For Catholics, the Pope is a “rock star.”
There is an unmistakable mystique surrounding all things papal.
How can we not be intrigued by the man dressed in white,
(and often a rather unique hat!)?
After all, as Bishop of Rome and our Holy Father,
he serves in an unbroken chain
of two hundred sixty-five Universal Shepherds
who link us all the way back to
Simon Peter, the fisherman of Galilee.
Suffice it to say that it would be hard to find something or someone who expressed and affirmed Catholic identity more than the Pope. That’s why a few years ago, when our family was faced with the choice between spending money to attend our 25th college reunion or take seven of our eight kids on a bus from Boston to the Papal Mass at Yankee Stadium, we didn’t think twice about ditching out of the reunion.
For our children especially, Mass with Pope Benedict XVI was a day of great joy and excitement. But while the experience of being with—and praying with—the Holy Father filled their hearts, they were not able to fully grasp or appreciate his words. Neither were many of the adults we rode with on the bus.
But what if the thoughts and prayers of the Pope—or many popes—were offered in words so accessible that young Catholics could understand them? That question was the motivation for this groundbreaking new series of prayer books by Pauline Kids.
With the permission of Libreria Editrice Vaticana, (the Vatican Publishing House), I have had the privilege of compiling and editing the words of nineteen different popes from every imaginable background and era of Church history. Selecting material from a broad spectrum of papal writings, I have adjusted the often difficult vocabulary and sentence structure used by popes in ways that are faithful to the original texts, yet accessible to kids. While these books are child-friendly, there is nothing childish about what is contained in them. Each volume includes a section of short biographies of the popes that have been met in its pages.
It may be trite to say that I have received much more from these preparing publications than they have required of me. But in bringing together a sampler of what the Successors of Peter have written on the themes of prayer, the Blessed Virgin-Mother Mary, and the Eucharist, my own spiritual life as a Catholic has been enriched. I have remained surprised by the fact that words so relevant to today’s Catholics were written by popes who led the Church centuries ago.
In Praying with the Holy Father, Honoring Mary with the Holy Father, and Adoring Jesus with the Holy Father the words—and the reader—have been given room to breathe. Using stunning photographs, our designer Sister Mary Joseph Peterson, FSP has turned every page of these books into a contemporary four-color meditation space. The result is a beautiful series that encourages prayer. Filled with spiritual wisdom and rich visual imagery, these books affirm not only our Catholic identity, but the unity and continuity of our faith through the ages.
—Jaymie Stuart Wolfe, Series Editor, Associate Editor, Children's Books, Pauline Books and Media
A wife and mother of eight, Jaymie Stuart Wolfe is an editor of children's books at Pauline Kids. Jaymie's biweekly column, "Under My Roof," has appeared in Boston's Archdiocesan newspaper The Pilot since 1995. As an author, her books include the award-winning Expecting a Miracle, and The Call to Adoption (both with Pauline Books & Media). As a lay ecclesial minister, Jaymie directed adult faith formation, children's sacramental preparation, and liturgical music ministry at the parish level. She has produced nine recordings of original music, and has spoken and sung at events and parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Boston and beyond. Jaymie is a 1983 convert to the Catholic faith and a graduate of Harvard University. She also holds a Master of Arts in Ministry degree from St. John's Seminary.