
The new year is here! The twelve months to come stretch before us, like clean pages on a calendar. You may already have appointments and other responsibilities marked, but no one can deny...
January 8, 2024
| ByJoanna Dailey

We honor the saints because they followed the way of Jesus, each in their own way and with their own gifts and talents. The saints encourage us to follow Jesus, to love God and others, using...
January 3, 2024
| ByJoanna Dailey

You may have heard about “active learning.” Let’s take a few minutes to dive into this topic with Steven Ellair and envision how you can incorporate this practice into your classroom...
December 11, 2023
| BySaint Mary's Press

During the season of Advent, the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation often becomes a sacrament of focus in faith communities. Children celebrate First Reconciliation during Advent, and...
December 4, 2023
| ByLaurie Ziliak

Have you ever been teaching, and you look out to see a room full of young people just staring back at you with glazed eyes? Maybe you’ve experienced sessions where children start twitching,...
November 16, 2023
| BySaint Mary's Press

This is such a special time of year. The excitement of the holidays is mounting, and Advent is about to begin, our preparation for the Incarnation and Nativity of Jesus, ushering in a time...
November 1, 2023
| BySaint Mary's Press

The ancient Celts, who invented our Halloween celebration, were particularly sensitive to the turning-points of the year. They had to be, for their survival depended on their knowledge of...
October 23, 2023
| ByJoanna Dailey

If you’ve been in the classroom for some time (or have children of your own), it is no secret that learners have different ways and different circumstances in which they thrive. We know...
October 9, 2023
| BySaint Mary's Press

As Christians, we know we’re called to serve one another. This, we can understand, is one of the core messages of the Gospel, especially significant in the instructions to love our neighbor...
October 2, 2023
| BySaint Mary's Press

Among the many ways to pray, scriptural prayer is one of the best for children. The stories, images, characters, and words of the Bible are an excellent starting point for a child’s prayer....
September 18, 2023
| ByRita Burns Senseman

The Summa Theologica, written by Saint Thomas Aquinas between the years AD 1265 and 1274, is one of the most extensive summaries of Catholic theology ever written. Meant to serve as a compendium...
September 4, 2023
| BySaint Mary's Press

If you were asked to describe what the Church is, how would you answer? Would your answer be about the buildings, the people, or the teachings? Once you have that description, how would...
August 21, 2023
| ByCarrie J. Schroeder

In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus tells his disciples, “Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both...
August 15, 2023
| ByBrian Singer Towns

With the Solemnity of the Assumption right around the corner, we’re thinking of some creative ways to celebrate with kids—ways that will help to bring the wonder and meaning home! ...
August 7, 2023
| BySaint Mary's Press

Like signs and symbols, the sacraments are about the mystery of a threefold communication: from God to humans, from humans to God, and among humans in community. The very idea of communication...
July 24, 2023
| ByJay M. Hammond

Having grown up in a family that spent a lot of time outdoors, I always find that time in nature refreshes my soul. Whether at the beach, the mountains, or in my own backyard, I breathe...
July 17, 2023
| ByJulie Mickler

Have you ever had the experience of revealing to others that you teach young adolescents only to have them say, “That’s nice!” when their faces seem to say, “Why would you do that?” Even...
July 10, 2023
| BySteven Ellair

Getting children into Scripture requires careful planning, especially when it comes to choosing the right Bible for them. With several options in terms of translations, formats, and features,...
June 19, 2023
| BySaint Mary's Press

Every week at Mass, we listen as Sacred Scripture is proclaimed to the Church. Then, later on in every week during faith formation or religious education classes, we teach young people using...
June 5, 2023
| BySaint Mary's Press

Twenty years ago, we had an “Aha!” moment. We discovered that Catholic young people don’t know how to navigate the Bible, they weren’t familiar with its important people and events, and...
May 29, 2023
| ByBrian Singer Towns

Scripture and Tradition: The Heart of the Catholic Faith The core of our belief is rooted in what we hear and read in Sacred Scripture, interpreted by the Tradition of the Church; the...
May 22, 2023
| BySaint Mary's Press

The Solemnity of the Ascension has the power to really wow kids with the marvelous account of Christ’s last moments, after his Resurrection, before he enters into Heaven. The mind...
May 18, 2023
| BySaint Mary's Press

Mary of Nazareth (ca. 18 BC—AD 50), the mother of Jesus of Nazareth, is without a doubt one of the most influential figures in all of Christianity. Revered by most, venerated by some, but...
May 8, 2023
| ByDavid Canales

Spring is a time of renewal and a perfect time to renew efforts to support faith formation at home. Spring also signals the beginning of the end for the school year and faith formation programs....
April 27, 2023
| ByJoanna Dailey

What are the best ways to help children learn and live their faith? How can we engage children so that faith comes to life for them? What are some approaches to religious education that...
March 30, 2023
| BySaint Mary's Press

In the life, teaching, and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth, the understanding of the personal nature of God deepened, and the promise of personal relationship with God intensified. Jesus of...
March 9, 2023
| ByGloria L. Schaab

Lent can be challenging, especially for younger children. It is a penitential season of the liturgical year. Penance, by definition, expresses repentance for wrongdoing and is neither fun...
February 22, 2023
| BySaint Mary's Press