I am very happy to share with you the second episode of the new podcast, Victory Reigns, hosted by Dr Gianna Talone-Sullivan.
In this episode, the topic is Christian education and Gianna did an excellent presentation!! I learned so much. First, there was a tracing of history of Christian education and its purpose in the USA before leading into an explanation of modern-day developments. Gianna’s contention is that Christian education is superior to public schools and she is right.
Growing up, I attended public schools and the curriculum was always subject to state politics which were terrible. Although I was an honors student, I lost any childhood faith when I reached high school. The liberal indoctrination was bad. By the time I discovered Jesus in my mid-twenties, becoming Christian meant that I had to reeducate myself on everything that I thought was true. I was so blind!
That took place over 20 years ago, and now, I am so grateful that I was able to find God and His Holy Church. However, today the environment for discovering God and Jesus is even more hostile and obscure. Honestly, my faith journey was difficult in finding Jesus. How much more it must be with so many obstacles strewn today in one’s daily path? Society does not foster Christian living, values, or teachings.
So, I really appreciated Gianna’s presentation because Christian education needs to be promoted and supported. I especially liked finding out in many states, such as Florida, there are voucher programs in place so your child can attend parochial or Christian schools essentially for free. I truly wish I had voucher opportunities growing up.
Finally, I want to say that this particular episode is really great to share with others who might be interested in a Christian education for their children. It covers all the issues and is very factual. I also really liked that Gianna was very upbeat and positive about the subject by presenting very good tips and suggestions that you can do as a parent to make Christian education a reality for your child.
For these reasons, I hope everyone enjoys this second episode of Victory Reigns. I am providing the video links to both YouTube and Rumble so everyone can watch and subscribe to the new channel. I want to also highly suggest that you consider signing up as a follower on Rumble because there is a lot of censorship of conservatives on YouTube. With Rumble, you’ll know that you won’t miss any content. God bless.
In Christ’s Love, A Soul
Episode 2 Official Description:
In this episode of Victory Reigns, we examine the issues children face in secular public schools and why a Christian education is the only answer. We also discuss how school choice legislation and programs have made parochial and Christian academy schools affordable.
Victory Reigns is a Christian Podcast promoting Christian Grace. This podcast discusses current events, challenges, and positive gains in Christianity. We will discuss the issues Christians face today, report the facts, and discuss solutions. Victory Reigns shares the love of God for all.
About 1-2 times a month, I will be sending out an advertising email / blog post of various links to online stores. These are affiliate links, meaning if you click on these links and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission which I will use to help fund the expenses of maintaining this blog, MaryRefugeOfSouls.com.
I, “a soul”, have carefully selected these online vendors as I want to make sure that you receive quality items. I am still waiting on my application to a couple of online vendors, but I want to send this blog post right away to you all – of the online stores that I have been approved for so far – as I know everyone is shopping for Christmas. Please use the following links, so you can support this blog, MaryRefugeOfSouls.
The first affiliate link is PicturesOnGold (and their sister site, SacredMedals). They literally have a medal for every Saint in the Catholic Church. I purchased a 14k gold St Philomena medal years ago from them and it is still gorgeous today. One time, I was trying to be cheap and I purchased a Miraculous Medal elsewhere. I paid over a $100 for what I thought was solid gold, but it tarnished and deteriorated over time. I was so disappointed and I will never do that again. I will always buy my gold jewelry from PicturesOnGold, because they have quality merchandise. You can also purchase silver jewelry and get photos engraved on different custom jewelry. Made in the USA and they ship internationally.
PicturesOnGold.com (SacredMedals.com) Christian company (est. 1986). Custom Photo Engraved Jewelry, 14k Gold & Silver Photo Pendants, Lockets, Picture Charms, Name Jewelry, etc. Religious Jewelry, 14k Gold & Silver, 1000s of Saints (every Saint!), Miraculous Medals, Rosary Jewelry, Crosses & Crucifixes, Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, etc. Global shipping.
