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Pope Francis arrived in the United States for the World Meeting of Families (in case you haven't heard!?!) and our family did talk about traveling to witness this historic event in person.  But, then we thought seriously about the time and money investment (and the amount of people) and we decided to stay and watch the Pope on TV/computer from the comforts of our home and of course, pray diligently for our Pope Francis and all those traveling for the grand events.  This is the closest I'll ever get to Pope Francis, but then again, miracles do happen, so maybe, just maybe I'll get to see the Pope in person one day!  Our family was so excited to watch when Pope Francis was elected in March 2013 so I wanted to celebrate Pope Francis' US arrival in a special way.

Going to my local Catholic bookstore and snapping a photo with the Pope is one way to celebrate Pope Francis' arrival to the United States.  Another fun way to celebrate Pope Francis is to use the Love is Our Mission-Pope Francis Commemorative Poster and watch Saint Francis, The Knight of Assisi DVD with the family.  Both of these fun resources were created by CCC of America.

Have you heard of CCC of America?  If not, you have now and I'm sure this company will be a family favorite for you too!  CCC of America and their award-winning animated "Saints and Heroes" series has been a part of our family's life for about 15 years now!  My children have watched all the engaging videos for so many years over and over again!  In fact, it was these videos from CCC of America that was a catalyst for me becoming more enthusiastic and intentional with celebrating the liturgical year with my children.

We then watched the Saint Francis, The Knight of Assisi DVD as a family and all of us enjoyed it, parents and the children, including my 2 year old daughter!  


If you aren't familiar with the story of Saint Francis, you can learn about Francis of Assisi's fascinating and inspiring life along with your children with CCC of America's animated DVD that is engaging and informative. 

Each of my children had this to say about the movie when it was done...

"I enjoyed seeing how he went from thinking of himself to thinking of others and serving them."  -daughter, age 15

"I liked how he answered God's call to rebuild the Church."  -son, age 13

"I liked the part in the movie where Francis saved the little girl from the mad dog."  -daughter, age 11

"I liked how he was rich and then became a poor peasant to help others." -daughter, age 7

As a parent, I enjoy that the DVD teaches about the life of Francis of Assisi in a way that appeals to children and adults alike.  It kept our entire family entertained for the full 30 minutes.  (Well, maybe the 2 year old was a bit distracted for parts of it :) )   The animated DVD does a wonderful job showing how Francis grew up in a very wealthy family, but then answered God's call to sell all his possessions to rebuild the Church and help those in need.

I highly recommend the Love is Our Mission-Pope Francis Commemorative Poster and Saint Francis, The Knight of Assisi DVD to add to your collection of great Catholic resources for the entire family! 

For other great Pope Francis resources be sure to check out Kristen's blog post at Drawn2BCreative where she includes several Pope Francis links, including her Pope Francis paper doll and several links to various activities and coloring pages to celebrate Pope Francis and this memorable week!

Be sure to visit Real Life Rosary who has a beautiful limited edition rosary available and a PDF Meditation Book to commemorate the World Meeting of Families.  



And I have to show you this painting of Pope Francis by my artist friend, Cameron Smith!  This is his latest masterpiece! Isn't it amazing and beautiful?  Cameron is so talented!  Be sure to check out his website and the different size prints available for purchase!