I thought I would direct readers to yesterday's post at Ignatius Insight, the blog of Ignatius Press, regarding the availability of the critically acclaimed Faith and Life series in a new, interactive format, courtesy of My Catholic Faith Delivered. Check out the main My Catholic Faith Delivered site for more information on Faith and Life and other exciting online resources.
After many months of working with the My Catholic Faith Delivered team to set up what we believe to be the definitive Catholic online learning center, it's most gratifying to see it starting to take off. IP's promotional piece on its blog drove home the fact that, in keeping with the encouragement of Pope Benedict XVI, we are now bearing witness to the faith "through the digital world." It's truly an exciting time.
The availability of Faith and Life through My Catholic Faith Delivered is especially significant to me. My family has used the Faith and Life series for the last 17 years, so we really believe in the excellence of this catechetical tool. My youngest son Raymond, who is in kindergarten now, will grow up using the online version!
Also, for well over a decade I worked in a leadership capacity for Catholics United for the Faith, the author of Faith and Life. I was there when we submitted the first edition of the series to the U.S. bishops' committee charged with ensuring that catechism series were in "conformity" with the (then) newly published Catechism of the Catholic Church. I was told that Faith and Life was the only series written before the publication of the Catechism of the Catholic Church that wasn't required to make revisions.
From day one, Faith and Life has effectively taught the fullness of the Catholic faith!
Many prominent Catholics have endorsed the Faith and Life series, including several U.S. bishops. When I was with CUF, I used to point to five endorsements of Faith and Life that I thought were especially significant. These were my "big five":
(1) Scott Hahn (internationally renowned author and speaker, whose kids have all been raised on the Faith and Life series)
(2) Mother Angelica (foundress of EWTN, who flat out said, "This is the one to get!")
(3) Cardinal Christoph Schonborn (Archbishop of Vienna and general editor of the Catechism of the Catholic Church; he was so impressed that he had the series translated into German, so that it can be used throughout Austria)
(4) Mother Teresa (now of course she's Blessed Teresa of Calcutta; her sisters around the world still use Faith and Life in their catechetical work)
(5) Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now of course he's Pope Benedict XVI!)
As the Ignatius Insight blog points out, the online version of Faith and Life has all the features that we've come to love about the series, but also includes additional features, such as voice, videos, interactive items, online assessments, and other items not available in book format. This version can be adapted to a wide array of settings, from large Catholic schools and parish religious education programs to smaller independent schools and homeschooling families.
Check it out today for the 2010-11 school year!