Dr. Jo Ann Paradise
Why Are You Afraid?
Dr. Jo Ann Paradise Comments Off on Why Are You Afraid?
As a director of faith formation, I really appreciated the month of July. I was committed to a 10-month contract with the parish. That never happened. June was dedicated to cleaning out closets and planning what needed to be done by August. It was a time for calling people to catechetical ministry, starting phone conversations: Read More
We Will Rise Again and Again and Again
Dr. Jo Ann Paradise Comments Off on We Will Rise Again and Again and Again
Working in parish ministry for 45 years now, I do not once recall planning for the Easter season. There were many extended meetings about Advent that included what exactly is the shade of purple that denotes the season. There were even longer meetings about Lent. How do we facilitate making room for the Holy Spirit Read More
Memorial of the Eucharist
Dr. Jo Ann Paradise Comments Off on Memorial of the Eucharist
What a difference it would make if we continually remembered that Eucharist is rooted in memory. Reflecting on the familiar words of the institution one day, I kept hearing Jesus say, “Do this in memory of me.” It reminded me of a movie I once saw. The mom was diagnosed with a terminal illness. What Read More
Teaching as a Priority
Dr. Jo Ann Paradise Comments Off on Teaching as a Priority
At your staff meeting the first week of June, I imagine this happened: While people had already begun the dialogue about what Masses were going to be streamed, or someone was asking the question under his/her breath, “Is anyone really going to come back?” the director of the parish’s Ladies of Charity comes running in. Read More
The Heart of the Matter
Dr. Jo Ann Paradise Comments Off on The Heart of the Matter
Whatever meeting you attend or article you read, you hear the question, “What will the Church be like after COVID-19?” You probably have pondered the question yourself on many occasions. No one has the answer to that question. Yet, at a ministerium meeting, I heard a young Methodist minister say, “One thing I know. People Read More
What Does St. Joseph Teach Us?
Dr. Jo Ann Paradise Comments Off on What Does St. Joseph Teach Us?
Vacation is always a good time to experience the Church universal. You do not even have to go to a foreign country to do so. If you live in the Northeast, attending liturgy in Texas might provide you with a whole different experience of church. I love to explore the worship space after Mass. It Read More