Congratulations to We Have a Pope!
CWG member Karen Congeni’s We Have a Pope! (New Springtime Press) won the Children’s Book Award for the Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada’s 2011 Catholic Book Awards. “The history and splendor of the papacy is presented to children in easy-to-understand language accompanied by captivatingly beautiful photos,”said the Catholic Press Association. In 2009, We Have a Pope!, also received the Catholic Writers’ Guild Seal of Imprimatur.
The nonfiction book, written for ages four to eight, follows the papacy from its biblical beginning to the present, using full-color photos and illustrations. From the handing of the keys, to the election of a new pope, from the rock on which the Church is built, to the Popemobile, the Ring of the Fisherman, and the Swiss Guard, We Have a Pope! presents the history and splendor of the papacy in simple, easy-to-understand language. Congeni’s book also includes a glossary of terms and list of popes from St. Peter to Pope Benedict.
The Most Rev. Timothy M. Dolan, Archbishop of New York, says of Congeni’s book, “We are all familiar with the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words. Karen Congeni’s pictures are worth thousands of words in We Have a Pope! as she deftly explains the papacy to children. This book is a beautiful introduction for our young people to the ministry of the of the Successors to Saint Peter.”
Tim Drake of Faith and Family: The Magazine of Catholic Living, called We Have a Pope! “a wonderful catechetical lesson about the papacy. I was won over by the book’s simple way of teaching and the beautiful photographs and historical artworks that accompanies the text.”
In her interview by Catholicmom.com‘s Lisa Hendey, Congeni said she wrote We Have a Pope! to “help our children understand that we have a living, breathing authority that Jesus so lovingly gave us to pass on the Faith with integrity.” Congeni started New Springtime Press as Congeni and her husband searched for Catholic books for their own children that would pass on their Catholic faith. In their search, they found “a need for children’s books written with a Catholic worldview. As a former elementary teacher and collector of children’s books, I became keenly aware of the subversive message trend in children’s books … so as part of a “Prayer Moms” group at my children’s school, we started praying in earnest that God would send faithful Catholic children’s publishers.” Congeni and her husband also prayed through the intercession of Archbishop Fulton Sheen, Our Lady, and Blessed Pope John Paul II and others. “Over the years of prayer, I began to discern that maybe our Lord was preparing me to publish.”
Read more about Congeni and We Have a Pope! in Lisa Hendey’s interview by clicking here. We Have a Pope! is available at Amazon, New Springtime Press, and Catholic World where you can receive quantity discounts for the book.
Catholic Writers Conference Live in Two Weeks!
The third annual Catholic Writers’ Conference LIVE will take place August 3-5, 2011, at the Scanticon Hotel Valley Forge in King of Prussia, PA. Sponsored by the Catholic Writer’s Guild (CWG) and the Catholic Marketing Network (CMN), it will be held in conjunction with CMN’s annual retailer trade show. The Catholic Writers Conference LIVE provides Catholic authors with a prime opportunity to meet and share their faith with editors, publishers, fellow writers, and bookstore owners from across the globe. Go here for more information.
Catholic Writers Retreat
Opportunities for networking also will be offered through an informal “book bash and social hour” Wednesday evening and Faith Catholic’s one-on-one “pitch sessions” that give writers the chance to sell their current writing projects. Writers will enjoy three spiritually-enriching days of daily Mass, adoration, the sacrament of reconciliation and many hours of writing time. Talks will explore how God speaks to and encourages writers through Scripture, papal writings and other topics in order to promote faith-filled writing.
A hearty congratulations to Karen! Yay! (confetti toss) 🙂
And the conference looks marvelous. I wish I could attend, but I'll have to just keep an eye out for any notes that attendees might share. I'll be praying for a lovely conference for all who attend!