A Well-Built Faith
Joe Paprocki
A Well-Built Faith—cleverly developed around a construction theme—makes it easy and flat-out fun for any Catholic to know what they believe and to feel confident in sharing those beliefs with others.
In person discussion groups beginning Fall of 2024! Meetings are once a month.
Teen discussion group begins Sunday, October 6. Adult discussion group begins Wednesday, October 9. Contact [email protected] or the parish office of St. Patrick's or Immaculate Conception to register. |
Week 1
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What the Catholic Church Actually Teaches About Everything
Using a search engine to find a local restaurant, or the name of that guy from that one movie, or to understand what bitcoin is... these are essential life skills in the modern world. But what about bigger questions? It can be hard to figure out what the Catholic Church is all about in the vast digital sea of information. But there is a place we can go to find the summary of everything the Church teaches, and has taught for centuries: The Catechism of the Catholic Church.
In this video we unpack 3 things about the catechism that will unlock it for you in a way you've never known before. This is what you need to know about the Catechism of the Catholic Church. |
Which version of the Catechism should I get?
Tan, green, or blue cover? There exist primarily three different versions of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and each has its own color-coded cover to help distinguish them. While anyone can access the Catechism of the Catholic Church on the Vatican’s website, some still prefer the old-fashioned method of opening-up a physical book. However, it can be confusing at times, as there exist three different versions of the Catechism in circulation.
This is especially the case if you find yourself at a Catholic thrift-shop and see the older versions on display. Which version of the Catechism should you buy? Click here to find out! |
United States Catholic Catechism for Adults
The United States Catholic Catechism for Adults is an adaptation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and it is presented to Catholics of the United States.
It is hoped that this United States Catholic Catechism for Adults will be an aid and a guide for deepening faith. It may serve as a resource for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults and for the ongoing catechesis of adults. It will also be of interest for those who wish to become acquainted with Catholicism. Finally, it can serve as an invitation for all the faithful to continue growing in the understanding of Jesus Christ and his saving love for all people. |
How Does God Reveal Himself to Us?
The idea of God can seem vague and distant. We can be tempted to think if God exists, he must be very far from us. But Christianity proposes the truth of a very different God. Over time, God has shown us who He is and what He came to do. God's desire is to reveal himself to us in a way we can understand.
In this video, we explore how and what God desires to reveal about himself, and how we can come to know God. Find more videos at RealTrue.org.
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Week 2
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Who is God?
Catholics say, “I believe in God” when we recite the creed. But do we know who we’re saying we believe in when we recite that line?
To say the creed with faith and believe it is to enter into a relationship with God who is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and a relationship with the whole Church which passes on this creed and believes what it says. In this video, we explore how we know who God is and how we respond. |
What is the "Communion of Saints?"
Did you know you are connected to the saints in heaven? It’s true. Our lives as Christians are intertwined with the men and women who have walked before us in the faith.
We’re even more connected to them than to our family here on earth… because they are our heavenly family. They are rooting for us, interceding for us, and waiting for us in heaven. Think of the moment when we finally arrive at heaven’s gates; who will be cheering for us? Our extended family: the saints! |
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The Church is one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.
The Catholic Church is more than the building you visit on Sundays. In the Creed, we say we believe in, “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.” These four characteristics help us understand the invisible realities of the Church. Jesus left us one Church. It’s being led by God. It is universal. And it possesses the successors of the apostles, the eye-witnesses of Jesus’ life.
The Church is the true home of any follower of Jesus. And in the home of the Church, we can find a place we truly belong. |
Week 3
The Liturgical Year
Beginnings, ends, and the in-between: we experience them in everyday life, but Catholics also have a calendar that serves as a guide to navigating them while getting closer to Christ. What are the Catholic seasons? How can they help us throughout life?
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The Sacraments
An efficacious sign of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us through the work of the Holy Spirit. The sacraments (called "mysteries" in the Eastern Churches) are seven in number: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance or Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony.
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Catholics: Why We Are a Sacramental People
with Fr. Michael Himes Fr Michael Himes writes: "In the Catholic tradition, we call the occasions when grace or God’s love is made effectively present for us sacraments….By sacrament, I mean any person, place, thing, or event, any sight, sound, taste, touch, or smell, that causes us to notice the love which supports all that exists, that undergirds your being and mind and all the beings of everything about us. If there is one thing that defines what it means to be Catholic, I think it is this sense of sacramentality."
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Week 4
The Sacraments of Initiation
The Sacraments of Initiation are Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist.
Click here to learn about these three sacraments. |
The Sacraments of Healing
The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a unique and beautiful aspect of the Catholic Church that allows us, as sinners, to obtain forgiveness for our sins and reconcile with God and with one another.
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Anointing of the Sick
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The Sacraments in the Service of Communion
God created us in God’s own image. We are made for relationship and community. The greatest commandment is to love – God, self and neighbour.
In the life of Christ we see and hear about love being poured out for the other. It is in giving that we receive and become our best selves.
So at the heart of the Church’s life are two sacraments that celebrate the priority of love given in service of others: The Sacrament of Marriage and The Sacrament of Holy Orders.
In the life of Christ we see and hear about love being poured out for the other. It is in giving that we receive and become our best selves.
So at the heart of the Church’s life are two sacraments that celebrate the priority of love given in service of others: The Sacrament of Marriage and The Sacrament of Holy Orders.
Sacraments 101: Holy Orders
BustedHalo.com's fantastic introduction to the Sacraments series:
Join Fr. Dave Dwyer, CSP, as he explains what Holy Orders are in the Catholic Church, what happens at an Ordination, and what it means to say YES to God. |
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Holy Orders - Catholic Central
What is the sacrament of Holy Orders, and what does it do? What does it mean to be a priest, deacon, or bishop? Kai and Libby go through the history of the priesthood and what it looks like today.
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Sacraments 101: Matrimony
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Week 5
Catholic Social Teaching
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The Church's social teaching is a rich treasure of wisdom about building a just society and living lives of holiness amidst the challenges of modern society. Modern Catholic social teaching has been articulated through a tradition of papal, conciliar, and episcopal documents. The depth and richness of this tradition can be understood best through a direct reading of these documents.
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Click here to watch the Catholic Social Teaching Video Series presented by the USCCB and Catholic Relief Services.
Learn from Bishop Robert Barron, Jonathan Reyes, and Helen Alvaré as they discuss
the dignity of the human person and our right to life.
Learn from Bishop Robert Barron, Jonathan Reyes, and Helen Alvaré as they discuss
the dignity of the human person and our right to life.
Week 6
Prayer is a way to connect with the Divine. The Catholic Faith is rich in spiritual practices including many different types of individual prayer, community prayer, and practices of caring. There are prayer forms that will be fruitful for anyone from the most traditional Catholic to someone who is spiritual but not religious. We invite you to learn about different prayer forms and spiritual practices.
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Want to go deeper?
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The Catechism in a Year
(with Fr. Mike Schmitz) Coming January 1, 2023 With this podcast, Catholics will:
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