The second affiliate link is TAN Books. Who does not like this publisher? TAN Books is the reason that I am Catholic today. Quality, traditional books and Holy Bibles that are authentically Catholic. I also like supporting their homeschooling curriculum and they just started a lifetime learning institute that offers online classes for people who want to keep growing in their faith. Global shipping. Please use this special link to credit the blog.
The third affiliate link is Nest Learning. They are an established Christian educational company (20+ years old). They produce quality childrens books and kids music, homeschool curriculum, teacher resources, Bible story DVDs, Christian movies, baby items, toys and games, pet supplies, etc. They are running an excellent sale right now for Christmas. I recommend especially their Christian Bible story DVDs if you are looking for an alternative to secular programming for your children. They also sell various homeschooling programs, like award-winning Saxon Math, etc. Note, they are Christian, not specifically, Catholic company.
Finally, besides my Zazzle store, I also opened an online shop on TeePublic. I opened two Merch shops because I am able to offer different kinds of merchandise on each. Both Zazzle and TeePublic handle the manufacturing, shipping, and customer service. So, all I do is share the affiliate links so people who are interested can purchase items.
The reason I chose TeePublic was because I was looking for simple, affordable apparel that had the word, Catholic, on it. I could not find any so I designed my own. I also designed apparel that has the words, Christian, and Orthodox, on them, as my prophecy blog appeals to a wide audience. On my storefront, I also chose designs from other creators that would appeal to Christians, etc.
TeePublic is best known for t-shirts, but they do offer other apparel like Hooded Sweatshirts, Baseball Tees, Kids Clothing, Infant Onesies, etc. You can also get any of their unique designs on other items, such as Stickers, Phone cases, Laptop cases, Mugs, Notebooks, Pins, Magnets, Pillows, Totes, Tapestries, etc. They have fantastic monthly sales, like US $14 t-shirts. Global shipping.
IMPORTANT COMMENTARY: Do you feel an urge or tug on your heart? A Special Type of Refuge for the End Times
By a soul (November 4, 2021, Month for the Poor Souls)
Firstly, as we approach the fulfillment of End Times events, I know that many people have taken up the clarion call to establish refuges. In particular, I know that many people have responded to my commentary about preparing home refuges for the coming Mega-Tsunami, which I believe is one of the main factors that the intensity of the Mega-Tsunami has been mitigated by God. I base this on the fact that my instructions for creating refuges within the danger zone has been downloaded almost 1,200 times in less than three weeks. And even if only half of these downloads are “new” refuge owners, that is still almost 600 new refuges for Heaven to send God’s people to live during the Great Tribulation. That is amazing!! I want to thank everyone that is establishing a home refuge and I invite everyone to read and share my earlier commentary, as the writing is helpful to all potential refuge owners:
Now, this blog post will be short but is very important, as I would like to discuss two types of “specialized refuges” that Heaven would like people to consider as they are preparing their homes and properties to be refuges. These two refuge types are very special and will be certainly needed in this End Times. So, if you feel any particular urge or tug in your heart as you are reading about them, please pray about it, as it may be Heaven placing the call upon your heart for the refuge that you are currently establishing on your property.
So, the first specialized refuge is actually a bit technical, but is so necessary for God’s people now and in the future. The call for young men to join the priesthood is not going to stop and, in fact, is going to be accelerated during the Great Tribulation. So, there is going to be a need for seminaries – yes, I just wrote that! – for the training of these young men. And while I do not know all the specific details, I do know that Heaven is going to actively help the refuges that answer the specialized call to be seminaries in the End Times. Can you even imagine attending a lecture by Saint Thomas Aquinas?!! Talk about higher learning!! So, for example, if you are a religious community preparing for the End Times, the Lord would like you to consider this extra calling for your community’s charism, etc. Or, perhaps, you are a group of retired priests living in community who might have something to offer the younger priests in training, etc. I am sure that there are more possibilities and scenarios for examples, but I share this special refuge type now, because the Lord wants His chosen children to start considering this idea in prayer if they are a refuge owner that has the means to carry out this need in the End Times. The Lord will provide the graces to succeed, but He needs people to say YES so Heaven can start working on making it happen!
