3 Minute Retreat Mondays
I am honored and pleased to have been invited by Loyola Press to contribute a series of reflections based on their 3 Minute Retreats for the Mondays of Lent. My first reflection will be posted on Monday; other authors will be contributing their own reflections for each of the 40 days, beginning with an introductory reflection tomorrow by Fr. James Martin, SJ. The easiest way to access all the retreats and reflections is by submitting your email address, through the 3 Minute Retreat web site, or via their Facebook page. I will be posting my reflections every Monday of Lent on this blog and...
Read More2012 Catholic Parish Website of the Year Award
I’m happy to be one of the judges for Catholic Tech Talk’s 2012 Parish Website of the Year award! From the announcement: Is your church effectively leveraging its website as a communication tool? Are you proud of your website? Or know of a shining example that deserves promotion? If so, this contest is for you! The contest is being sponsored by Liturgical Publications with awards going to the top 3 websites submitted. There’s no cost to submit your website and it will only take a few minutes of your time. For more information on the contest, please check out our Contest...
Read MoreVLCFF Course – Introduction to Practical Morality
I’m happy to announce that registration is open for an online course I will be facilitating next month for the University of Dayton’s Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation (VLCFF): Introduction to Practical Morality (February 26 through March 31, 2012) – “This course is designed to provide participants with knowledge of the foundations of moral theology and conscience formation. A focal point for the course will be an understanding of the human being’s relationship with God who created us in His image and likeness and what that means for moral living. The...
Read MoreThe Grumpy Old Catechist on E-Books
For all my love of technology, I’m still a stick-in-the-mud when it comes to e-books. I’m simply not convinced that the convenience of being able to carry around a library in your backpack offsets what I see as some very real and core problems with the technology. As I’ve refined my thoughts on the subject I continue to have two problems with e-books: one philosophical, one technological. My philosophical problem stems from the fact that, as highly editable constructs, e-books enable the kind of post-publication tinkering that now plagues movie-making. Imagine if J.R.R....
Read MoreHangin’ Out – Catechetical Leader Episode 013
I’m happy to present the latest episode of the Catechetical Leader podcast! This Year of Faith has been called to commemorate both the 50th anniversary of the start of the Second Vatican Council and the 20th anniversary of the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The round-table was hosted as an open invitation Google+Hangout. I was very happy to be joined by Joyce Donahue, catechetical associate with the Diocese of Joliet Lisa Hendey, blogger and host of CatholicMom.com Russell Peterson, associate director of religious education with the Diocese of...
Read MoreMy Four Goals for 2012
I’m not typically one for New Year’s resolutions, but there is something about a fresh calendar that predisposes one to changing habits for the coming solar cycle. I’m not sure if it’s cultural (do the Chinese make resolutions for Chinese New Year?) or psychological, but there it is. That having been said, here, in no particular order, are my goals for 2012: Continue to refine this blog. I have a number of items on my “to-do” list regarding my blog. My unstated goal has been to post one substantial piece a week, with breaks during the Easter and...
Read MoreFree Grant Writing Webinars for Catholic Organizations
My office is offering three free webinars on grant writing for Catholic organizations. Each webinar will cover a different facet of the grant writing process and will include two handouts for participants. Kristin Olsen of grantsgalore.net will be our presenter. The topics and dates are: Grant Writing: An Overview Thursday, October 20, 9a (CT) Register at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/873292987 Grant Writing: Cultivating Prospective Grantmakers Thursday, October 27, 9a (CT) Register at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/909622466 Grant Writing: The Finishing Touches Thursday,...
Read MoreThings Heard and Done at #CNMC11
This past Saturday I attended the Catholic New Media Conference in Kansas City. I had a great time meeting some fellow Catholic new media enthusiasts, including lots of people I follow on Twitter and Google+. These were some of the highlights: I started the day with an unexpected Holy Hour, thanks to the fact that I wrote down the wrong start time for Mass. (Doh!) “What counts isn’t the numbers, but the presence of the Holy Spirit.” – St. Anne Flanagan, FSP “ We need to do a better job of recruiting talent and leaders for Catholic New Media.” –...
Read MoreMy 3 Goals for #CNMC11
After months of hemming and hawing I finally registered for the Catholic New Media Conference in Kansas City next month. My main concern was that the conference is scheduled just a few weeks after our next child is due. With the blessing of my wife, however, we are going. (It helps that the conference is being held 15 minutes from my mom’s house. Growing up in KC does have its advantages, kids!) Here’s the three things I’m hoping to accomplish at the conference: Networking. Honestly, this is the #1 reason I’m going. There are quite a few people I know from Twitter and...
Read More#NCCL2011 Wrap-Up
In this video I discuss the highlights of my trip to the 2011 NCCL conference. I’m thinking of doing more videoes like this on the blog; let me know what you think in the...
Read More
As Featured On
