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A Well-Built Faith: A Catholic's Guide to Knowing and Sharing What We Believe

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Nail down the facts, tear down the barriers! The Catechism of the Catholic Church is over nine hundred pages long, so it comes as no surprise that many Catholics think of their faith as complex—and certainly too complex to share with others! A Well-Built Faith —cleverly developed around a construction theme—makes it easy and flat-out fun for any Catholic to know what they believe and to feel confident in sharing those beliefs with others.

The eighteen-chapter book—at times profound, at times humorous, always practical—follows the structure of the four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church (Creed, Sacraments, Morality, and Prayer). Taking otherwise difficult topics about the Catholic faith and making them accessible and relevant to the lives of average Catholics, acclaimed author and teacher Joe Paprocki does so in a way that never compromises the rich depth of Catholic teaching and tradition.

From the Trinity to the seven sacraments, from the Ten Commandments to the Lord’s Prayer, A Well-Built Faith will help Catholics nail down the facts of the faith and tear down the barriers keeping them from sharing their beliefs with others.'

Also available in Spanish! Una Fe Bien Construida

176 pages, Paperback

First published July 31, 2008

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About the author

Joe Paprocki

48 books10 followers

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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
Profile Image for Sarah.
Author 9 books308 followers
June 3, 2014
I'm a week out from the 30 hours of teaching also known as Confirmation Boot Camp, and this book was the perfect thing for me to read. For that matter, it's probably the perfect thing for ANYONE to read at ANY time.

This book is a great introduction to the Catholic faith, but it's also a wonderful refresher. Using the image of building, but without overdoing it, Paprocki walks the reader through some concepts that are less-than-easy. The temptation is to whip through it (guilty). Good thing I marked passages, dog-eared it to death, and put it on my "Key References" shelf, huh?

Highly, HIGHLY recommended. This would be an especially great gift for the catechists in your life, but don't limit yourself to that. New Catholics, teens, and many others will benefit from Paprocki's straightforward style, his humor, and his expert teaching.
Profile Image for Lisa Jones.
18 reviews3 followers
November 3, 2022
No matter how much I know about my faith, there is always a hunger to learn more. This book presents the faith of our Church in a practical, easy to follow style with nice everyday language. The chapters are cleverly organized around a construction theme that adds nice structure to the book.

Though much of the information presented in this book is not new to me, it is presented in a new way that made it interesting to re-learn and absorb. The author addresses our faith in four sections: Creed, Sacraments, Moral Life, and Prayer. The last section on Prayer: Praying Faith really spoke to me. Mr. Paprocki defines prayer as "...our awareness of the divine presence in our lives. Prayer is our response to God's undying efforts to reach our hearts." A simple statement; so beautiful to mediate on. This section does a great job identifying the different types of prayers used by Catholics and offers practical examples to help you recognize all the various ways we answer St. Paul's call to pray without ceasing.

In my opinion, this book would be a wonderful gift for anyone interested in the Catholic faith or entering RCIA . It is also a great tool and resource for all of us cradle Catholics who want to brush up on the "why" of our faith or learn things we've missed along the way. A Well Built Faith gives you the knowledge and confidence to be able to share your faith with your friends, family and children.

This book will remain on my nightstand for a long time as a valuable resource as questions of faith arise or when a refresher is needed.
99 reviews
July 8, 2020
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The book provided specifics to what we believe as Catholics in a manner that we enjoying to read and easy to understand. The jokes in chapter provide a nice chuckle while the chapter content is important information to growth of one’s faith. The book is also written so it can be used a reference. I will return to this book again as a refresher on certain topics or to reintroduce myself to other topics from time to time.
8 reviews
October 29, 2017
While the content was good the formatting was something seen is early kindle books which is surprising as this book wasn't that old. It made it difficult to read on any of my kindle devices (KK, K5th generation or kindle app).
Profile Image for NK.
420 reviews3 followers
June 7, 2017
Excellent resource and learning material
Profile Image for Sandy.
392 reviews3 followers
March 20, 2017
This is a great book for anyone who wants to learn the basics of the Catholic faith or a refresher for those already familiar. The book is easy to read and understand and helpful for how to integrate faith into your life. There's also a free leader's guide available for download to allow for group discussion and teaching.
10 reviews
January 4, 2016
After being brought up in a Irish Catholic family in the days when quilt and fear were the prevalent reasons to attend church and after personally struggling with my faith for years; this text supplied answers to questions and misconceptions I had about being Catholic. It is well worth reading for any Catholic, even if you think you "know" the Church. Sorry I didn't read it years ago; but better late than never.
The book is supplies simple explanations, uses appropriate humor and gives examples. It also highlights the important practices; gives a historical perspective and includes explanations for recent changes (Vatican II).
10 reviews1 follower
March 5, 2012
I'm very fond of Joe Paprocki's style of writing. I had the pleasure of meeting him this winter and he signed my copy of this book. I really enjoyed this book--it's kind of like an "Idiot's Guide" book to Catholicism. I liked the way the chapters were presented in an easy-to-read format. I re-learned the things I should have learned in elementary school!
Profile Image for Deanna.
71 reviews1 follower
August 4, 2015
Great overview of the teachings of the Catholic faith. Straightforward, easy to read, humorous, good examples, and not preachy!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews

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