Growing Up Catholic Reconciliation 2024 Growing Up Catholic First Reconciliation Prep Crecer en la Fe Católica • NEW 2024 Edition

Paul Canavese serves as director of The Pastoral Center (PastoralCenter.com), author, frequent conference speaker, and pastoral consultant. He has his MTS from the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley. He directs GrowingUpCatholic.com (focused on coaching parents) and GospelLiving.org ("intentional daily life Catholicism"). He has served in a wide range of parish ministries, most recently as a pastoral consultant at Corpus Christi Parish in Piedmont, CA. Paul also has 20 years of experience in software development and management with technology startups and social media. Along with his wife Ann, two daughters, and seven chickens, he lives in Alameda, CA, where they operate a mini-urban farm and looks for creative ways to build community in their neighborhood.

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Jean Denton is a cartoonist, illustrator and journalist. Her “Flock” cartoons were featured in the North Texas Catholic newspaper for more than 25 years. They’ve also run in a few other Catholic papers, magazines, and resources. Besides drawing The Flock, Jean has been a Catholic newspaper reporter, columnist, and illustrator. A veteran parish catechist, former youth minister, wife, and mother of three adult children, she holds a certificate in Christian spirituality from Loyola University of New Orleans.

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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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Sister Kieran Sawyer, SSND, is nationally known for her creative work in youth ministry and catechesis. She is an acclaimed author and lecturer on youth ministry and character formation, with a special focus on chastity education. Over the years she has taught religion at all grade levels in Catholic schools and in religious education programs, and has presented workshops and programs for religion teachers and youth ministers across the country and abroad. Her theological degrees are from Marquette University, St. John’s University in Collegeville, and Catholic University

Sister Kieran was the founder and director of the TYME OUT Youth Center in Stone Bank, Wisconsin, where for many years she directed retreats and character education programs for the teens and pre-teens of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Her current ministry includes promoting family-based chastity education and abuse prevention programs and conducting training workshops for catechists, youth ministers, and L.I.F.E. facilitators. She was honored by the National Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry as a recipient of the 2006 National Youth Ministry Award.

Sister Kieran is a member of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, Central Pacific Province.

She has written and contributed to many published works, including:

• LoveEd (Saint Benedict Press, 2018.) A video-discussion series on puberty, sexuality, and pregnancy.  Sister Kieran worked with author Coleen Kelly Mast to create the videos and parent-child discussion materials in this program.
• Sex and the Teenager: Choices and Decisions (Ave Maria Press, 1990, 1999, 2008), a teachers’ manual and student text on adolescent relationships and sexuality.
• Confirming Faith (Ave Maria Press, 1980, 1994) Teacher’s manual and student book designed to prepare high school students to celebrate the Sacrament of Confirmation.
• Youth Ministry Access (Center for Ministry Development, 2009 to present) Lesson plans for middle school and high school youth ministry programs.

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