power of puppetry while visiting residents in senior centers. “It just brought them a lot of joy,” he says. “They were like kids again.” Gospel Picnic, he notes, is “a mix of jumping between the goofy and deep. Using the power of images to captivate young hearts and draw them into an encounter to meet the love of God in a fun way. It makes the Bible fun, and church on Sunday fun.” “The response so far has been overwhelmingly positive,” Stacey notes. “Parents are telling us that their children are engaged and listening more attentively at Mass. In an age when many families are struggling to keep their children active in the faith, this show meets that need.” Mother knows best Just ask Fr. Andy’s mom, K.C. She proudly shows Gospel Picnic to her first-grade religious education class at Mother of God School in Gaithersburg, Maryland. “Mom says they were able to enjoy it and absorb it, not just as a fun and goofy thing, but as a very seriously beautiful message,” Fr. Andy says. “Children love a good story.” There’s similar feedback from other religious education teachers and students. “I remember watching Gospel Picnic in our class,” says Maggie, age 10, at St. Ann’s Church in Lenox, Massachusetts. Not only did she say she’d watch more of them, but she understood the Gospel better after watching it. Father Andy is committed to preparing a new episode every week, fitting it in between his duties as prefect of formation and local superior in Steubenville, Ohio. It’s that important. “We’re setting some good foundations for kids to not be afraid of the Bible, to be excited about it, and be more present at Sunday Mass,” Fr. Andy concludes. “We’re really trying to set a model of a way to share the beauty and joy of the Gospel, and allow that to be contagious — to actually push away the darkness.” Gospel Picnic is available for free on DivineMercyPlus.org, with a new episode released every Wednesday in anticipation of the following Sunday’s Mass. “We’re setting some good foundations for kids to not be afraid of the Bible, to be excited about it, and be more present at Sunday Mass.” Learn more! Visit us online! The online version of Marian Helper is a user-friendly flipbook with hundreds of links to helpful resources and additional information. Visit Marian.org/magazine
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