Now, for this second specialized type of refuge, I hope that many refuge owners answer this call, because there is going to be a tremendous need during the End Times. This second specialized refuge are orphanages for all ages from newborn to late teens (all grades). Firstly, because even if the parents or guardians do not convert, all children who are seven years old and younger are innocent in God’s Holy Sight and they are going to be saved and protected at refuges (none of them will be martyred). So, there is going to be a large need for orphanages for the younger children, including orphanages that can specialize in children coming from abusive homes and other traumatic circumstances.
Secondly, there will be a need for orphanages for children who are eight years old and older to late teenage years, because these children will have gone through the Warning (Illumination of Conscience) experience. So they will have the free will opportunity to go to refuges even if their parents or guardians do not convert to God. These children will also have specialized needs as they will be above the age of reason so they may have experienced hell or deep purgatory. So, they will need to be comforted in a particular way due to that severe trauma.
So, beloved followers of MaryRefugeOfSouls and dear people of God, this has been a short but very important blog post, which I hope will lead many people to consider in profound prayer if they can help Heaven in these special intentions. I am also resharing an earlier post that my fellow blogger and dear friend, Mary Fernandez, of Humble Housewives wrote especially for this blog, MaryRefugeOfSouls, about preparing a Homeschool Curriculum. Mary discusses the best resources for an affordable educational plan for all age groups, which is appropriate for both those who are homeschooling their children due to vaccine mandates, as well as those who are preparing refuges in general. The link to the original post is below, but I also believe that Mary updated the post on her own blog for the current school year. I also want to invite you to join the email list for Mary’s blog as well as her prayer group where you can ask questions and share resources on homeschooling. Here is the link to her website, Humble Housewives: https://www.humblehousewives.com
Jesus and Our Holy Mother love you and thank you all for answering this call!
MY POODLE NEEDS A PET GROOMER – Please Remember To Bring Your Tools of the Trade To The Refuges (https://maryrefugeofsouls.com)
By a soul (May 24, 2021, Monday of the Octave of Pentecost)
I know that it might make people laugh – as a pet groomer seems like a luxury to most people – but when I, “a soul”, finally make it to the refuges, THE poodle is coming with me, and she has awful flea problems without a haircut once in awhile (especially, summertime!). So, honestly, folks, I would love to see a pet groomer with their tools of the trade at the refuges…
(And yes, pets are welcome at the refuges – see my blog post link below to the commentary!).
However, besides pet groomers, I would love to see other people bring their tools of their trades, skills, and hobbies, etc., to the refuges, too. In fact, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, has spoken in several earlier messages to Prophet John Leary(http://johnleary.com) about the need for people to bring manual tools and equipment for their trades to the refuges. I have included several of these heavenly messages at the end of this short commentary for people to further consider.
However, I am doing this writing because I want people to also think “outside the box” about things that they can bring to contribute to a better “rustic life” at the refuges. For example, I think a lot of people realize there will be a lot of sewing, knitting, crocheting, and weaving happening in the refuges. Well, even if you do not know how to sew or knit, I want everyone to realize that bringing extra fabric (denim material? Terry cloth?) and more colors of yarn to be multiplied by prayer would help the refuge owners out tremendously, because the need will be so great to clothe so many hundreds of people (typically at a single refuge). I just looked online and realized that clothing patterns are very expensive. Imagine needing clothing patterns for every size type for men, women, and children(!). There is a way to create sewing patterns from existing clothing, but that may not be possible at every refuge. But, if many people bought a couple of clothing patterns that fit for their size body, like for a pair of pants and a long-sleeve or short-sleeve shirt, those patterns could end up helping a lot of people at their refuge.
