For those of you who are responsible for providing content for your parish’s bulletin, website or Facebook page, here are some resources for inspiration:
#1) Lectionary-Based Questions of the Week
- Loyola Press’ Sunday Connection – Provides useful background and activities to better understand the upcoming Sunday’s Scripture readings, helping you to connect the Scripture to daily life in a meaningful way.
- Our Sunday Visitor’s Lifelong Catechesis – Forming Catholic identity across generations
- Pastoral Planning’s Question of the Week plus a free planning template to help those involved in Breaking Open the Word
- RCL Benziger’s Lectionary Resources – Your catechetical library for the liturgical year
- Sadlier Religion’s CyberFaith > Proclaiming Faith – Reflections and discussion questions on the readings for each Sunday and holy day liturgy. Activities for young people are included. Some materials for younger children can be printed out.
- Sadlier Religion’s Gather in My Name – Whole Community Catechesis
#2) Sample Content from Recommended YouTube Channels
- American Catholic | What Are Catholics Doing for Lent? (1:47). Who are the elect, and what are they doing during the season of Lent? Fr. Greg Friedman talks about how the elect prepare to enter the Church.
- Busted Halo | Sacraments 101: Confirmation (5:57). BustedHalo.com’s fantastic introduction to the Sacraments series: Why do I have to get confirmed if I’m already baptized? How do I choose a sponsor as I prepare for confirmation? Why do I have the option to choose a new name?
- The Jesuit Collaborative | “How Do You Pray?” A Google Hangout with James Martin, SJ (15:45). The very first in a new series of Ignatian Hangouts. Watch and learn about prayer with Jesuit priest and Editor-at-Large of America Magazine, Fr. James Martin, SJ.
- Loyola Press | Lent is the Season for Truth-Telling (3:12). Lent is the season for truth-telling and repentance. Vinita Hampton Wright asks, “Is 40 days time enough for us to know our truth and speak it? Is Lent long enough for our slow understanding; is it deep enough for our bottomless want?” The good news is—yes! It is enough.
- St. Mary’s Press | Heaven, Hell and Purgatory (2:05). An easy-to-understand explanation of what Catholics believe about Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory.
- RENEW International | Turning Points (3:46). Witness Stories present real-life people sharing moments of awakening and deepening of their Catholic faith. A man confronts his fears and trusts in God, remembering the words and living witness of a childhood friend.
- Salt and Light | Church Alive: Ecumenism (24:00). A major focus of Vatican II was the work for Christian unity, but it is not yet complete. In this episode, Cheridan and Sebastian look at the current state of the ecumenical dialogue and discuss the relationship between Christian unity and the New Evangelization.
- Our Sunday Visitor | Lent 2013 (2:09). Lent is a time for sacrifice, discipline, reflection, and prayer, as we prepare for the joy of Easter.
#3) E-newsletters to Check Out
- Loyola Press | Finding God E-Newsletters. For Parents and All Adults Nourishing Their Catholic Faith
- Our Sunday Visitor | Parish Life! A monthly e-newsletter for parish leaders. Features include Living the Church Year, For Your Bulletin, Inspired by Faith, and News You Can Use.
- Our Sunday Visitor | Teaching Catholic Kids. Updated monthly with free resources for parents, teachers and catechists from the best of Our Sunday Visitor’s books, workbooks, and writers.
- Our Sunday Visitor Offertory | Stewardship by the Book: Bulletin Bits Based on the Sunday Readings (.PDF). Dropping Stewardship by the Book into the bulletin each week is one fairly painless way to work at stewardship education.
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