Hands-on learning center activities designed to enhance sacrament preparation. Ideal for whole community gatherings and intergenerations assemblies.

In this remarkable preparation program, Sr. Linda walks readers through the process of experiencing the sacraments as times of growth and conversion--involving everyone in the parish community. She offers here everything a parish leader needs to make this happen: guidelines for the facilitator, liturgical prayers, catechist guides, student materials, and family handouts--all in one package. the accompanying CD contains both PDF and Word documents for easy personalization and reproduction of all components of the program.

What a delightful and informative way for children and their families to learn about Advent and Lent, the two of the Churchs most celebrated and significant liturgical seasons! Doris Murphy offers thirteen creative centers for learning about Advent, twelve for Lent, five for Holy Week, and eight seasonal centers for everyone in the parish. For Advent her topics include The Jesse Tree, the O Antiphons, and The Church Year. For Lent, her topics include The Cross, Making Choices, and Lenten Practices. For Holy Week, she offers Symbols of Lent, The Last Supper, Stations of the Cross, Christ the Light, and Easter. All of these learning centers offer children and their families the opportunity to experience the Church seasons in a unique, inviting, and fun learning environment.

If, as common wisdom suggests, young people learn best when they are fully involved in the process, it makes eminently good sense to use Learning Centers with candidates preparing for the sacrament of confirmation. Here Doris Murphy offers fifteen creative and formative centers. At each, young people and their families share church teaching, Scripture, prayers, conversation, and fun activities that reinforces the teaching. Topics covered here include the sacraments of initiation, the gifts and fruits of the Spirit, The spiritual and corporal works of mercy, Catholic social teaching, Church laws and moral choices, and mystagogia or living in the Spirit. These Learning Centers have been successfully used in a variety of parishes, with excellent results, because they accommodate a variety of learning styles and offer a unique opportunity for adults and young people to learn about confirmationtogether.

What is forgiveness? Why is it so hard to forgive? In The Forgiveness Book: A Catholic Approach, award-winning authors Alice Camille and Paul Boudreau address these questions and many more by thoroughly examining what Scripture has to say about those who trespass against us, and what it takes to accomplish the difficult act of forgiveness all from a distinctly Catholic point of view. The Forgiveness Book asks tough questions and prayerfully investigates issues such as: Why should we forgive? What to do with sin? The importance of Confession, Contrition and Compensation; How do we accept forgiveness? The power of forgiveness; Forgiveness vs. enabling The Appendix includes an examination of conscience, prayers of forgiveness, Bible verses on forgiveness, important books on forgiveness, and a list of films that focus on forgiveness.

Gaynell Cronin's best-selling sacramental preparation program, originally published by Ave Maria Press, is now available from St. Anthony Messenger Press. The Forgiveness of the Lord and The Table of the Lord are designed to help parents prepare their young children for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Eucharist. The basic catechesis is done at home with the support of the parish community and a program director. The director's role is to prepare the parents and to involve the parish community in the sacramental preparation. While the majority of the catechesis is done in the home, both programs are enriched by group meetings which introduce the parents to their task and by community gatherings for the reception of the sacraments. The Family Book presents the catechetical process for the parent to follow in presenting the sessions to their children. Here is a complete resource to help parents prepare their children for the sacrament of reconciliation. Various activities and prayer services are included for the whole family. 60 pages. Photos. Child's Book Director's Manual

First Reconciliation and Beyond is a resource for Catholic parishes. The Leader Guide contains everything a catechist needs to lead one parents' session and four children's sessions to prepare for celebrating the sacrament of reconciliation. The emphasis is not just on "first reconciliation" but the ongoing experience of growing in relationship with Christ and the Christian community. The sessions focus on the theology, scripture, symbols, and experience of the sacramental ritual. The book includes age appropriate activities and discussions for both younger (ages 7-8) and older (ages 9-11) children.