When I sat down to work yesterday, I realized that this was the most important thing I could do: take a video showing you each of our Glory Stories (and WHY we created each one).

Here’s a quick overview of each Glory Story volume that is currently available, starting with the newest release through the oldest (and still the all-time best-seller). All the stories are available as audio CDs or instant download MP3s.

NOTE: we often burn the audio CDs onto a flash drive so we can listen in these newer cars that don’t have CD players. You can also do this when you get our MP3 downloads–drag those from your desktop to a flash drive and then listen to them in the car! Here’s my quick video about how to do this.

BACKGROUND

Now if you’re familiar with Glory Stories you know these are audio dramatized stories of the Saints, the true-life story which is carefully historically fact-checked and theologically reviewed.

We don’t makeup stuff to make it “more interesting to modern children,” so there are no sassy kids in them…there are no silly sidekicks… 

We let the actual lives, actions, and words of the saints speak directly to the imagination of a child—and we get tons of emails and phone calls that really resonates with children.

Children ponder the real words of the Saints, and we include a verse of Scripture that is revealed in the living of real human life.

For example, in the stories of the apparitions of the Blessed Mother children hear the actual words that she spoke. We don’t cut down her appearances to only some of what she said. We figure if she took the time to come down from Heaven and to speak to somebody everything she said was important.

One last thing: to identify the focus of the stories…we cheat. We do a couple things:

• We go to the beatification or canonization homilies to see what the Holy Father emphasized, then build from there!
• And we consider the miracles that occurred—that usually is a pretty good indicator of what God intended the saint to exemplify!

OVERVIEW of EACH VOLUME

So here they are—all the Glory Stories currently available are described below:

