Glory Stories Volume 1 and Inside the Sacraments Episode 1

Glory Stories Volume 1 is the first in a series of CDs produced by Holy Heroes. In this, approximately 30 minute presentation, your children will learn about two saints, Blessed Imelda Lambertini and St. Juan Diego. I understand how the canonization process works, but I am amazed Blessed Imelda isn't a saint yet. Maybe, she is happy and humble being blessed, or maybe we should pray harder for her intercession. Anyhow...

In this CD, your children will hear the story of the selected saint's life, what they did that made them a saint, and after the story, you hear what they are the patron saint of and when their feast day is. For example, we learn that Blessed Imelda entered a monastery at a very early age. She longed desperately to receive the Eucharist, but was unable to because during her life, the age of First Communion was 14. She eventually was allowed to receive earlier than age 14, and after receiving Jesus, she died. It sounds sad, but she died with the one she loved. The other saint, St. Juan Diego and Our Lady of Guadalupe is one that most of us know, so I won't rehash that one. There are coloring pages associated with the CD too that help kids put pictures to the story. For example, you can see St. Juan Diego's coloring pages here. This was a great production as it wasn't just one person reading a story, but dramatized with different voices for the characters. It was truly enjoyable for kids and adults! Be sure to check out other volumes in this series here!

Inside the Sacraments: Episode One - The Holy Eucharist is a DVD that is made and presented "by kids - for kids." In this almost hour long presentation, your children will learn a TON about the Eucharist. They learn about Moses, the plagues, and Passover. They learn about manna from heaven, which was a prefigurement to the Eucharist. They also learn what the word prefigurement means, which is a term most adults couldn't define. We also see the Bread of Life discourse, the Last Supper, and other Eucharistic passages in the Bible.

The format for this video can be described as cheesy at best. The knowledge was there and some of the visual (like how much is an omer of manna actually is) was very useful. Other times though the video was silly. There were posterboard puppets, kids dressed up as superheroes, etc. This is the adult in me, so take the complaints for what they are worth. Some kids (probably younger) ones will giggle or find it charming. Other kids (probably older ones) will eye-roll the whole video and probably tune out the message, which is a shame because it is a good message. There is also a gaggle of girls in this presentation, which some boys might find uninviting or intimidating. I know it wasn't intentional, but it's how boys' brains work sometimes. I will be interested to see if there is an Episode Two, how it has improved in terms of quality, etc.

These products were provided to me for free by Holy Heroes in exchange for an honest review.

The Stations of the Cross and The Joyful Mysteries (Holy Heroes)

The Stations of the Cross from Holy Heroes is an hour long CD that contains two versions of The Stations of the Cross on it. Unlike other recordings, this one is by kids and for kids. Yes, you will hear an adult narrator for some of the introductory material, but that's about it. I admit that the adult in me wanted the narrator, Jim Morlino, to do the whole thing as he has a great voice. (It reminded me a bit of Mr. Whitaker from Adventures in Odyssey for any former Protestants out there.) However, your kids would probably space out if it was just another adult talking and praying, and this is a CD for kids.

For starters the kids are very reverent and speak clearly. I wasn't sure how it would fare with them doing the bulk of the praying, but they did a fine job. I really enjoyed all the background noises. It would be considered something similar to a "dramatic reading" of the Bible. If you close your eyes, it's like you're there. I LOVED that they included the Stabat Mater at the end of every Station in the longer version. I'm a big fan of that tradition with praying the Stations and the voices singing it were beautiful. I appreciate that each Station is on a separate track for easy navigation. I also loved the Introduction and How to Pray Opening Track, as it makes for a perfect resource for school, homeschool, or Sunday School. However, one thing did bug me about the Introduction. It says something to the effect of you start The Stations of the Cross with an opening prayer. However, they don't have this opening prayer in the longer version (or else i missed it). You can hear an opening prayer in the shorter version for radio, but then you don't get the Stabat Mater. So that's one of the few, if only things I would change about the CD. If your kids need a book to pray along with there is a prayer book available here and a coloring book for the younger ones here! Overall this was a great CD though, and I highly recommend it.

The Joyful Mysteries also from Holy Heroes is the first of four CDs released by them, which teaches your children to pray the Rosary. Like The Stations of the Cross, this CD is recorded by kids and for kids. Though, I'm not sure of the age range for the children praying, it definitely goes from young to tween or teenager. Each Mystery comes with an introduction and Scripture meditations. That means that before every Hail Mary, you and your family will hear a verse or two related to the Mystery. This is a true Scriptural Rosary! The entire Rosary takes about 30 minutes to pray, which is standard, and at the end is a brief history lesson about The Miracle of Lepanto and the role of Rosary in this naval battle.

At times, some of the younger children are hard to understand. You, the parent, and your kids probably know the words to the Hail Mary, but if you are using this as a teaching tool, it can be a bit distracting and unhelpful. I'm conflicted on the inclusion of the Spanish version being included on this CD. On the one hand, it's cost-effective and can be used by both English and Spanish speakers. On the other hand, I wish they had done an abbreviated version of the Rosary, like they did with The Stations of the Cross. This would be especially helpful for younger children who can only sit still for 15 minutes and not a full 30 minutes. If not a shorter version, perhaps they could have included two sets of Mysteries per CD (like Joyful and Luminous on one and Sorrowful and Glorious on the other). Had they done this, they still would had to have make 4 CDs (2 for English and 2 for Spanish), but families would only have to buy 2 CDs, not 4. This is still a great family CD worth investing in, and I will definitely look into completing my set.

Be sure to check out other great selections from them, including Glory Stories, which tell about different Saints and some of their DVD movies, like the new Inside the Sacraments: The Holy Eucharist! I'll be reviewing a Glory Story and the DVD I just mentioned on my blog soon. Also, be sure to check their site daily for their Deal of the Day, where you can get some of their great products at a better price! These CDs were provided to me for free by Holy Heroes in exchange for an honest review.