Practice Makes Catholic: Moving from a Learned Faith to a Lived Faith (Toolbox Series)

Third Place, Resources for Ministry category
ACP Excellence in Publishing Awards, 2012
Third Place, Popular Presentation of the Catholic Faith category
Catholic Press Association book awards, 2012
“Paprocki’s book is…rich with information, wit, and wisdom and short on preachiness.”
It is said that practice makes perfect, but what else does practice make? If you ask Joe Paprocki, he’ll say that practice makes Catholic—that is, there are certain distinct practices that make us essentially Catholic. The problem is that many Catholics don’t understand—or at least misunderstand—why we engage in the 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, D.Min., has been a catechetical leader and religious educator in the Chicago area for more than thirty years. His books include Living the Mass, The Bible Blueprint, The Catechist’s Toolbox (Loyola Press).  He is the National Consultant for Faith Formation at Loyola Press in Chicago.  Joe blogs about his work as a catechist at Catechist’s Journey (www.catechistsjourney.com).