Tag: religion

Our Favorite Catholic Picture Books

Published on by Mary CooneyLeave a comment

This year, for our Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Atrium, I wanted to create a little library of Catholic picture books. So I reached out to some authors and publishers and invited them to donate picture books to our Extra-Special Atrium (for children with Down Syndrome). I was touched by the generous responses as boxes of books promptly showed up at our door.

Reading a beautifully written and illustrated picture book with your children is one of the most memorable ways to pass on the faith. So with Christmas quickly approaching, I’d like to share with you our favorite Catholic picture books: books my kids and the children in our atrium have really enjoyed!

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Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for Children with Down Syndrome

Published on by Mary Cooney8 Comments

One of my goals this year was to prepare Junior and the boys in our Down Syndrome co-op to receive their First Holy Communion. To help with that, we were blessed to find a catechist who was trained to teach Catechesis of the Good Shepherd classes. Maria, our catechist, had never worked with children with T21, but it quickly became evident to all of us that she had a loving heart for them. And the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd was so appropriate for the four boys in our co-op. The highly visual and hands on approach, the one-on-one presentations, the boys’ freedom to choose which materials to work with, and the (mostly) peaceful environment allowed the boys to ponder and learn about our faith. It was a beautiful thing to behold.

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The Articles of the Mass: Three-part Cards

Published on by Mary Cooney1 Comment

This year, the boys in our little T21 co-op are preparing to receive First Confession and First Communion. We are so grateful that a trained catechist has been coming to run a little Catechesis of the Good Shepherd class just for them.

They have been learning the names of some of the articles of the Mass, and so I made these Montessori-style three-part cards to teach them words such as monstrance, chalice, paten, and purificator.

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Helping Our Children Encounter God: An Interview with Kristen Fisher on “The One Best Thing”

Published on by Mary Cooney1 Comment

Today I want to share with you one of the *best* resources I’ve used and read as a parent.

Here we are at the start new school year, busy juggling academics, sports, social activities, and so on. In the midst of all this I try to keep our ultimate goal in mind — something I’ve thought about, prayed about, written about, and prayed about again and again. The ultimate goal in raising and educating our kids is sanctity — our kids’ and our own. And so a question I am often pondering is this: how can I help my kids encounter Our Lord in deep and meaningful ways so they grow in their faith and love for God?

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