World News
Catholic vacation Bible school is family mission
Published: August 30, 2012
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (CNS) -- As the 2012 vacation Bible school season comes to a close, an Indiana family of faith-filled and creative women can look back with pride at offering a Catholic alternative to the traditionally Protestant-based programs. After a discussion with a neighbor in 2001 about the lack of available Catholic programs, Melissa Kaiser, a parishioner at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Fort Wayne and mother of seven children, gathered her own mother, Margaret Windle, and sisters Maryalice Beach and Susan Lawson to brainstorm ideas for a fully Catholic vacation Bible school. With the decision to begin with teachings on the Trinity, the idea for "St. Patrick and the Holy Trinity Catholic VBS" program was born. The women were soon developing lesson plans that incorporated the sacraments, Catholic values and virtues, Scripture and stories of saints for kindergarten through sixth grade. By 2004, Our Lady of the Hills Parish in South Carolina, where Lawson resides, was piloting the first program with great success. And the program grew in popularity across the country. Since then, this family of catechists has developed five programs, all of which have the bishop's imprimatur, an official approval that the content is in line with Catholic teachings. Each of the five easy-to-use, pull-and-go programs is organized in a five-day thematic format. Each program incorporates a book written on a specific saint to study, and concludes with evangelization and a call to discipleship and service on the final day.
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