Catholic Faith Education News

September-October, 2011 - Volume 4, Number 6 Subscribe to this newsletter. Content Index Resources Featured on the Catholic Faith Education Blog Resources for Feast Days, and Special Days Resources on the Sunday and Daily Readings Blog World Resources Technology and Religious Education Articles Online Previous issues Resources Featured on the Catholic Faith Education Blog This wallpaper of John-Paul II with authorisation to distribute freely. Please feel to use it as long as you do not remove the adnotation (jpbooks.com). The full-sized version can be found here: http://4catholiceducators.com/john-paul-II-wallpaper.htm DivineOffice.org - http://divineoffice.org/ - Daily readings, hymns, prayers of the divine office are presented in both text and audio podcast on this wonderful Website. Back to School Prayer - If you are looking for a prayer for the start of school, you may find something that suits your needs on one of these pages. Prayer Before Class: Blogger Jared Dee (The Religion Teacher) has an interesting article in which he shares excellent ideas on ways to do prayers before class. Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation (VLCFF) course - On the Old Testament. The Web site "Vatican Insider" offers an informative animated presentation on the process of electing a pope during a conclave: How a Pope is Elected. Virtual Visit of an Orthodox Church The Web site of Our Sunday Visitor Curriculum Division features a Lifelong Catechesis section that aims at involving the whole community in catechesis. This section provides background information, questions, and activities focusing on the Sunday readings appropriate for each age groups (childen, adolescents, adults) as well as for families and parish assemblies. Vatican from the Air: Beautiful photography in this 32 pages online booklet! The Christ We Proclaim - This 60 page book published by the Diocese of Wesminster contains materials to help prepare older children of catechetical age for the sacraments of initiation. The Holy Land in Pictures Today's Liturgy with Children (TLC) is an online archive offering insightful articles, anthem suggestions for children’s choirs, previews of new music and more. It is especially helpful for those involved in ministry with children, including teachers, religious educators, pastors and leaders of Children’s Liturgy of the Word. Lectors Proclaim is "is dedicated to helping men and women become more effective proclaimers of the Scriptures in liturgical ceremonies". The site provides extensive information on how to train lectors and on how to  prepare to proclaim the Word. Hail Mary Full of Grace: Six sessions for faith sharing groups on Mary, Mother of God is a beautifully illustrated and colorful 68 page booklets published by the Diocese of Westminster. The booklet can be printed.  RCL Benziger Launches a Website - RCL Benziger is using the new site to imagine the "what ifs?" of a world full of Christ's disciples. Living as One: Daily Meditations and Group Reflections on the Nature of the Church - 42 daily meditations and 6 group sessions on the theme of the Church - one, holy, catholic and apostolic - produced by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster. Documents on Life and Family Issues from The Catholic Organization for Life and Family (COLF) Images, Drawings and Games Who is my Neighbour? - 42 daily meditations and 6 group sessions on the themes of welcome and culture, produced by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster. The images for the monthly calendars for the next 12 months are from a illuminated book that is now in the public domain called Joseph and his Breteren. You can view and download all tweve monthly calendars here. Large versions of all 25 images depicting the story of Joseph and his brothers are also available on the Clipart Wizard web site.

Technology and Religious Education I Can Use Technology in My Ministry! by Dave Baudry and Marc Puechner "I would like then to invite Christians, confidently and with an informed and responsible creativity, to join the network of relationships which the digital era has made possible. This is not simply to satisfy the desire to be present, but because this network is an integral part of human life." Praying with My iPhone: The best Catholic apps by Jack McLain, S.J., a former Army chaplain, is rector of St. Ignatius College in Adelaide, Australia. Fr. McLain describes several applications for Iphone that can be used for your prayer time. SMART Board Tutorial: Using Tabs with Interactive Questions and Answers | Ave Maria Press How Are Students Using Technology? | Ave Maria Press What Web Browsers Can Teach Us About Methodology in Ministry | JonathanFSullivan.com

Resources for Feast Days and Special Days

Resources for feast days:

