Before last summer began, I posted about doing a VBS at home called Summer Faith Adventure. It is made/created by the same people that do Holy Heroes. While it was a fantastic program that I could do at home with my children, I wished that my parish would have done something like it so that my children can have some interaction with other kids of the parish and our neighborhood (after all we live 2 minute away from our church). Two Sundays ago I saw that they were already advertising the VBS for this year and I assumed that it was yet another non-Catholic program. I was wrong!
I was so excited to hear that a Totally Catholic Summer Program {a Catholic VBS} will be used at our parish this year. I have a little experience in VBS from many moons ago when a close friend and I ran the very first one at our parish in our college years. At our parish level, I volunteered two summers ago in the kitchen. Our job was to prepare the snacks that went with the theme of the day. The other mom and I could not help it and we adjusted the snacks and lesson we were supposed to teach while creating the snacks with the kids to incorporate some Catholicism into the program {something we felt it was so desperately lacking in}. So when I heard that Pandamania was a Catholic VBS, I was very excited! {BIG SMILE}
There are so many others out there that could be used:
- CHC’s Children’s Retreats/VBS
- K4J Vacation Bible School 2011
- Growing with the Saints, Catholic VBS {Has four adventures to choose from}:
- Assorted Saints & the Virtues of Faith, Hope & Love VBS
- Saint Patrick and the Holy Trinity VBS
- Parade Around the Father VBS
- Parachute with the Angels Catholic VBS
4. Cat.Chat Catholic Vacation Bible School Programs {Has three themes to choose from}:
VBS#1: Cool Kingdom Party: Mary Leads Me Closer to Jesus
- VBS#2: Marvelous Mystery: The Mass Comes Alive
- VBS#3: A Wilderness Adventure Through the Sacraments: Jesus in My Heart
Last, but not least {the one we WILL be using again this year}:
Their program is certainly wonderful. I may just invite some friends to come over our house and do it together! 😉
So please find out what program your parish is using. Educate yourself!
Blessings,
Please check out FeedingThyLambs.com for a great real Catholic religious teaching VBS that is very economical and "green". Best teaching. Great music. Great skit, crafts, etc.
Thanks for putting this together. This is my first year as a DRE, and knew I wanted a good, truly Catholic VBS. I'm looking into these programs, and am already getting excited about how much the children may be able to learn this summer!
Glad to be of help, Amanda! 🙂
Growing with the Saints just came out with The Vatican Express and Parade around the Our Father. The writers are all catholic unlike OSV. There is a beautiful childrens' adoration as well. Although OSV states on their web that they are totally catholic this is not true. They have always partnered with a Protestant company called Group who writes all their programs and adds catholic sidebars. If you go to the Group publishing VBS you will see Pandamonia as well. Growing with the Saints has revamped all their music and added a action song DVD as well. We have used their programs for 6 years. The programs are so good that our school uses them to jump start religion classes as well as ccd classes.