The sacraments of the Catholic Church unite Catholics all over the world with Jesus Christ and with one another. Each of the seven sacraments were instituted by Jesus and given to us so that through them we can share in God’s life. In this article, you can download an art activity that invites reflection around the meaning of each of the seven sacraments for families, schools, parishes, and communities. The result is a paper “quilt” to display and share ..read more

In September 2015, Pope Francis established the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. This date, September 1, also begins the Season of Creation, a five-week opportunity inviting Christians to commit to stewardship of and prayer for the great gift of God’s creation. The Season of Creation ends on October 4, the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi, patron saint of ecology. This article explores ways to celebrate the Season of Creation and provides a printable version of Saint Francis’s Canticle of Creation Prayer Card to share with Catholics of all ages. Answering The Call to Care for ..read more

For Catholics, a strong religious understanding is an essential foundation for a life of faith. In religious education, assessment is a valuable tool to support teachers and catechists because it provides a picture of what students know and understand about their Catholic faith and where they can be supported with catechesis. This article shares information about assessment in religious education and suggests ways that assessment can personalize faith formation and support catechesis ..read more

This article proposes ways that family members can grow in faith together, beginning with an informal evaluation of their faith knowledge and then a plan to build family faith. This article features a family resource powered by Full Access for We Believe and We Live Our Faith, Sadlier’s new assessment solution that gives catechists and teachers clear reports of students’ faith knowledge and the tools to personalize catechesis. Whether gearing up to get back to religious education or simply looking for ways to build faith at the end of the summer season, the downloadable kit in this post will h ..read more

According to a March 2023 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 out of every 36 children in the United States are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental disorder that sometimes affects social communication and interaction, behavior patterns, language, and cognition. Our diverse and worldwide Catholic Church is made up of many adults and children with special needs and Autism. The National Catholic Partnership on Disability recommends that personalized and individualized attention and accommodations and diverse resources be available for thos ..read more

World Youth Day is an international event in the Church that draws millions of young pilgrims from around the world. World Youth Day 2023 is built on a theme from the Gospel of Luke, “Mary arose and went with haste,” (Luke 1:39) which is an invitation for young people to answer God’s call as active missionaries in the world with what Pope Francis calls a “healthy haste,” responsive to the needs of the world and others. In this article, you’ll learn more about the history of World Youth Day and ways to celebrate this August, whether at home, in the school or parish, or in Lisbon, Portugal.  ..read more

Whether your Religious Education program is just gearing up again or you are looking for new ideas to invigorate your existing program, this exclusive eBook will offer inspiration with fifteen tips for bringing Religious Education to Life. 15 Ideas to Bring Religious Education to Life 1. Interactive Church Scavenger Hunt We are invited to encourage students and their families to reinvigorate their faith lives. Re-familiarize them with the Church itself! Give students a list of clues that lead to places in the church. For example, a clue might be: At this spot, you might be welcomed ..read more

On September 27, the Church celebrates the Feast Day of Saint Vincent de Paul, who said, “Do not be content to say: I am a Christian! But live in such a way that it may be said of you: we have seen a man who loves God with all his heart and keeps his commandments.” Life of St. Vincent de Paul Saint Vincent de Paul was born in the countryside of France. His hard-working parents made many sacrifices so that he could go to school. He decided to become a priest, but not because he wanted to serve the Church entirely. He admitted later in his life that he had been embarrassed by his humble backgro ..read more

Our call to care for God’s creation is unceasing, and we as disciples are especially reminded of this call in Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si. Earth Day will be celebrated this month on April 22 and is another opportunity to discuss with children our responsibility to care for God’s creation. Using resources responsibly and helping to care for the planet is the responsibility of all disciples, regardless of our age. Even the youngest disciples can help to be stewards of creation. One of the ways to encourage this stewardship is by teaching young disciples about creation ..read more

On March 15, the Church celebrates the Feast Day of Saint Louise de Marillac. Louise was born in 1591, the daughter of Louis de Marillac, an important member of high society in Paris. Members of Louis’s family belonged to the French royal court, so Louise was raised among the French royalty. She was educated at a monastery outside of Paris where her aunt was a nun. As a teenager, she desired to become a nun, but the community did not accept her. Although she was deeply disappointed, her family advised her that to get married. And so Louise married Antoine Le Gras, the secretary to the Queen o ..read more