September

• 3 September: Saint Gregory the Great, pope and doctor - Memorial
• 8 September: Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Feast
• 9 September: Saint Peter Claver, priest - Optional Memorial
• 12 September: Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Optional Memorial
• 13 September: Saint John Chrysostom, bishop and doctor - Memorial
• 14 September: Triumph of the Holy Cross - Feast
• 15 September: Our Lady of Sorrows - Memorial
• 16 September: Saints Cornelius, pope, and Cyprian, bishop, martyrs - Memorial
• 17 September: Saint Robert Bellarmine, bishop and doctor - Optional Memorial
• 19 September: Saint Januarius, bishop and martyr - Optional Memorial
• 20 September: Saint Andrew Kim Taegon, priest, and Paul Chong Hasang and companions, martyrs - Memorial
• 21 September: Saint Matthew the Evangelist, Apostle, Evangelist - Feast
• 23 September: Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio), priest - Memorial
• 26 September: Saints Cosmas and Damian, martyrs - Optional Memorial
• 27 September: Saint Vincent de Paul, priest - Memorial
• 28 September: Saint Wenceslaus, martyr or Saints Lawrence Ruiz and companions, martyrs - Optional Memorial
• 29 September: Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels - Feast
• 30 September: Saint Jerome, priest and doctor - Memorial

October

• 1 October: Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, virgin and doctor - Memorial
• 2 October: Guardian Angels - Memorial
• 4 October: Saint Francis of Assisi - Memorial
• 6 October: Saint Bruno, priest - Optional Memorial
• 7 October: Our Lady of the Rosary - Memorial
• 9 October: Saint Denis and companions, martyrs or Saint John Leonardi, priest - Optional Memorial
• 14 October: Saint Callistus I, pope and martyr - Optional Memorial
• 15 October: Saint Teresa of Jesus, virgin and doctor - Memorial

Resources on the Sunday and Daily Readings

Articles, Commentaries, Homilies, Clipart, Coloring pages, Puzzles, Children's Stories for the upcoming Sunday Gospel readings: September 4, 2011: 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) - Matt 18:15-20 September 11, 2011: 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) - Matt 18:21-35 or 18:23-35 September 18, 2011: 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) - Matt 20:1-16a September 25, 2011: 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) - Matt 21:28-32 October 2, 2011: 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) - Matt 21:33-43 October 9, 2011: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A) - Matt 22:1-14 or 22:1-10

Daily Mass Readings: September - October - November Liturgical Calendar 2011 Daily Gospel Contemplating Today's Gospel

Blog World Resources

Catholic Icing

• Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha Coloring Book
• How to Make "Jesus Loves Me" Shirts with Kids {and a linky!}
• Make a Giant Rosary with Kids
• Nun Finger Puppet Craft for Catholic Kids
  

Engaging Faith

• 5 Ways Teachers Can Use Screencasts to Engage Student Learning
• New YouTube Videos for Religion Class: They cover a wide range of topics and bring religious education into the modern age.
• Do You Know Your Introverted Students?
• Lesson Be-Attitudes: eight "Lesson Be-Attitudes" that bear repeating and review as you begin to plan for the upcoming semester or lesson planning and lesson sharing.
• Nine Textbook Reading Strategies That Will Engage Your Students
• A Review of Memorize.com for the Religion Classroom

Catechist's Journey

• Teaching Jr High & High School Youth – What’s Your Advice?
• One More Try – Advice for Catechists of Intermediate Age Children
• Teaching the Roman Missal Changes to Children – Easy as 1, 2, 3!
• More Advice for Catechists of Intermediate Age Children
• Advice for Catechists of Intermediate Age Children
• Advice for Catechists of Primary Age Children
• The New Roman Missal Translation in Under 10 Minutes
• Teaching a Language of Mystery - " We use a language of mystery because this is how God reveals himself to us…beyond words."
  

