Catechist Skills and Techniques

From lesson planning and classroom management skills to leading prayer and forming students for the Mass and the sacraments, catechists need good tools to facilitate encounters with Jesus Christ. In this section, find articles from Master Catechist Joe Paprocki and others experienced in catechesis. Joe shared his catechetical advice and insights for 18 years on the Catechist’s Journey™ blog, and here we share some of the best tips, tricks, and inspiration inspired by the continuing journey of being a Catholic catechist.  

• Leading Prayer

  • Pop-Up Prayer: Teaching Prayer
  • Teaching Young Adults to Pray
  • Growing in Gratitude
  • Embracing Simplicity
  • Releasing Regrets to Rest and Reset
  • Authentic Availability and Acceptance
  • Cultivating Radical Hospitality
  • Heaven Is in the Details
  • Where Have You Been, Lord? Praying the Examen with Your Families

• Classroom Skills

  • Setting the Tone for Classroom Management with Respect
  • Creative Approaches to Reading from a Textbook
  • 11 Tips for Catechists
  • When the Craft Is a Challenge
  • Make Teaching Fun
  • A Simple Way to Choose Volunteer Readers
  • Love Never Fails
  • Five Tips for Working with Little Children
  • Letting the Holy Spirit Lead When Your Lesson Falls Flat
  • Promoting Catholic Identity, Part 1: A Sense of Sacramentality
  • Promoting Catholic Identity, Part 2: A Commitment to Community
  • Promoting Catholic Identity, Part 5: An Attitude of Faith and Hope
  • Promoting Catholic Identity, Part 4: A Reverence for Scripture and Tradition
  • Promoting Catholic Identity, Part 3: A Respect for Human Life
  • Growing as a Catechist: A Self-Evaluation
  • Loving Students as St. John Bosco Did
  • When a Class Spins Out of Control
  • Assessment in Faith Formation

• Formation for Mass

  • Four Tips for Making Connections Between the Mass and Class Discussions
  • Forming Children and Youth for the Mass, Part 1: Silence and Reverence
  • Forming Children and Youth for the Mass, Part 2: Song and Praise
  • Forming Children and Youth for the Mass, Part 3: Listening to the Word
  • Forming Children and Youth for the Mass, Part 4: Intercessory Prayer
  • Forming Children and Youth for the Mass, Part 5: Sacrifice
  • Forming Children and Youth for the Mass, Part 6: Real Presence
  • Forming Children and Youth for the Mass, Part 7: Thankfulness
  • Forming Children and Youth for the Mass, Part 8: Mission