Frank Koob and co-host Pat Pacer meet three teens who received leadership and service awards at this season's youth ministry awards banquets.

Youth awards, part 2

Youth awards, part 3

Frank Koob's guests were Rosalind Camardella, the Director of Religious Education at St. Joseph's in Libertyville, IL and Jeannine Havlik, Associate Director of Faith Formation at St. Emily's in Mt. Prospect, IL. They discussed efforts being made to bring an evangelizing catechesis to the whole parish community.

Whole community catechesis part 2.

Whole community catechesis part 3.

Carol Kloss, coordinator of the Chicago Catholic Scripture School gives an update about the CCSS including the announcement of three new Year 1 sites for September, 2008.

Frank Koob and Carol Kloss discuss ways Scripture helps person to grow spiritually.

Carol Kloss gives a rundown of two upcoming CCSS special events: Psalms and the Liturgy of the Hours and On Holy Ground: encountering God in the Bible.

Frank Koob explores catechesis and the work of the Office for Catechesis and Youth Ministry with the director of the OFCYM Maria H. Sedano and Sr. Judy Dieterle, the associate director.

Sedano and Dieterle, Part 2.

Sedano and Dieterle, Part 3.

Frank Koob Discusses the celebration of Kwanzaa with Mary Norfleet-Johnson. This seasonal celebration fo African-American values is celebrated from December 26 through January 1 each year.

Juan Carlos Farías, born and raised in Mexico, shares his experience of celebrating the feast of Three Kings-Epiphany in the Mexican communities.

Alexander Wroblicky, a member of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, describes the Ukrainian Byzantine feast of Theophany which coincides with the Western celebration of Epiphany and the Baptism of our Lord.

Frank Koob and Fr. Tim Fiala (of the John Paul II Center for campus ministry at University of Illinois at Chicago) talked about what the Sacrament of Reconciliation is and why Advent is a good time to receive it.

Sacrament of Reconciliation 2

Sacrament of Reconciliation 3

Frank Koob and Carol Kloss discuss two up coming events: The Chicago Catechetical Conference on November 16 & 17 and the Chicago Catholic Scripture School special event Jerusalem: The Holy City on November 10.

CCC and Jerusalem, part 2

CCC and Jerusalem, part 3

Pat Redington and Frank Koob comment on the current PBS documentary series "The War" produced and directed by Ken Burns. They introduce today's program topic "Faith and War." They they welcome their first guest, Cdr. John Hannigan, a Marine Corps chaplain and priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago. Father Hannigan has just spent 19 months in the combat zones of Iraq.

Our conversation with Fr. Hannigan continues, as we discuss the impact war participation has on soldiers in harm's way. Fr. Hannigan relates his observations as he worked with the men and women. We also ask him how being in this situation has impacted his own faith.

We change focus a bit with our conversation with our next guest, Bob Lesniak, who served 12 months in Vietnam in 1966-67 beginning at the age of 20. Bob relates how his experience of the war zone influenced him at the time, and even now 40 years later. Bob is a staff member at the Office for Catechesis and Youth Ministry.

Pat Redington joined us to talk about the PBS series "The War" which airs starting September 23. Our entire radio program on September 26 will be about war from a personal faith perspective.

We talked about two upcoming youth events - World Youth Day 2008 in Australia (Pat pacer joined us) and the NCYC youth conference in November. Youth Minister at St. Bruno, Mary Chyba shared her enthusiasm for that event.

We looked at the start-up of the 2007-2008 catechetical year. We focused on the continual need for good catechists. We heard from Sam D'Anza, the CRE at St. Eulalia, Maywood  who finds this ministry fulfilling.

The July 2007 radio program presented a conversation with Fr. Richard Hynes, the new Director of the Department of Evangelization, Catechesis, and Worship of the Archdiocese of Chicago. He will support the work of the Office for Catechesis and Youth Ministry, as well as over twenty other agencies of the Archdiocese that relate to parish faith life. He shared some ideas as he moves into this role. Fr. Hynes, the recent pastor of St. John of the Cross in Western Springs, IL, also reflected on his work as pastor in ways in which he supported the catechetical ministries in his parish.

Hynes, part 2

Hynes, Part 3