Also, I want people to know that “life will continue” during the time people are at the refuges. What do I mean by this? Well, I know a story of a refuge owner who was wondering about all the boxes that she had in her attic of supplies for house weddings that had taken place at her farm through the years. And the Lord made it known to her, through a chosen messenger, that YES, weddings will take place during the time that people are living at the refuges. Moreoever, babies will continue to be born during life at the refuges. So, one, I hope people remember to bring some nice white silk satin and lace fabric, and two, I hope the midwives and doctors know that they will still be needed despite the many healings taking place at the refuges, etc. All their skills will be put to use.
Also, the educational needs for the children will still exist at the refuges. Besides the need for children’s Bibles, if you have any Christian story books, homeschooling curricula, Christian textbooks, etc., and have the space to bring them with you, I want to encourage you to consider it. Even if the books are really old in your attic – I will tell you – they are probably way better than the smut being peddled in the public schools these days and will be welcomed by the parents and children at the refuges. Even if you only have space for one or two children’s books, if everyone brings one book, that would make a huge difference in the life of the children living at the refuges (I remember when I was a child that I could not read enough books as I begged my dad to take me to the library every week). Also, simply bringing extra blank notebooks and extra pens / pencils / crayons to be multiplied by prayer for all the children would make a huge difference, too (I used to go through reams of paper just coloring and drawing pictures as a child). (Note: all Disney, Harry Potter, and a lot of sci-fi and fantasy-related books, games, etc., are not appropriate for life at the refuges. Unfortunately, a lot of parents will realize the masonic and demonic origin for these items during the Warning. Please see Page 4 for a list of occult items that have actually been the source of exorcisms performed in Holy Mother Church: https://greenscapular.org/web_folder/Adobe/Newsletters/Newsletter_Vol_7.pdf ).
Finally, as you consider what life might actually be like during the time of the refuges, I want to encourage everyone to be creative and think about contributing one item that might make community life more comfortable for everyone during the three and a half years, especially, for the children, like innocent games like chess, checkers, scramble word board games, a soccerball, a softball and a bat, handmitt, etc. Even bringing a box of hot cocoa, Ovaltine, a bottle of champagne and sparkling apple cider, for the days of celebration would be helpful. (Personally, there is only so much plain water that I can drink, so I am thinking of bringing some Kool-Aid mix and some lemonade mix for all the children AND me(!)). Lord, have Mercy…
In conclusion, I want to end here with a recent message given to John Leary from Our Lord, Jesus Christ, that should make everyone smile. God bless!
Saturday, May 15, 2021 (St. Isidore the farmer)
Jesus said: “My people, you need to be so thankful for your farmers who take so many risks every year to provide the crops to eat at your table. After knowing a few farmers, they are really intelligent people to be able to run a farm and all that is needed. They have to invest in a lot of land and machinery to plant and harvest their crops. They take risks with floods, droughts, and finding markets to sell their crops. You have planted some vegetables and you know the problems with bugs and animals that want to eat your crops. You also had to keep the weeds out. The farmer is close to the land and he is understanding nature and how to grow crops. Even though it is hard to make a living on farming, farming is a very necessary means to find your daily food. You need to pray for the success of your farmers in bringing their crops to market, so you can have fresh vegetables and fruit to eat. Your refuge people will appreciate My angels even more when they will bring you fresh vegetables and fruit as well. Your time to come to My refuges draws near. Trust in Me to protect and feed My faithful at all of My refuges.”
NOTE (By a soul): According to a more recent message from Our Lord, Jesus Christ, all interim refuges are now permanent refuges, as Jesus will be increasing the land for smaller refuges so they can accommodate more of God’s people. So, for most situations, people will not need to move to larger refuges during the Great Tribulation.
