Practice Makes Catholic ─ Moving from a Learned Faith to a Lived Faith

If you ask Joe Paprocki, he'll say that practice makes Catholicuthat is, there are certain distinct practices that make us essentially Catholic. The problem is that many Catholics don't understanduor perhaps misunderstand-why we engage in do many practices we do.

In Practice Makes Catholic, Paprocki addresses the all-important "why" of many Catholic practices by articulating five key characteristics that form our Catholic, identity: a sense of sacramentality, a commitment to community, a respect for the dignity of human life and commitment to justice, a reverence for Tradition, and a disposition to faith and hope rather than despair. Under each of these categories, he explores and explains multiple Catholic practices, then describes how following each one can make a profound difference in our faith and in our lives.

Informative and inviting, Practice Makes Catholic is the perfect resource for RCIA candidates and their sponsors, for Catholics returning to the faith, and for all Catholics who want to get to the heart of what their faith is really about.

Joe Paprocki, DMin, is national consultant for faith formation at Loyola Press. He has 30 years of experience in ministry and has taught at the high school, college, and general-adult levels, and currently serves as a fourth-grade catechist. He is the author of several books, including the best-selling The Catechists Toolbox. For more information about Joe or his experiences in the catechetical environment, visit his blog at www.catechistsjourney.com.