Beaches, Buckets, and Basilicas

In this month's episode, Genevieve O'Connor M.F.A, M.T.S. asks Diocesan Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, Zelenda Hodgskin, how to rescue our focus on faith when summer swoops in to ruin our routines. Hodgskin has lots of practical and anecdotal advice for how to keep the faith alive in our families through the summer, suggesting that parents host faith-themed movie nights and set aside special sacred spaces in the home. O'Connor also asks about keeping faith going when we are on vacation, noting that sometimes our beach trips involve leaving behind our worries and our prayer practices. Hodgskin shares that intentionally seeking out shrines and churches in new places can become beautiful opportunities for family bonding and faith building. When our Catholic Faith is truly the center of our lives, it will not fall to the back burner in the summer, but rather continue to animate all that we do. 

Below are the websites that Hodgskin recommends to parents:

For movies: WatchCredo and Formed.

For researching saints: CatholicCulture and Catholic/Saints. 

For activity inspiration: CatholicIcing and CatholicMom.

For finding churches and shrines while traveling: TheCatholicTravelGuide  and MassTimes.