Friday, September 14, 2007: (Exaltation of the Cross)
Jesus said: “My people, when it comes time to go to My refuges, you will have a small independent community where everyone will have their own skill used in jobs to provide for the community. No matter what age you are, you all will be expected to make some kind of contribution in your work effort. Many places will not have electricity unless you have solar cells. This means that all of your tools and work implements will be hand tools and drawn by animals as in days past. You can survive without many of your comforts, but I will provide angel protection, water, and I will multiply your food. You will have shelters multiplied and healing of all of your ills with healing springs and looking on My luminous crosses. Just as Moses healed the snake bites by raising up a bronze serpent, so I will raise up My luminous cross for your healing in this modern day Exodus to My refuges. Give praise and thanks to Me for My protection during the tribulation as well as for all of My miraculous gifts for your needs. Even as the Early Christians had to work for their supper, My faithful will also have to work as well for your survival. Have patience, for this evil time will be less than 3½ years in your time now.”
Thursday, January 16, 2009:
Jesus said: “My people, I am showing you some people making bread at a refuge. Those, who have specific trades, should bring their tools of their trade with them to the refuges along with some wheat, flour, and yeast. I will multiply the flour and oil as I did for Elijah so you can have bread. Animals will be provided for your meat. Everyone will have their own special job to do, so all at the refuges can survive.”
Thursday, January 29, 2009:
Jesus said: “My people, you are so used to eating at your kitchen table or your dining room table, but eating at the refuge may be on a more rustic furniture and at times even outside. There will be many people at your refuges and you all will be helping each other to survive. It will be more difficult to live in the winter because you may not have electricity. Fuel will be needed for keeping warm, cooking, and for light at night. Be prepared with a fireplace and wood, as well as saws and hatchets to cut the trees for wood. Many of these tools you will need to take to the refuges. Trust in Me that you will have what you need.”
Saturday, January 31, 2009:
Jesus said: “My people, when you are at a refuge, you will have to either know or learn how to fashion wood for your needs in the outdoors. You know that St. Joseph and Myself were taught carpentry, and when you pray to us, we will help you in any building skills that you need. You have seen in various movies of how people can hide in the woods, and build log huts into the hills. When you have a fair number of people in your refuge, you all will have to use whatever skills that you have in order to survive. I will provide food and water, but you may be called on to cut animals up for meat, or build a shelter from the wood. You should bring a hatchet, saw, and a deer knife for these tasks. I have asked those leaving their houses for a refuge that they bring the tools of their trade along with them. I have also told you when you see a world famine, a division in My Church, mandatory chips in the body, or martial law, then you are to call on Me to have your angel lead you to a refuge so you will not be captured by the evil ones. Today, you have seen how cruel it was in the Holocaust of World War II. The German soldiers killed many Jews and those that they determined were against them or were not of German descent. The one world government people also want to exterminate their opposition-people that have college training and those who are religious or patriots. This is why they want to place those, who do not take chips in the body, in the death concentration camps. This is also why you will find safety in My refuges from these killers.”
Sunday, June 6, 2010:
Jesus said: “My people, you are comfortable now because you can eat anything you like, and as much as you need. When it comes time to go to My refuges and My interim refuges, the food that is stored will be multiplied as well as the deer and My Eucharist. At times you may have to eat what is available, even if it may not be food that you like. There will be a little suffering in what you eat, and you may have a more limited choice of foods available. For those, who are storing food, you may have to check to see if any of your food has spoiled, and it may have to be replaced. Once the tribulation begins, I will see to it that none of your food will spoil. If you do not have electricity for refrigerators, you may have to make root cellars in the ground to help preserve your food. Do not worry if you will have enough food for everyone, because as in today’s Gospel I provided an abundance as there were twelve baskets of leftovers. Trust in Me during the tribulation since I will provide protection, water, food and shelter for everyone. I still encourage those who have trades to bring your tools and some supplies. Whatever you bring will also be multiplied. I take what little you have, and I will multiply it for everyone’s needs.”
Thursday, July 8, 2010:
Jesus said: “My people, those, who are preparing My refuges and interim refuges, are checking their food storage for spoilage and to stock even more supplies for the people who will be coming to them. I will truly multiply the food and water that you need, but all of you must be ready to help each other in your faith communities. By using your skills and tools, everyone will have whatever is needed to survive. When you come to My refuges, you will be living in full trust of My help. Be confident that I will soon be victorious over these evil ones as I will bring you into My Era of Peace after the tribulation is over.”
