The NCCL Blog

In the years following the Second Vatican Council, when the Church was learning anew how to listen as well as teach, leaders like Jane Wolford Hughes helped shape a vision of ...

After completing a master’s degree in theological studies from Harvard Divinity School in 1980, Jack accepted a high school teaching position in Madison, Wisconsin.  Later he ...

Hildegard, a medieval (1098-1179) mystic, composer, author, preacher, poet, playwright and Benedictine nun was canonized in 2012 and named a Doctor of the Church (the fourth w...

For catechists, the life and vision of Françoise Darcy-Berube offer both a challenge and a deep source of encouragement.

She stood at a pivotal moment in the life of the Chur...

St. Albert, teacher, scholar, scientist, preacher, and bishop, offers catechists a powerful example of what it means to devote one's life to seeking and sharing God's truth. B...

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin lived at the intersection of faith, science, and wonder. A French Jesuit priest, philosopher, paleontologist, scientist, and mystic, he refused to s...

The story of Paul is one of the most dramatic stories of transformation in Christian history. Saul of Tarsus was intelligent, educated, passionate, and deeply committed to his...

As an author, lecturer, professor, scholar, and mentor, Gerard Sloyan, a priest of the diocese of Trenton, NJ, helped shape the fields of religious education, Scripture, litur...

Born in Greece, Cyril and Methodius were brothers who became missionaries to the Slavic people of ninth century Moravia. They did far more than teach the faith; they showed wh...

Christiane, born in Louvain, Belgium, was a catechetical advocate for children and a pioneer in the implementation of the Rite of Christian Initiation in the United States.

I...

Sr. Catherine (Kate) Dooley, O.P., Ph.D. was a Sinsinawa (WI) Dominican Sister who was a professor of Catechetics and Liturgy at the Catholic University of America, Washington...

For catechists, the life of Francis de Sales offers a deeply reassuring and practical model of ministry—one rooted not in force or brilliance alone, but in gentleness, patienc...

James J. DiGiacomo was a high school teacher, youth minister, university professor, popular national and international lecturer. He was known for his ability to tell a good st...

The life of Maureen Gallagher reminds us that catechesis is never only about teaching lessons; it is about shaping a culture of faith where learning, leadership, and daily lif...

Described by one commentator as the greatest Christian poet of the early Church St. Ephrem used his poetic gift with words to preach against the heresies of his day.

Born in ...

Catechists are often called to plant seeds of faith in quiet, ordinary ways—sometimes with limited resources, little recognition, and many challenges. The life of Blessed Mari...

Catechists today stand within a long tradition of women and men who have devoted their lives to proclaiming the Gospel in ways that reach people’s hearts. One of those influen...

The life of Ignatius reminds catechists that God often works through the unexpected turns of our lives. As a young man, Ignatius dreamed of military honor and glory. Yet a sev...

The story of St. Catherine of Alexandria is one of faith, courage, and wisdom in the service of the Gospel. Tradition tells us that Catherine lived in the early fourth century...

Cyril of Jerusalem lived during a remarkable moment in Christian history. Born around the time of the Edict of Milan in 313, which legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire, ...

Maria Harris, a renowned Catholic educator and theologian (1932-2005), helped reshape how the Church understands religious education. Through her writing, teaching, and speaki...

Born in 1811 in Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), John Neumann felt called to missionary service and traveled to the United States as a young priest. He served immigrant commu...

Rose was born in Grenoble, France in 1769, into a family that was among the new rich. At 19 she entered the Visitation of Mary convent; during the French Revolution the order ...

Raymond of Penafort lived a remarkably long life—nearly one hundred years—and used every stage of it in service to God and the Church. Born near Barcelona to a noble family, R...