NEW YORK, AUG 27, 2004 (Zenit.org).- A set of stories of saints’ lives, first captured in coloring books for use as catechetical tools, are now being dramatized for 30-minute spots on radio stations.
The «Glory Stories,» produced by volunteer writers, producers and performers, tell of saints’ lives but also stress biblical passages and truths of the Catholic faith.
«God teaches the Gospel through the lived lives of the saints,» said Ken Davison, editor of the series and executive director of Catholic World Mission. «These stories offer a living embodiment of what it means to live a life of faith.»
Radio spots include the tales and related lessons from the lives of Blessed Imelda Lambertini; St. Juan Diego; St. Thérèse of Lisieux; St. Joan of Arc; the saints of the Knights of Columbus; St. Joseph; Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta; St. Faustina; and Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha.
Why radio? «It reaches everyone in a nonconfrontational way,» said Davison.
«You’re in car your car, often alone,» he said. «In the silence of your heart you can ask questions. Listening to the lives of the saints makes you confront the reality of Christ and the Church, but doesn’t make you defensive.»
«Plus,» he added, «in radio, there’s a more active engagement of children’s imagination; they listen to the saints’ voices and accents, and imagine what they and their world look like.»
Davison explained that each story offers a teaching moment.
«Blessed Teresa shows us how to live a life of service with five fingers — ‘You did it to me.’ St. Juan Diego displays obedience; the saints of the Knights of Columbus demonstrate what it means to give up your life for your flock; Blessed Imelda attests to the real presence in the Eucharist; St. Joan of Arc is a model of fortitude and perseverance,» Davison said.
The «Glory Stories» are distributed to radio stations without charge by Catholic World Mission. The Connecticut-based nonprofit religious organization offers disaster and humanitarian relief, helps more than 10,000 children in 19 of its schools, and supports more than 1,000 lay missionaries in hundreds of Latin American parishes.
Radio stations can download the first season of stories from the Ave Maria Radio Satellite Network or from CDs, with continuing weekly access to new episodes through Advent of this year.
To raise funds for the evangelization work of Catholic World Mission, recordings on CDs and cassettes are sold to the public online and at Catholic religious articles stores with a companion line of coloring books and prayer cards.
With further financial support, Davison hopes to translate the radio programs into Spanish in order to reach even larger audiences in North and South America.
«The stories of the saints from the radio programs and the related coloring books are ways to bring the Catholic world together,» he said.
«I hope to touch people and inspire a missionary heart to learn something and support our mission,» said Davison. «Bishops from Peru, India, Nigeria and other mission territories want our bilingual coloring books to catechize and evangelize where literacy is low, to touch on a particular devotion or to teach English in schools.
«Supporting this initiative and Catholic World Mission is a way to join the missions without leaving home.»