• Volume 18–Our Lady of Champion
  • This is the only approved Marian Apparition in the United States.  She came with a specific message to the United States that concerned our children. There are two absolutely astounding miracles that you’ve probably never heard of.
    • Bonus: An overview of the shrine which you can visit which includes relics of those two miracles that are mentioned.
• Volume 17—The Eucharist is my Highway to Heaven: Blessed Carlo Acutis
  • The author, Sabrina Ferrisi, corresponded with his mother to get a lot of details children will love. He died at age 15 and his siblings, parents, and junior high friends attended his beatification just a few years ago! He’s the boy who created the Eucharistic Miracles exhibit that is both online and which visits parishes around the world. If you want additional Carlo material, click HERE for our entire collection (including the “kit” to become a saint which he created to teach to children when he was a catechist).
• Volume 16—You are Blessed by My Father: Saint Peter
  • Pulling right from Scripture, children will learn about the especially close relationship that Our Lord had with Saint Peter, a relationship beyond that He had with any other Apostle, because (as Jesus Himself said) His Heavenly Father blessed Peter with a unique role in the Kingdom. Scriptures we often haven’t even thought about are revealed—great apologetics material for older children.
• Volume 15—Our Lady’s Messenger: Saint Bernadette Soubirous and Our Lady of Lourdes 
  • Children hear every word Our Lady spoke and will learn what prayer is still said in Heaven (and why) as well as how to make the Sign of the Cross as the Blessed Virgin Mary taught Saint Bernadette. Some early miracles you have probably not heard about, as well as the very joyful demeanor of Sant Bernadette, are revealed.
• Volume 14—Be Children of the Church: Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton
  • The first native-born American saint was a convert to Catholicism, and through her relationships as a daughter, wife, mother, friend, and founder of a religious congregation—and she converted many, many people through her life and words. We produced this story for the 40^th anniversary of her canonization at the request of the Seton Shrine in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and they gave us tremendous access to information about her life. She came into the Catholic Church on Epiphany—a great Epiphany present!—and the Good Shepherd Psalm plays a large part in her story.
• Volume 13—Secrets from Heaven: The Story of the Children of Fatima
  • Again, we have every word that the Blessed Mother spoke. And remember: she was speaking to three children who were all under 10 years old, about what she wanted them to do. These are the things that your children can also do! You may not know that the apparitions continued and that Jesus Himself also spoke to the children—it’s all in this story. We have more Fatima materials for families with children at HERE.
• Volume 12—Codename “Cocol:” Blessed Miguel Pro
  • Dramatic and absolutely hilarious (and all true!), this story of a priest who was a master of disguises is so popular among our children that both Anna and Therese demanded to have parts in the story. Children will love this story—so joyful and exciting!
    • Bonus: Patrick Madrid discusses the persecution of the Church 100 years ago in Mexico and gives us his mother’s recipe for “cocol.”
• Volume 11—Be Not Afraid: Pope Saint John Paul II
  • Wonder how to explain Divine Providence? This story does it! Historically vetted by two people who knew him in Poland…they loved the story so much all they asked for in return was: to have parts in the story. They are his parents.
• Volume 10—Knock, and It Will Be Opened to You: Saint Rose of Lima and The Knight and Our Lady: Saint Maximilian Kolbe
  • Saint Rose teaches about prayer (including her actual conversation with Christ) and Saint Maximilian Kolbe teaches about Marian Devotion, what is, why it is important, and how to live it. Saint Maximilian Kolbe was written from the postulator’s documentation of his life and the words of those who knew him in Auschwitz. Inspiring!
• Volume 9—My Battle Name is Jose Luis: Saint Jose Sanchez del Rio
  • This is the only one that we have in English and Spanish, written from the testimonies for his beatification. It seems like the fastest way to become a canonized Saint is to have us do a Glory Story and call you “blessed”…then the next thing we know they’re actually canonized, and we have to re-record a number of lines! If you’ve ever seen the movie For Greater Glory…well, they changed all sorts of things. This is a true and absolutely phenomenal story. This 14-year-old martyr lived in a little village in which you can see how God is trying to bring Salvation to every single person in that village, all the inter-relationships come out through his story—especially the part his Godfather plays! Great to give to every altar boy you know (when you hear the story, you’ll know why!).
• Volume 8—Best-Loved Catholic Prayers: Daily Prayers and the Prayers of the Mass
  • This was actually written by Virginia and includes all our children. From morning offering to bedtime, traditional Catholic prayers and how to pray them, where these prayers came from, how to pray them, the gestures, the postures. We take you from a Morning Offering to an examination of conscience at night and based on feedback from the pre-release version, we put a lot of chant, and sung prayers, and then we go through the Holy Mass the same way, teaching and explaining. Young children learn through hearing, so they will memorize these prayers quickly with this CD.
• Volume 7—A Sparrow in God’s Hand: Saint Clare of Assisi and The Saint of the Broom: Saint Martin de Porres
  • My daughter, Clara, is the young Saint  Clare, and Saint Martin de Porres is the only story that does include talking animals…because he actually talked to animals, it’s documented. His other miracles in the story will amaze your children.
• Volume 6—Seeker of the Lost: Saint Anthony of Padua and God’s Hero on Horseback: Saint Joan of Arc
  • One of the top best-sellers as you’ll learn why Saint Anthony is the person who helps you find lost objects and how a peasant girl who had never ridden a horse defeated the most powerful army in the world—which France had not been able to do for over 100 years! That’s right: Saint Joan of Arc ended the Hundred Years War! Boys and girls absolutely love both these stories.
• Volume 5—I Want to Be a Christian: Saint Kateri Tekakwitha and The Saint of the Catacombs: Saint Cecilia
  • You need to hear both these stories! Baptism in all its miraculous glory is revealed through the miracle of Saint Kateri, and you’ll better understand the Communion of Saints through Saint Cecilia. The first thing Saint Kateri said to the Jesuit priests when she turned 18, which made her an adult in the tribe, was, “I want to be a Christian I want to be baptized.” Saint Cecilia is exciting—Roman soldiers, angels, catacombs.
    • Bonus: The miracle that made Kateri a saint—the interview with Jake Finkbonner who was cured…but who visited Heaven and spoke with Jesus (and his godfather who had recently died).
    • Note: Moms—you will cry hearing this interview, but children will simply be amazed!
• Volume 4—The Gospel on Five Fingers: Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Jesus, I Trust in You: Saint Faustina Kowalska & the Divine Mercy devotion
  • The Missionaries of Charity reviewed the script and included things Mother Teresa only said to them, and we were given official permission to produce this story. Divine Mercy includes conversations with Our Lord and what He told her about the best way to access His Mercy today.
    • Bonus: What is a Saint and the process the Church uses to become a canonized Saint in the Catholic Church.
• Volume 3—From an Angel in a Dream: Saint Joseph and Treasure in Heaven: Saint Katharine Drexel
  • Katharine Drexel was the richest girl in the United States, and she gave it all up to start a religious order. She is a recent saint, having died in 1955. Really an amazing story! And then of course, St. Joseph talks about what a father and husband are to be, drawing out lessons from Scripture.
• Volume 2—Viva Cristo Rey: Saint Miguel de la Mora and God’s Little Flower: Saint Therese of Lisieux
  • Miguel de la Mora is one of the seven canonized saints of the Knights of Columbus. The Knights of Columbus gave us tremendous access to archives for this story. Children love the story of Saint Therese because they learn all about her “Little Way” from when she was a young child up until her death.
• Volume 1—Let the Children Come to Me: Blessed Imelda Lambertini and Fresh Flowers in Winter: Saint Juan Diego and Our Lady Guadalupe
  • Every First Communicant should hear the story of the Patroness of First Communicants and her miraculous First Communion. Our Lady of Guadalupe—wow! We all need to hear the whole story.

Get the whole set (it’s always the best deal!) so you have gifts for Godchildren, nieces, nephews, children, all sorts of friends and neighbors for the rest of the year. God bless you!