaching the faith, I think they expect me to feel cheated, as if my rights are being disrespected. While I have taken the time to consider the question and its implications, I would never change my answer: “Not at all!” The role I have is an absolute privilege and different roles do not mean unequal or unfair— they just mean different . My job as a Catholic middle school religion... Read more