The Religion Teacher

• Catechetical Link Round-up (Summer 2011) - great catechetical links of resources posted on blogs and websites this summer.
• 6 Classroom Management Strategies for the First Weeks of School
• 3 Passive Learning Objectives That Teachers Should Avoid
• Saint Augustine Prayers for Catechists, Teachers, Students
• Building Prayer Habits as a Teacher
• Catholic Saints Birthday Project

The Catholic Toolbox

• Celebrating the Mass Lesson Plans - 22 lesson plans
• Special Events for September - Links to online activities, worksheets, coloring sheets, etc on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows and The Exaltation of the Holy Cross
• Grace Before Meals Prayer Activities

Marc Cardaronella | Evangelizing Catechesis

• The Fundamentals of Effective Catechesis - A series of blog article. There were 8 articles posted as of August 22:
  1. Five Reasons to Learn Catechetics and Dump the Textbook
  2. Is Your Catechesis Like a Jigsaw Puzzle Without a Cover?
  3. St. Paul’s Central “Mystery” for Connected Catechesis
  4. Is St. Paul the Ultimate Biblical Detective? 7 Verses that “Reveal” the Mystery of Christ
  5. Christ and the Other Central Mystery of the Christian Faith
  6. The Real Goal of Effective Catechesis
  7. The First Steps in Evangelizing Cradle Catholic Kids
  8. 4 Ways to Prepare Your Students for the Role of Their Spiritual Lives

Articles Online

Articles for CATECHIST Magazine, January / February 2011:

• Craft Clip: Duct Tape by Jeanne Heiberg
• Is Jesus Here Today? by Lee Danesco
  "Calling the student roll is a well-established method for simultaneously counting heads and bringing a classroom to order. This simple act of taking attendance also can be crafted to prompt awareness of and conversation about the presence of Jesus in our daily lives."
• Teaching Students to Show Reverence at Mass by Sandra Hoolihan
• Make Room for Parents by Lee Danesco
  "Sadly, parents are often overwhelmed with demands. As a result, many parents rely solely on parish programs for their children's religious education."
• Learning by Heart: The Two Great Commandments by Judith Costello
  This teaching tool uses visual clues to trigger memorization.
• Spirituality and Religion: Challenges and Opportunities by Fr. James Heft, SM, PhD
  "Recent media coverage about the Catholic Church does not inspire confidence... In the face of these massive shifts, what might be some fruitful approaches for religious educators, especially those who work with young people? I suggest five approaches. "
• Eucharist: Connection and Unity by Jeanne Heiberg
• The Mass: Helping Kids Take Their Part by Kate Ristow
  The publication of the Roman Missal, Third Edition presents us with a unique opportunity.
• Spiritual Direction and Catechists: It's Not Just One More Thing by Sister Lou Ella Hickman, IWBS
  Spiritual direction is the heartbeat of all ministries—not just one more thing to add to your hectic schedule.
• Advice from Master Catechists—September 2011
  How do I respond to parents with a special request? What should I emphasize in an orientation meeting?
• Celebrating Saint Emilie de Rodat: Loved God and Others by Patricia Mathson
  Feast Day: September 19
• Entering, Blessing the Vineyard by Mary McEntee McGill
  As the school year begins and teachers gather to be welcomed and oriented to our programs, let us not forget the importance of recognizing their call from the Lord.
• Catholic Rhymes for Review
  These fun rhymes can help you review some facts about our Catholic faith. Work together and figure out the correct word to complete each rhyme.
  

Articles from various sources

• Christian Parenting—Nurturing Faith in a Secular World - Every Day Catholic, September 2011
• Why Community? Why Church? Why Catholic? - Every Day Catholic, August 2011
• Coping With Chronic Illness—A Daily Walk With God - Every Day Catholic, July 2011
• Virtues for Fathers - Every Day Catholic, June 2011
• Ways the Gospel Makes Us Uncomfortable—and Should! - Every Day Catholic, May 2011
• Spiritually Healthy Children - St. Anthony Messenger, August 2011
• Struggling to Understand Suicide - Ron Rolheiser
• Things Hidden from the Learned and the Clever - Ron Rolheiser
• Listening to Christ's Heartbeat - Ron Rolheiser
• Simplifying our Spiritual Vocabulary - Ron Rolheiser
• From The Cross With Love: Seven Words To Live By, George Olivera, OFM Cap. - Spirituality.org - August 2011
• The Gift of Communication By Sandra Martin - Spirituality.org - July 2011
• A History of Christian Monasticism By Rick Sheridan - Spirituality.org - June 2011
• There Is Also The Sin Of Doing Nothing By Rev. Msgr. Frank Wissel - Spirituality.org - May 2011
  

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