The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life hopes to reveal the religious landscape of the United States today. Most recently they released a report, “Faith in Flux: Changes in Religious Affiliation in the U.S.” (April 27, 2009) to show that 44% of Americans do not currently belong to their childhood faith. Of these, 10%…
The Religion Teacher Blog
Pledging Catholic Identity
Bishop Robert W. Finn has proposed a new way to implement Catholic identity in the Diocese of Kansas City – St. Joseph. According to the diocese’s blog The Catholic Key, “teachers would pledge to teach and embody what the Catholic Church holds and school parents would pledge to support their child’s faith development, among other…
Learning Hope through Prayer: Part IV
Hope in Meditating on Salvation We have hope in a salvation that will be an unknown experience and mostly indescribable. Many of our students have an understanding of this experience that is based on their exposure to the entertainment industry. Rather than strengthen their desire for salvation, these movies and books often limit their understanding…
Learning Hope through Prayer: Part III
Hope in “Offering Up” Many adults today can remember the common practice of “offering up” the irritations of our day to day lives. In his second encyclical, Spe Salvi, Pope Benedict suggests that this practice, which seems to be less common today, may be worth reviving in our daily living. The purpose of offering up…
Learning Hope through Prayer: Part II
Hope in Prayer Intentions Prayer can be an exercise in desire and a place where we open ourselves up to the performative power of hope. Prayer can be an experience that is able to purify our hearts and foster within us the desire to truly ask God what is worthy of Him. I often hear…
Learning Hope Through Prayer: Part I
In his second encyclical, SPE SALVI, Pope Benedict XVI encourages Christians to have hope in salvation. For catechists, this can be an opportunity not only to teach about hope but to teach how to allow hope to transform our students. The Holy Father explains that the Gospel message of hope is not only “informative” it…
3-Minute Retreat
http://www.loyolapress.com/3-minute-retreats-daily-online-prayer.htm Need a quick prayer or reflection to start of your class today? Check out the 3-Minute Retreat at http://www.loyolapress.org/. Previously found at http://www.findinggod.org/, the 3-Minute Retreat is still available at its new home: http://www.loyolapress.com/3-minute-retreats-daily-online-prayer.htm. The 3-Minute Retreats usually follow this simple structure: 1. The day’s Gospel2. A brief reflection on the reading3. Reflection question(s)4….
The Bread We Offer
Deacon Greg Kandra (The Deacon’s Bench) posted a great video from the Boston Globe about a company that produces altar bread on his blog this December. This short video is something that you and your students will no doubt find interesting to watch. You may reflect on this prayer from the liturgy with your students:…
Saint Patrick’s Breastplate Prayer Activity
Copy and paste the prayer into a word document. Number each section, print it out, and then cut it into sections to distribute to your students. If you have time, include the last line of the preceding stanza in each section. For example: “…The Creator of the Universe” I bind myself today The virtue of…
Resources on the Web: History of St. Patrick’s Day
http://www.history.com/minisites/stpatricksday/ St. Patty’s Day is just around the corner and many of you have been preparing your lesson plans and your green outfit for this special day. The history channel has some good online resources about St. Patrick’s Day and a lot of info on Irish culture. Saint Patrick’s Day Video – Short 1-3 minute…
