In Unleash the Gospel, Archbishop Vigneron laid out action steps for families to grow as joyful, missionary disciples. One of those steps is:
Commit to developing family prayer time. Make time to listen, share, and grow together as a family guided by the Lord in times of joy and trial. Trust and develop a relationship with the Holy Spirit. Seek out simple ways to pray that fit your family, giving primacy to the family rosary, Scripture reflection, especially the Sunday readings, and devotions. Seek out and initiate opportunities to pray with other families. (Action Step 1.3.4)
In an effort to help families grow in faith through devotions, we have partnered with author Colleen Pressprich. Her book, Marian Consecration for Families with Young Children, offers 33 reflections and unique illustrations to help families learn more about Mary, reflect on her role in their lives, and engage in discussion together. The book includes tips for parents to utilize this resource, additional information for the different titles of Mary, and possible dates to make a Marian Consecration.
The book was written for families with young children, but the reflection questions can easily be adapted if your children are older. The beautiful illustrations will speak to all ages, giving an opportunity to learn more about Mary through art. Spending time reflecting on Mary’s role in our faith allows us to see how she strives to help us grow in relationship with Jesus.
Families can visit OSV Catholic Bookstore and use the code UTG to purchase Colleen’s book at a discounted rate through September 17, 2021.
The book also gives suggestions for ways families can adapt the 33-day consecration to work best for their own circumstances. Colleen also provides suggestions for when to start the consecration to end on specific Marian Feast Days. You may want to begin on October 20th to have the consecration date be the Presentation of Mary. Other possibilities include starting November 6th with the consecration on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception or starting November 30th to kick the New Year off with a consecration on January 1st when we celebrate Mary, Mother of God. The possibilities are endless for families!
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Reader Testimonials
Discover the Joyce family’s testimony of how the Marian Consecration for Families with Young Children transformed their domestic church and strengthened their faith: Our “Little Way” to Marian Consecration
While families can utilize this resource at home, this is a great opportunity to engage your parish or school community to participate in a Marian consecration together. Here are a few ways to involve the whole community throughout the entire process: How to Host a Marian Consecration in Your Parish or School
“The Marian Consecration for Families with Young Children offers families a simple yet beautiful way to bring children and parents into a deeper relationship with our Blessed Mother. The reflection and discussion questions are thoughtful, but not too abstract, and the artwork is stunning. My children loved opening the book to a new image every day and thinking about what Mary might have been thinking or feeling. Our consecration was an experience of truth, goodness, and beauty that all of us enjoyed.” – Nicole Joyce, Natural Family Planning Coordinator, Archdiocese of Detroit
“I am so grateful for this beautiful book. It is obviously created from prayer and a desire for children to draw close to Our Lord’s heart. My daughters gathered around me as I read aloud the day’s simple yet profound reflection, and they immediately were drawn into the writing and invitation to contemplate their own lives and circumstances. The Conversation Starters were natural and incited deep discussion that I hadn’t previously had with them about Mary, Jesus, and the Lord’s desire for their holiness. I can’t wait to continue these conversations with them using Marian Consecration for Families with Young Children and watch them walk with Our Lady towards her Divine Son.” – Jenna Guizar, Founder and Creative Director of Blessed Is She
“While many consecration plans for families are available, none specifically addresses very young children so beautifully or intentionally as Colleen’s new Marian Consecration for Families with Young Children. Through simple stories, inviting questions, and stunning artwork, the work will not only draw your young child into a deep relationship with Our Lady, but also refresh and renew your own faith and hope.” – Erika Ahern, Curriculum Manager, Regina Caeli Academy
“St. Therese said of Mary, ‘It is true that Our Lady is Queen of Heaven and earth, but at the same time she is more Mother than Queen.’ This consecration book embodies this quote. The prayers and the discussion questions are simple yet rich with meaning. It portrays Mary as a mother who is approachable and tender. Yet it shows the majestic wonder of Mary in the varied expressions of beautiful art throughout the book. It is a prayer book that will be a spiritual treasure for both you and your children.” – Michelle Benzinger, Speaker, Director of Greenhouse Collectivee, Abiding Together Podcast Host
“What an exciting treasure for Catholic families! Marian Consecration for Young Children now gives us an easy, beautiful way to prepare our children for Marian consecration, as we learn to love Mary and take her as our powerful intercessor and Heavenly Mother together. With heartfelt prayers, engaging reflections, conversation starters, and lovely artwork, this book is sure to become a staple in Catholic homes. I can’t wait to dive into it with my own children!” – Katie Warner, Catholic children’s book author, FirstFaithTreasury.com
“Study after study confirms that children learn and are formed earlier than we ever knew. This amazing book will kick-start your child’s faith journey by introducing them to one of the Church’s greatest devotions to Jesus through Mary. As someone who has worked with young people for over 30 years and dad of 8 children, I believe getting our family to heaven to be our most important role as a parents. This book is a must have for young families.” – Randy Raus, President, CEO Life Teen
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