Growing Up Catholic Doorways to Faith Doorways to Faith / Puertas a la fe: Year 1 Parent-Centered Family Catechesis Sessions

Mary Kathleen Glavich, SND, is an editor, speaker, and the author of eighty-plus books on religious education and spirituality, including a novel, The Fisherman's Wife: The Gospel According to St. Peter's Spouse.  A Sister of Notre Dame, of Chardon, Ohio, she was a pastoral associate at St. Dominic Church in Shaker Heights, Ohio. She has taught every grade from first to twelfth and has been vocation director for her community and for the Cleveland Diocese. Learn more about Sr. Kathleen at http://www.kathleenglavich.org.

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Patricia Mathson was Director of Religious Education at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Des Moines, Iowa and holds a Master's Degree in Religious Education from the University of Dallas. She contributed to the popular Celebrating Saint column for Catechist magazine and is the author of numerous resource books for religious educators, including Faith Activities on Service and Time to Pray.

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Sr Catherine Stewart OP is a Springfield Illinois Dominican sister. She taught grades 1-3; 6-9, was an administrator in Catholic schools, and taught pre-service teachers at Blackburn College. She is currently the principal at Father McCartan School in Marceline, Missouri. She teaches many of the methods courses and enjoys applying many general instructional strategies to religious education classes. She has a variety of interests and has presented at several conferences. She enjoys writing and has published in the Liguorian, Today’s Parish Minister, RTJ's Creative Catechist, The Catechist’s Way, and the National Social Science Journal and she has co-authored a book,Tools For Conflict Resolution. She has a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from Argosy University.

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Janet Schaeffler, OP—an Adrian Dominican Sister—has spent many years in parish and archdiocesan catechetical ministry (most recently as Director of Adult Faith Formation for the archdiocese of Detroit). The author of hundreds of articles and several publications in catechetical and parish ministry, her articles can be found in The Priest, Catechetical Leader, Catechist, Ministry and Liturgy, etc. Janet currently accompanies others on their faith-journey through days of reflection/retreats, parish missions, workshops, catechist formation opportunities, adult faith formation opportunities, Myers-Briggs explorations, and online courses.

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ANNA LIECHTY taught English to high school students and served as adjunct faculty for Indiana University South Bend for many years. Anna also worked as a mentor trainer and teacher coach with adult learners for the Indiana Department of Education. She won numerous educational classroom grants, including the Eli Lilly Teacher Creativity grant.

As a life-long church educator, Anna worked with all age levels, directing Sunday morning and youth programming, consulting with congregations about their educational ministry, and writing a wide variety of religious education materials. She served as Vice President of Active Learning Associates and co-authored four Lilly Worship Renewal grants.

Anna’s undergraduate degree is from Bowling Green State University in Ohio and her Master’s degree from Indiana University South Bend. She was certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in Adolescent and Young Adult English Language Arts.

In retirement, Anna continues to pursue a variety of writing projects, receiving an Individual Artist Grant in Literature from the Indiana Arts Commission. Now living in Florida, Anna enjoys traveling with her husband Page Foster, a retired pastor, and counting the days between visits with six children, twelve grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.

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Dr. Kathie Amidei has served for many years as Pastoral Associate at St. Anthony on the Lake Parish in Pewaukee, Wisconsin. Before that she was the associate director for Catechesis and Child Ministry for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and served in a number of parishes as primary teacher and director of religious education. She holds a B.S. in Education, an M.A. in Theology, and a Doctorate in Education and Leadership. A national speaker and writer, she offers many presentations and workshops for catechists and catechetical leaders in parishes and dioceses.

Kathie is a wife, mom, and grandmother. She lives with her husband, Jim, in Nashotah, WI. She enjoys being with her family, exploring how people learn, and encouraging growth in faith. Her passion is to help families engage in their journey of faith in meaningful and practical ways and to infuse parish catechetical ministry with effective and relevant programming.

She has written or contributed to: 

• Forming Families: a Faith Resource on Catholic Identity (OSV, 2019)
• From Generation to Generation: A Case Study on Factors in Faith Community Impacting Faith Development, (Doctoral Dissertation, 2012)
• Generations Together: Caring, Praying, Learning, Celebrating and Serving Faithfully (Lifelong Faith Associates, 2013)
• The Journey: A Guide for Persons, Partners, and Parents (R&R Communications, 2013)

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