Parents are the first and foremost educators of their children, and overwhelmingly have the largest influence on the faith life of their children. The family is vital to the moral and social formation of the young, and our Catholic schools recognize that parents need help raising children and maintaining faith in light of the overpowering challenges of an increasingly complex and modern world. We aim to support parents in this important vocation.
The Mission Effectiveness committees of St. Thomas the Apostle, St. Paul the Apostle, and Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic schools invite you to attend a parent speaker series in 2025. The goal of this series is to educate, equip, and support parents in navigating key issues affecting children today, specifically technology and morality, through the lens of our Catholic faith.
Feb 10, 2025 - Thomas Lickona - Author, “Raising Good Children” - Moral Development
Thomas Lickona, Ph.D., is a developmental psychologist, character educator, and professor of education emeritus at the State University of New York at Cortland. A past president of the Association for Moral Education, he has spoken around the world on fostering moral values and character development in schools, families, and communities.
Spring 2025 (date TBD) - Brooke Shannon - Wait Until 8th - Technology
Brooke Shannon is the Executive Director and founder of Wait Until 8th. Brooke works with parents and communities across the country to help families establish a healthy relationship with technology. She is a national speaker on how to parent in the digital arena.
Fall 2025 (date TBD) - Kendra Tierney - Liturgical Living
Kendra is the author of A Little Book About Confession for Children and The Catholic All Year Compendium about living the liturgical year in the home. In her spare time, she blogs about Catholic living, amongst other things, at CatholicAllYear.com, sharing a glimpse of big family life and how the Catholic faith looks in her home.
The speaker series is free and open to all Diocese of Grand Rapids Catholic school parents. Talks will be held at Cathedral Square Center (360 Division Ave S., Grand Rapids, MI 49505) from 6:00pm-8:30pm. Refreshments and appetizers will be provided. Details for the spring and fall speakers will be announced as they are finalized. We hope all parents consider attending at least one presentation in this series!