A LAY INITIATIVE FORMED TO DEFEND

CATHOLIC TEACHING ON THE FAMILY

JOIN OUR FAMILY CATECHISM PROGRAMME: BECOME CRUSADERS FOR CHRIST!

Voice of the Family is delighted to present Our Lady of the Rosary Family Catechism, an entire online video catechism course which provides children and their families, completely free of charge, with the unique opportunity to learn the timeless truths of the Catholic Faith according to the classic Baltimore Catechism. 

The easily accessible lessons of Our Lady of the Rosary Family Catechism are presented by Fr Anthony Pillari JCL, MCL, STB with the view that all children and families commit the Baltimore Catechism to memory, as generations of Catholics used to do to really know and love our Faith. By taking up this delightful challenge, we are invited to join the mission given by Our Lady at Fatima: to work for the salvation of souls by striving for holiness in our daily lives. 

Click here to watch the trailer of Our Lady of the Rosary Family Catechism.

Launching this Catechism programme, John Smeaton, the co-founder of Voice of the Family, said:

“The truths of Catholic teaching are simply presented by a priest whose words and delivery exude the love of God. Fr Pillari’s crystal clear teaching is reinforced with wonderfully well-chosen sacred images and music. Parents with children of all ages – from young children to mature adults who may be struggling to believe – will feel greatly empowered by this series of short videos which, with all the arts of the gifted film-maker, capture the viewers’ imagination, increase their knowledge, and deepen their faith in Catholic truth.”

The deep crisis in the Church and in the world today can only be overcome by a renewed commitment to our Catholic Faith, in its full integrity. Knowing the catechism well will lead us to truly live the faith and rebuild our Christian society. We particularly hope that this programme will be a real asset to Catholic parents, called to be the primary educators of their children – especially in the most important area of education, namely, forming their children in the faith.

Fr Pillari explains:

“I’m looking forward to guiding you through your study of the entire Baltimore Catechism. I would strongly urge you to join the Catechism Crusade and to log weekly the progress of each of your children, as well as your own! From years of working with children, teenagers, and adults, I have found that it makes a great difference in one’s spiritual life or in one’s study of the faith, if one has weekly accountability. Without that, very few persevere in studying the faith well or in key aspects of their spiritual life. But with that accountability, and with the recognition and levels that are thereby attained at appropriate times, even those who are usually undisciplined can make great progress. Furthermore, by logging your progress weekly you will be encouraging other children and families throughout the world, because they will know that they are not alone in this effort.”

Click here to watch the trailer for parents.

THE PROGRAMME

The key teaching of the programme takes the form of 41 online videos; 3 introductory videos, 37 videos of lesson content and 1 closing video. The content for the 37 lessons follows the structure of the Baltimore Catechism, which has been covered in its entirety. The videos will be released on a weekly basis, starting from 20 October.

Each video lesson begins with the prayer taught by Our Lady to the children of Fatima and a brief Bible story, normally taken from the Gospel. This is followed by presenting the questions and answers from Baltimore Catechism 1 and 2, drawing also on the teaching provided in Baltimore Catechism 4. Each lesson finishes by introducing the children to the life of a saint or another miracle from the history of the Catholic Church, such as a Eucharistic miracle.

Drawing on the message of Our Blessed Mother and following the example of the three children at Fatima, Our Lady of the Rosary Family Catechism has been created for the whole family to deepen their knowledge of the Catholic Faith and encourage the daily living of the truths of our faith.

All children, younger and older, are encouraged to participate in the course. Adults, who may wish to learn the basic teachings of the Catholic Faith, are also invited to follow the course. This course is truly a crusade of learning thoroughly the essentials of the Catholic Faith.

We are most grateful to H.E. Cardinal Burke, who has graciously recommended the programme:

A fundamental and most serious obligation of parents is the catechesis of their children, as the catechesis of children is also a principal obligation of pastors or parish priests. In the totally secularized culture in which we live today, parents and pastors face a difficult challenge in communicating the truths, goods and beauties of the Catholic Faith to children. Our Lady of the Rosary Family Catechism provides an inestimable help to parents, by responding to the maternal counsels of the Virgin Mother of God during her apparitions at Fatima in 1917 and by drawing upon the centuries-old wisdom of the Baltimore Catechism, with its roots in the incomparable Catechism of the Council of Trent. Father Anthony Pillari presents the questions and answers of the Catechism to children of today, in order that an ever fuller knowledge of the faith and an ever deeper love of Our Lord will lead to their strong witness to Christ in the world and finally to their eternal salvation. Of special merit is the consistent emphasis on memorization, so that the saving truths of the faith may become ever more the key which opens up the meaning of life lived in Christ for children and young people. I highly recommend Our Lady of the Rosary Family Catechism to parents as an invaluable tool in fulfilling their irreplaceable duty to educate their children in the Faith, in prayer, devotion and Sacred Worship, as the highest and most perfect expression of the Faith, and in the daily witness of Faith through the life of the virtues. Finally, I express heartfelt gratitude to the Voice of the Family for making possible this most wonderful gift for parents and their children.

Our Lady of the Rosary Family Catechism is offered completely free of charge to families and children all over the world. However, there are significant costs involved in the production of the course, including the creation of the videos and the ongoing maintenance of the programme. Please click here to support this initiative. We are deeply grateful for whatever you can give. May God reward your generosity!

What greater gift there is than our Catholic faith? Sign up today!

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