Collaboration for All God’s Children

Made in God’s image and likeness is a common refrain in Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body teachings, an inspiring reminder that we are all beloved children of God. To instill this fundamental belief in the hearts and minds of children, a collaboration between multiple parties brought Theology of the Body lessons to all K-5 classrooms throughout the diocese.

The initiative to add the teachings of Theology of the Body as a specific piece of Catholic school curriculum came from Bishop Walkowiak. However, when it came time to implement these lessons in classrooms, a challenge loomed: a lack of lesson materials. As schools looked for a solution to acquire curriculum materials, Paul and Leisa Snow stepped forward. Through their endowed fund, The Paul and Leisa Snow Fund for Catholic Truth and Apologetics, they issued a grant that purchased lesson materials for 24 Catholic schools.  “We started the endowment to support efforts that illuminate the beauty and truth of the Catholic faith. When the idea was introduced of providing the Theology of the Body curriculum to elementary students, I felt blessed to help instill these teachings in our youth,” said Leisa Snow.

Now equipped with lesson materials, teachers have engaging age-appropriate content through a blend of testimonies, stories of saints, movie clips, and more. By starting these lessons in kindergarten, students are able to build on the teachings over multiple years, reminding them that each individual is a unique, unrepeatable, and irreplaceable gift.  The lessons continue in middle school and high school where other resources and expertise exist, helping graduates of Catholic schools throughout the diocese articulate the beauty of our faith to others.

At the Catholic Foundation of West Michigan, we strive to match donors’ passions with the needs of our Catholic community.  Joining together in generosity, we can help meet the needs within and beyond our community, much like Paul and Leisa did for students and teachers in parish schools.