One of the timeless pleasures and perhaps duties of parenting is reading to our children. From simple books that teach colors, the alphabet, or numbers, to beloved stories about stuffed rabbits come to life, the loving interchange of words and cuddles is foundational to the parent-child relationship as well as to the child’s formation. Time spent reading together is also a perfect opportunity to fulfill the parents’ role as primary educators of the Faith.
Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. Through the grace of marriage, parents receive the responsibility and privilege of evangelizing their children. Parents should initiate their children at an early age into the mysteries of the faith of which they are the “first heralds” for their children. (CCC 2223-2225)
Through the sacramental grace of married life, parents can mix this tender time of reading together with the duty to catechize. Finding books that teach faithfully and enjoyably, however, is not an easy task. What a happy discovery then, to find the books of Patrick O’Hearn.
Patrick is a devout Catholic, husband, and father, who has found a vocation within his vocation to write books, including faithful and inspiring children’s books. I recently spoke with Patrick about his children’s books: Saints Come in all Shapes and Sizes (Ascension Press), The Virtues of the Saints cowritten with Fr. Donald Calloway (Marian Press), Sacred Heart of Jesus (Sophia Press), and Our Lady of Sorrows (Sophia Press).
Already an author, literary consultant, speaker, editor, husband, and father, Patrick felt the call to enter the world of children’s literature. After several experiences of bringing home disappointing and even offensive books from the library, he thought, This is the stuff we’re exposing our children to? Even when he looked for books on Advent, Patrick found the offerings lacking. “The number one Advent book at the time was produced by Disney and had nothing to do with Jesus at all.” Through prayer, he was convicted that God desired deeper content for his children and that he wanted Patrick to write it.
Often, as parents who are not trained theologians, we have concerns about teaching our children the Faith correctly. The last thing we want to do is inadvertently lead them astray. Patrick has had the wisdom to ensure he is presenting the truths of our Faith by having a priest or trusted theologian review his books. His books are reviewed and/or cowritten by such faithful voices as Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, Fr. Chad Ripperger, PH.D., and His Eminence, Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke.
Not being trained theologians needn’t be a drawback to our parenting, even when our children ask us questions that are beyond our knowledge. These questions are opportunities to teach our children several things. First, when we say, “I don’t know, but I will find out and get back to you,” we teach humility. Secondly, we teach that being a Catholic means being a life-long learner. Thirdly, we teach that answers are out there, and we can access them through trusted sources. Finally, we can take the opportunity to learn together by reading a faithful book about the question.
Some of our children’s questions may touch on a more challenging element of our Faith, such as the existence of demons. Patrick’s books do not shy away from the truth that all of God’s children have an enemy. In Our Lady of Sorrows, the idea of spiritual warfare is introduced as simply another part of the Faith to be learned. Children need to know helpful prayers for facing temptations and problems. Shying away from teaching children about the demonic does them a disservice.
“At Fatima, Our Lady showed the children hell as well as heaven,” Patrick shared. “We are going to be accountable for our children before God, and we are our children’s primary educators. This is not about frightening them and of course we want to talk more about the glories of heaven than the pains of hell, but we don’t want to neglect this important truth of our Faith.”
In Saints Come in All Shapes and Sizes, for the youngest Catholics, and in The Virtues of the Saints, for older children and their families, Patrick turns to another important subject: the saints. Both books introduce the idea that God created each of us to be a saint, but that we aren’t asked to become carbon copies of anyone. These books teach that we can become saints by becoming who God created us to be within the life of the Church.
“It is so important to introduce our children to stories of the saints,” Patrick emphasized. “It can fuel the flames of their sanctity. In her Diary, St. Faustina says that she wouldn’t have had the desire to be a saint had she not read books of saints. So many saints, St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. Ignatius of Loyola, and many others, spoke about how important reading the stories of the saints was to their own faith.”
Patrick’s books also teach about the gift of sacred art and the use of holy images to aid our devotional practices. Explaining ideas like devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus can be difficult, but his book The Sacred Heart of Jesus shows how natural this process is when we incorporate sacred art. “The last image in the book is of the Sacred Heart itself. Children learn about hearts and understand their significance from a very young age, for instance in celebrating Valentine’s Day. So, when they are introduced to this greatest example of love in Jesus’ Heart, it’s not abstract to them. His love is right there.”
In Saints Come in All Shapes and Sizes, the illustrator, Elizabeth Blair, has a style perfect for young children. The saints have big eyes and simple shapes, and each image conveys their holiness. In the other three children’s books, the illustrator is Adalee Hude, whose work is decidedly more grown-up, less simple, and extraordinarily beautiful. The images could be used for meditation by anyone, parent or child. Patrick commented, “We wanted to offer just that, images that are sacred art, that both parents and children would love and be moved into an encounter with God by.”
Each of Patrick’s books leads children into an encounter with God, placing prayers throughout: “That encounter is what I am hoping for. I don’t want kids to just read a book and that’s the end. I want them to encounter God and the saints. I don’t want these to be just cute stories. I pray that God will lead the children into an encounter with Him.”
In offering these books, Patrick hopes to convey the importance of reading to our children. “Families are so busy, and many parents don’t even do any spiritual reading themselves. But, to just sit down as a family is so important. We have a short window at home with our kids, especially when they are very young.”
In sharing his talents with the youngest Catholics, Patrick O’Hearn aids the Church in passing on the vital gifts of the life of virtue, the Communion of Saints, sacred art, and devotions all set in the simple, powerful act of reading together. It is our joy and our responsibility to teach the Faith to our children, grandchildren, and the other children whose lives we touch. Patrick’s books increase that joy while lightening the burden of that responsibility.
Author’s Note: Patrick’s books are available at www.patrickrohearn.com.
Photo by Pierre Bamin on Unsplash