Sunday, April 3, 2011:
Jesus said: “My people, I have been calling people to set up both interim and final refuges. I told you that those people who desire to have a refuge in their hearts, can build one. Each refuge should have the land consecrated to Me, and have an independent source of water, especially for final refuges. At each refuge there should be a storage pantry of food that could have the food multiplied for those who come. This means that each leader needs to plan for some food storage that will keep for about four years. At each refuge there should be a place to sleep for some people with bedding and sheets. This building with beds will also be multiplied as more people come, so everyone will have a place to sleep. Towels, makeshift showers, soap, and toothbrushes will also be needed. Some provision for a latrine should be prepared. Think of living independently from stores and you will see what you will need at your refuges. My angels will protect you, but My people will need to take care of your meals, bathing, and washing clothes. Be prepared to use your talents in helping each other by bringing the tools of your trade to the refuges. Trust in Me that this short suffering will be making you saints in order to get you through this coming tribulation.”
Thursday, February 23, 2012:
Jesus said: “My people, your refuges are independent, so you will need to find ways and people with skills and tools to make what you need. You will need a source of wax for candles, lard and lye to make soap, wool from sheep to make clothes, and many such every day needs as sheets and bedding. Buildings will be multiplied to provide room for dormitories for sleeping. Sewing, cooking food, washing dishes and clothes, and cleaning floors will be shared and rotated jobs.”
Thursday, April 19, 2012:
Jesus said: “My people, when people first come to My refuges, it is going to be a huge task to organize it with people doing various chores. You need to determine what skills people have, and hopefully they could bring their tools of their trade. Once you allocate the skills, then one or more people need to plan what is needed most. Setting up housing and bedding even in tents will be first. Then setting up places for food preparation would be next. You will need to farm crops or pray for food to be multiplied. Organize a means of water for drinking, bathing, and washing dishes and clothes. Plan for your hygiene needs and possibly a place for latrines. In colder climates you may need wood or other fuels for heat and cooking. All of your major needs will be provided, but all the people in the community will have to make their own work contribution.”
Monday, July 15, 2013:
Jesus said: “My people, I am showing you a rachet being used to build a building on a refuge. Some people are still making preparations at their refuges. When you see the tools being used, this should remind you to bring the tools of your trade. You can make your own contribution of your skills in helping each other to survive at your refuges. My angels will help you in making more buildings as they will multiply what you have when more people arrive. Remember that you will have to put the new arrivals at ease because they will be frightened. Also, you will need someone in charge to direct where people should go, and what jobs they will need to do. I will multiply your food, water, and fuels, but your people will need to help each other with your personal needs. If you all remain faithful to My messages, and trust in Me with your prayers, everything will work out under My protection.”
Thursday, August 7, 2014:
Jesus said: “My people, once you come to My refuges for your protection, you all will be put to work as in the vision for cutting up wood for a fire. Bring the tools of your skills as a good saw, so you will be ready to cut some wood. During the winter, you may need some wood for heat in a wood burner, and this could be used for cooking as well. If you have some forests nearby, you could prepare for winter by cutting some trees down. You may want to bring along a splitter to break up the wood better. I will multiply your fuel, your water, and your food, at My refuges of protection.”
Wednesday, July 29, 2015:
Jesus said: “My people, you are seeing in the vision how one person’s trade was making glass objects. In your Chemistry field you used many expensive pieces of glassware that required a good glass maker to build them. There are people with many different skills that will be needed in your refuges. I even advised people to bring the tools of their trade with them, so they could share their skill with others. At your refuges there will be needs for builders, people who can cut deer meat, farmers, and other trades needed for cooking and for survival. It is unfortunate that many artisans have lost their jobs to cheap foreign labor. Now, you have fewer factories, and more people are on welfare and Social Security than ever before. It is just a matter of time until your over-spending government will run out of sponsors for your debt. This will bring chaos that will kill many people, when your checks stop coming, or when they are worthless. Be prepared to come to My refuges when the evil ones start killing the Christians in America. I will provide what you need, and My angels will protect you. Pray that My Warning comes soon, so some souls will wake up and desire to be saved.”
