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Religious Education product news for March:
The National Conference of Catholic Bishops has updated their Conformity Listing of Catechetical Texts and Series. Click here to view the latest version with the list of texts and series that have been found in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church as of February 24, 2010.

For high school:
Ave Maria Press’s high school text, Meeting Jesus in the Sacraments ©2010 has been approved by the Bishops’ Committee and is now in stock. It can be used for Curriculum Framework Semester Course V: Sacraments As Privileged Encounters with Jesus Christ.

Ave Maria Press has also announced a new high school series by Michael Pennock with titles for the first three semester courses in the Curriculum Framework. The first book, Jesus Christ: God’s Revelation to the World, is appropriate for one-semester courses in Scripture or Christology and is now available. Pending review by the Bishops’ Committee, the second title, Jesus Christ: His Mission and Ministry is expected in May 2010; and the third volume, Jesus Christ: Source of Our Salvation will be available early in 2011.

The first four volumes in the Didache Semester Series from Midwest Theological Forum, The Sacraments: Source of Our Life in Christ, Our Moral Life in Christ, Faith and Revelation, and The Blessed Trinity have been approved by the Bishops’ Committee. The other four titles in the Semester Series are expected later in the spring of 2010.

The Saint Mary’s Press Catholic High School Curriculum will be unveiled spring of 2010. The Living in Christ Series is a completely new curriculum that will include church teaching outlined in the USCCB’s Curriculum Framework. Saint Mary’s Press has announced that the new curriculum will follow conformity protocol, will make use of contemporary educational practices, and will have new materials to meet the diverse needs of high school students. The series will include an eSource website featuring customizable resources for teachers. The program offers the flexibility and convenience of both print and digital options. The first two courses for freshmen, Jesus Christ: God’s Love Made Visible, and The Bible: The Living Word of God are being reviewed by the Bishops’ Committee. Two courses for sophomores are coming in 2011.

Saint Mary’s Press has also announced a third edition of the popular Catholic Youth Bible in both the New American Bible translation and the New Revised Standard Version. They will also produce a new Teaching Activities Manual to support the revised Bibles. The third edition of the Catholic Youth Bible is in stock.

For junior high:

Our Sunday Visitor presents Faith Fusion: Knowing, Loving, and Serving Christ in the Catholic Church for grades 6-8. Faith Fusion provides a complete overview of the Catechism for middle school students. It can serve as a catch-up catechism for younger adolescents, a junior high or high school review program, an RCIA course for young teens, or a Confirmation course. Faith Fusion will have a student text and a catechist guide. It has been approved by the Bishops’ Committee and will be available in March.

Sadlier has a bilingual edition of the junior high program, Vivimos nuestra fe/We Live Our Faith, in the works. Volume I: Vivimos nuestra fe Como discipulos de Jesus/We Live Our Faith as Disciples of Jesus is now available. Volume II, Vivimos nuestra fe Inspirado por el Espiritu/We Live Our Faith Inspired by the Spirit is expected in late July.

Saint Mary’s Press presents The Catholic Connections Handbook for Middle Schoolers. This handbook for younger adolescents in grades 6 through 8 is modeled on the Catholic Faith Handbook for Youth. In addition to the student handbook, the parish program includes a coordinator’s manual and six catechetical manuals, each with topical material to cover at least 10 sessions. The program works for 2- or 3-year parish religious education models for junior high. The Catholic Connections Handbook is supported for school classrooms with six topical teacher manuals, a reproducible student activity book, a religion coordinator manual and a reproducible test book. These school resources will also have an eSource support website. The Catholic Connections Handbook is approved by the Bishops’ Committee.

For preschool and elementary school and parish programs:

Loyola Press presents Expand the Experience, a box of faith formation activity cards to enhance religion classes. Activities are organized by theme and come with a chart that shows teachers when to use them within existing religion programs. Each box has materials for two elementary and junior high grade levels. Expand the Experience boxes are due in August.

Liturgy Training Publications’ Children’s Daily Prayer 2010-2011, a resource for classroom prayer, will be available later in March. Teachers will have the option of choosing between two different prayers. The first is a weekly prayer based on the Sunday Gospel; the second is based on Lectionary readings for the day. Teachers and catechists will have the option of using a long or short form of the psalms. This makes Children’s Daily Prayer a great resource for every day in schools, and also in parish classes that meet once a week. Other annual publications from Liturgy Training Publications including the Year of Grace calendars and lector resources for Year A will be coming in late summer and early fall.

Our Sunday Visitor presents a new early childhood curriculum, Allelu: Growing and Celebrating with Jesus for children ages 4 and 5 for use in school and parish. Allelu is an interactive program that utilizes a balance of teacher-directed, teacher assisted and child-directed activities. Allelu has 28 child/family activity sheets with a number of options to fit every learning environment. In addition to the child/family sheets, the program has catechist materials, a music CD, magnetic figures and a portfolio. Allelu has been approved by the Bishops’ Committee and will serve as preparation for any elementary religious education program. It will be available in later this month, with kindergarten materials expected next year. A Spanish edition of Allelu for 4- and 5-year olds will be available in August.

RCL Benziger will have a revised edition of Family Life coming in late spring 2010. It will feature, among other things, a Child Protection theme at every grade level and a completely revised Program Director’s Manual.

RCL Benziger’s popular preschool program Stories of God’s Love will have a kindergarten level available in early spring 2010. The new kindergarten materials will be suitable for use with any of RCL Benziger’s elementary programs.

Sadlier Religion has revised their elementary program We Believe, now with Project Disciple. Built on the six tasks of catechesis, Project Disciple pages contain hundreds of new content-based activities at every grade level. Student Books in the series, which has a copyright date of 2011, are available now. Teacher Manuals for school programs are also available now with Catechist Guides for parish programs expected later in March. Creemos, the bilingual edition, is due in May. The Bishops’ Committee has approved the series.

For sacrament preparation:
Ave Maria Press has a revised edition of Send Out Your Spirit, a Confirmation program for high school aged candidates, coming in June 2010. The program will include a candidate handbook, a leader manual and a sponsor handbook.

Saint Mary’s Press has announced a new Confirmation program for junior high. Anointed in the Spirit has been approved by the Bishops’ Committee and is now in stock.

Twenty-Third Publications has new editions of their On Our Way With Jesus sacrament programs available now. We Prepare for Reconciliation and We Share in the Eucharist student books will include 16-page pull-out family guides. Catechist Guides will incorporate the child's book pages with each instructional page.