This article contains insights from the recent webinar Parents and Families at the Center of Faith Formation. The webinar offered strategies for Directors of Religious Education (DREs) and parishes to confidently and effectively involve...

It is not uncommon for classes and programs to start the year with a grounding theme or a centering idea. Start this new academic year by being intentional about inviting the children to care for God and one another. Don’t just pick...

“I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. . . . ” begins the Nicene Creed, which Catholics all over the world pray during Mass. It is prayed in hundreds and hundreds of...

The Rosary is a popular devotion to Mary, the Mother of God. By praying the Rosary, we pray with Mary and we ask her to pray for us. The main part of the Rosary is to recite five sets of ten Hail Marys (each set is called a decade).  Saying...

The word Magnificat means “magnifies.” It comes from the first line of Mary’s song after she heard Elizabeth’s greeting to her: “And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  . . . . Blessed are you who...

Engage your entire parish community with Vacation Bible School (VBS)! From leaders and organizers to teen volunteers and participants, VBS offers a unique opportunity for intergenerational connection, shared faith experiences, and joyful...

Choosing a new pope is somewhat of a mystery to people. In the early Church, a pope was elected not only by the bishops but also by the clergy and the laity. In later years, only the bishops took part in the election. In some cases,...

Imagine choosing a lifelong spiritual companion. That’s what Confirmation names are all about. This tradition connects young people with a saint who will serve as their special patron and spiritual role model. In the Catholic Church,...

Catholic family faith formation, no matter the situation Sustaining faith in a family’s busy routine is an intentional act. By embracing the opportunities within daily life, families can beautifully weave faith into their routines, leading...

Introducing a dynamic new way to enhance faith formation in your parish: Gathered Family Sessions! Rooted in the liturgical and natural seasons, our Gathered Family Sessions offer ten 90-minute sessions from September through June. A...

Invite children, tweens and teens to deepen their Lenten journey. Lent is a time for renewal and reflection through fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. We offer free Lent activities to guide young people to live their faith more meaningfully.  Such...

Questions of human dignity encircle us in many striking and challenging ways these days. Can we as teachers and mentors truly contribute to a national conversation that insists on the value of each human person? The answer is a resounding...

Christians understand the Old Testament as preparing us for the coming of Jesus Christ. The authors of the New Testament incorporated Old Testament texts in their writings to demonstrate how this is seen.  This handy guide is found in The...

People of different religious backgrounds sometimes disagree bitterly. This is a big deal because of the violence and war that can result. Violence-inducing disagreements may suggest that huge and irreconcilable differences exist among...

Catholics view respect for life as a value that touches a wide range of life issues. It recognizes that we are called to have compassion for all people—including those who are not yet born, those with disabilities, those who have little...

When the pictures of turkeys appear in school windows across the land (sometimes each feather a different color!), we know that Thanksgiving is near. After a full weekend of food, family, and friends, it can be a jolt to arrive in church...

Step 1: You need to complete the “How to Download the Teacher Zip File” steps first, and you must extract all files and folders from the Zip file to upload to your Google Drive. Step 2: Navigate to the Teacher Resources you wish to add...

Please note: Our Zip files are safe to download to your computer. By compressing our files this way, we make them faster to download. Step 1: Select the “Download All Resources” button for the set of Teacher Resources you would like...