Thursday, August 6, 2015: (The Transfiguration)
Jesus said: “My people, for those faithful who will be moving to a final or interim refuge, you need to prepare your vehicles so they are available in good working order to take people to My refuges. You may have backpacks, tents, clothes, and trade tools that need to be placed in one space, so you can quickly load them into your vehicles. I am having you get prepared for leaving your home because events will happen fast after My Warning.”
I, “a soul”, am excited to offer this guest blog post by Mary Fernandez of HumbleHouseWives.com. Mary is a devout Catholic mom of 4 children (age 2 to 10) whom she homeschools while also running her own Christian blog and prayer forum for like-minded and similarly-situated mothers. Mary is also a dear follower of this blog, MaryRefugeOfSouls, as she is a believer in Catholic prophecy, including private revelation given to Mary of Agreda and St Anne Catherine Emmerich. In fact, she incorporates much of the heavenly teachings and insights gained from such saints in her blog and prayer forum.
Based on her expertise, I, “a soul”, have asked Mary if she could share on this blog, her recommendation on curriculum resources for homeschoolers; and I am honored that she graciously agreed.
The reason I asked Mary for this recommendation is two-fold. First, I know that there may be many people who desire to homeschool their children now due to the Covid-19 virus and the related vaccines. And second, there may be people who are creating a refuge and they need help in planning an appropriate curriculum for the children. For both groups, it might be daunting to wade through all the possible resources available for homeschooling.
So, below is Mary’s recommendation for a traditional, well-rounded and affordable curriculum (preschool to 12th grade) for both homeschoolers and refuges. Please note, that the recommended resources are meant for those who want to teach from a Creation-science point of view, as well as a pre-Vatican II religious view (avoiding modern heresies).
God bless, –a soul
Click below for a free downloadable PDF copy (5 pages) of this blog post:
There are so many resources for homeschoolers it can be quite overwhelming, so this list is just my absolute favorites. I don’t think you need to buy a lot of different textbooks and things anyway… all you need are a few essentials, sprinkle in some good literature, and you’ll have a complete curriculum for K-12!
This book is a complete, step-by-step program to teach your child to read. It is very simple to use because every lesson is completely scripted for you. All you need is 20 minutes per day and your child will be reading in no time! Depending on age and personality, some kids may find this book boring whereas other kids will beg to read it with you. I think the key with hesitant readers is not to force it, and supplement it by reading lots of entertaining picture books together (whatever your child enjoys).
I think, and many will agree, that this is hands down the best writing program for homeschoolers out there. The founder, Andrew Pudewa, also happens to be a traditional Catholic who embraced the “Benedict Option” by moving from San Diego to rural eastern Oklahoma near the Benedictine monks of Clear Creek Abbey. If you choose to buy the videos, students will get to receive their instruction from Andrew himself (and laugh at his corny jokes). IEW also offers programs in phonics, spelling and grammar.
You can download this classic book (written in 1911) for FREE online and get lots of great exercises for younger elementary students. Young kids will enjoy the emphasis on nature and the great outdoors.
Here is another fantastic book you can download for FREE. Written in 1878 in an entertaining story format, Grammar-Land introduces students to “Judge Grammar” and his subjects (the Parts-of-Speech). Worksheets to accompany the book are available here, and you can listen to the LibriVox recording here.
Even students who struggle with math will find this program easy to understand. Manipulatives are used as a very helpful tool to get a solid grasp of the concepts, and plenty of worksheets are provided so students can go as fast or as slow as needed to achieve mastery. The videos with the lovable “Mr. Demme” are clear, succinct and entertaining.
