This week’s blog post on Shopping with Blessed Zelie is about a wonderful business in our neighboring country of Canada. Her ideas and products are a perfect fit for any parents wanting to teach their children about the faith.
1. Tell us about yourself.
My name is Monica and I’m a cradle-Catholic who discovered the richness of the Catholic Faith when I was challenged in my Faith during Architecture School. Seeking answers to defend my Faith… I found a community of Catholics on fire with their Faith.
I was inspired to learn more, seek more, take ownership of my Faith … and eventually meet my husband at a neighboring Parish Young People’s Group.
21 years ago, I married Bill and when we began having babies, I started to compile ideas to help teach the Catholic Faith to my kids… maybe in the form of a little booklet to share with my Catholic Mom friends.
Well, tapping into the Liturgical Calendar and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, I suddenly had a 304 page book! Prayerfully discerning our next steps, and not finding a good fit with publishers, we decided to self-publish.
My husband (also a Business Professor) started cold calling bookstores across North America and we tailored our family trips to accommodate bookstores, Catholic parishes, diocesan offices and eventually Catholic conferences.
In 2002, Pope John Paul II came to Toronto. Eager to participate in the week of events, I was not the least involved when our pastor gave a copy of my book to a very special lady who lived in our town.
Elizabeth was the wife of the first cousin of Pope John Paul II and although her husband Ludwig had passed away, she kept in close contact with “Karol” with weekly phone calls and regular correspondence.
Taken by limo and helicopter to Strawberry Island where Pope John Paul II was staying, she handed my book to the Holy Father and reported later to us that he flipped through my book, he pointed to my picture on the back and said “Tell her to keep doing what she is doing….for families“.
Needless to say, that inspiring direct order from our beloved Pope has informed our journey! Through self-publishing books, creating quizzing cards and paper craft kits, we have been Equipping Catholic Families the best way we know how!
2. What do you make?
Equipping Catholic Families was originally the tag line for our company Arma Dei, inspired by Ephesians 6:13 about equipping ourselves with the Armor of God. Equipping Catholic Families is my primary website featuring free activities and family traditions as well as showcasing our unique Catholic craft kits.
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We like to infuse solid Catholic teaching and inspiration from the lives of the saints and rich Catholic Tradition into fun activities and crafts that kids like to do anyway!
A Treasure Chest of Traditions for Catholic Families, traces the entire Liturgical Calendar with activities and crafts.
Hand in Hand with Jesus is a Catholic “All about Me” / Baby Book / Faith Journal, with thoughtful prompts and questions to get kids writing about what they’ve learned through the Sacrament and what they pray about.
We create Catechism, Prayer, Sacrament and Saint based craft kits to help teach and celebrate the Catholic Faith! Each paper craft kit is available as a PDF Downloadable to print at home…with permission to copy for up to one classroom of kids! There are over 30 Catholic craft kits available and you’ll find them in our Catholic Printables Gallery.
Our five kids have journeyed with us and all of them have actually inspired or helped to create or sell our Catholic Products.
3. What else would you like to share?
Our newest Saint Scripts Craft Kits feature the drawings of our 16 year old daughter Kelly: she has drawn over 55 Saints and we are so excited about the immanent release of Saint Scripts Craft Kit, Series Three! We also have an exciting new product to be released this summer, piloted through our own parish summer camp.
Be sure to subscribe to Equipping Catholic Families so that you’ll know the second this new Saints product is released! You’re going to love it!
We look forward to seeing you at the World Meeting of Families in September 2015!
4. Contact and Social Links
Catholic Printables Gallery: http://www.equippingcatholicfamilies.com/cathletics-printables-2014.html
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