Liguori Vacation Bible School Program

Hello:

I'm not quite back in the swing of things since the funeral. Various configurations of family dysfunction and tension keep parading about like it's Mardi Gras. Despite my best efforts to ignore it all, it's a distraction. Fortunately, that's as far into that mess as I intend to delve today. Instead, I'm going to chat about this year's Liguori Publications Vacation Bible School Program. Despite having just gotten back from the Winter Olympics, "I need a vacation" keeps floating through my head and the whole company is buzzing about our VBS program. It's a natural for today's topic.

Apparently the idea of a Catholic Vacation Bible School is relatively new. Maybe because the Church had the infrastructure of the parochial school system? That might make sense. Interest seems to grow as that infrastructure weakens and disappears.

I was raised as a Southern Baptist in a rural area of Southern Illinois. Vacation Bible School always seemed like such a big event and I was so eager to go. I'm not sure if it was a lack of product or a lack of funds, but my church never had a commercially produced VBS 'program' that they followed. What they did have were hundreds of Mrs. Gent's homemade cookies. Mrs. Gent (I just realized I have no idea what her first name was) was the Pastor's wife whose life's work was to fatten up any child she could get her hands on. Hmmm, I'm sitting here remembering what a wonderful person she was. She was always making baked goods, key chains, and little porcelin figures that she would give away with accompanying hugs.

Sorry for the digression, but I hadn't thought about her in a very long time. ANYWAY; today's Vacation Bible Schools have gone big time and publishers spend big bucks to develop and produce them. They usually have cool themes like an Amazon adventure, or the Wild West. This year's theme for us is SonTreasure Island (I'll have to check if it teaches kids how to talk like a pirate).

Protestant publisher's have been honing these products for a long time and the concept is still pretty new to Catholics, so we partner with another company called Gospel Light. They develop each year's theme and the majority of the program materials. They sell it with the same name and theme into their own markets. Then we take what they produce and change some of the content as well as add our own pieces to produce a truly Catholic version. Some of the differences can be very subtle and are beyond me. We work closely with Church authorities (including Bishops) and don't release the program until we have secured an Imprimatur. I like to think of the Imprimatur as the GoodHouseKeeping Seal of approval but what it really means is that the material has been thoroughly reviewed by a Bishop and found to be consistent with Church teachings.

[Listen to sample music clips: Clip3, Clip5, Clip8]

Depending on the year's theme, we can get pretty silly with the anciliary products. These little "Fish Squirt" water pistols have almost gotten me fired. I just can't help myself...... I was going to put an inflatable palm tree in my office, but that would lead to drinking, drink umbrellas and hammocks. I figured I was close enough to being fired as it was and let that temptation slide by.


Through the end of April, we're offering Free Ground Shipping in the US (the $2.50 handling charge does apply) on all Vacation Bible School products that are ordered from our web site. We normally do a lot of VBS sales on the web anyway (I think people like to look at all the little toys and trinkets) but with this special sales have been really brisk.

I'd be really interested to hear from anyone (of any faith) who organizes or works with the Vacation Bible School program for their own church. Especially if you've used our product. What do you like? What do you not like? Could we do something new, better or differently that would help you have a better experience? Let me know! Liguori Publications loves to hear from customers and we try our best to make our customer's lives better. Your comments will be read and appreciated.

Peace,

P. Del Ricci - Dark Glass