Family company designs Catholic-themed vacation Bible school material

Published: 2006-04-25

CHICAGO (CNS) -- Margaret Windle, a mother of eight, author, songwriter and poet, felt something was missing from popular vacation Bible school programs on the market. She felt programs featuring vegetables and jungle characters had catchy themes and a Scripture story, but they didn't have anything that could address Catholics' heritage. So the Marion, Ind., resident rallied three of her daughters who are active in their parishes and in religious education to come up with an alternative. In 2001, they created their own company, Growing With the Saints -- www.growingwiththesaints.com -- and produced materials for a Catholic vacation Bible school program called "St. Patrick and the Holy Trinity." In 2003, a pilot program was tested at Our Lady of the Hills Parish in Columbia, S.C. Although developing a new product line on a shoestring budget and starting a self-publishing company from scratch is a challenge, the group's marketing director, Susan Lawson, said the company follows the motto of her 80-year-old mother: "Pray, hope and don't worry."

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