Although you only need one math curriculum, I have to mention Math Mammoth because it really is a treasure trove of resources at a dirt cheap price (in fact, you can download over 400 sample worksheets for FREE). The nice thing about Math Mammoth is that instruction is built right into the worksheets and is written directly to the student– if you have an independent learner, all you need to do is hand the page to your child and let him have at it. There are also lots of helpful videos available to watch for free.
Connecting with History is a Catholic, classical, literature-based, unit-study program encompassing not only history but also language arts, geography, arts & crafts and more. All you would have to do is add math and science to make this your entire homeschool curriculum!
This program is especially great for large families with children of all ages. The lesson plans are designed so that you can sit down all together and learn as a family (reading aloud mostly), like the old “one-room schoolhouse”. Although everybody will be covering the same topics, each individual student will receive developmentally appropriate assignments based on the four classical levels of education: Beginner (K-3), Grammar (4th-6th), Logic (7th-9th), and Rhetoric (10th-12th).
In year one you’ll study Ancient History & the Old Testament, year two is the New Testament, the Early Church & the Early Medieval Period, year three is High Medieval through Post-Reformation, and year four is American History. Once you’ve gone through all four years, you’ll simply cycle back around to year one and dig deeper into the topics at a higher level. It’s an ingenious system!
I like the fact that I can use as little or as much of the suggested materials as I like; the program simply gives me lots of great ideas and a structure to follow. My kids particularly enjoy the CD with short songs that help you memorize important events, and they love doing a little presentation for Mom and Dad at the end of each unit.
The only thing that I think would make this program better is to incorporate the visions of Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich. She gives a completely different perspective on ancient peoples than most scholars would have you believe (hint: our ancestors were NOT uncivilized cave men!), so I think it would be valuable to read her visions to your kids in addition to the literature they recommend.
OK, science is a really tough subject to cover as a faithful Catholic who upholds the traditional teaching of the Church and what the Fathers have always taught. A good Catholic science curriculum simply doesn’t exist (yet), but the next best thing is this Protestant curriculum. (If you’ve heard of Dr. Robert Sungenis, author of Galileo Was Wrong: The Church Was Right, this is what his family used.)
I really like that Berean Builders covers science in a chronological order, beginning with the Genesis creation account and proceeding to tell the story of what scientists have discovered (or where they were mistaken) throughout history. This way, you aren’t only focusing on biology one year, physics another year, etc. but you get to jump around which makes things more interesting. It’s easy to integrate this program with Connecting with History, or with any other curriculum. Each lesson and experiment is for families to do together, but assignments vary in difficulty depending on age. Experiments use common items that you already have laying around the house, or items that are inexpensive to acquire.
Just be careful when you get to the chapter on Galileo because they get it wrong and put the Church in a bad light. I recommend skipping that chapter. Older students might listen to a talk by Dr. Robert Sungenis on YouTube, watch his movie The Principle, or read a chapter from his bookinstead.
As far as evolution goes, Berean Builders does a decent job of explaining why that theory is incorrect, but they do not go into a ton of detail. For older students, check out the Kolbe Center: they have tons of great books, articles, videos and more to satisfy even the most inquisitive student.
St. Jerome Library & School is dedicated to helping homeschoolers provide their children with a truly Catholic education. They’re a unique resource for traditional, pre-Vatican II books, with beautiful pictures and quality binding added to bring them back to life again. If you can’t afford to buy, you can rent books for 1 year. I can’t say enough good things about this apostolate! Simply look up your child’s grade level or subject and you’ll find tons of beautiful books.
I’m just one mom and haven’t tried everything that’s out there, but chances are Cathy Duffy has. Check out her website for helpful reviews on even more Catholic and Christian curricula.
If you need help to get started with homeschooling, here is a great book for Catholic home educators. Rather than giving you a specific curriculum to follow, this book empowers you with the principles you need to know to put together your own curriculum based on the classical Trivium (grammar, logic and rhetoric). This was a helpful read for me when I first started homeschooling my children.
Mary Refuge Of Souls 