Catholic Essentials

(© 2009) This text has been found in conformity with the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

The FIRST Handbook of Faith written to the U.S. Bishops Curriculum Framework!

Catholic Essentials: An Overview of the Faith is a handbook of information, prayer, and practice about Jesus, the Holy Trinity, the Catholic Church, the Sacraments, and ways those who believe in Jesus live out their faith. Organized around the US Bishops' high school curriculum framework, this book is an essential resource to accompany a full study of the Catholic faith.

Catholic Essentials provides an overview and synthesis of the six required courses and the elective options of a high school theology curriculum, making it the perfect companion for the students' four years of high school. It also works as a primary text for an introductory or review course. It is well suited for use as the main catechetical resource in a parish youth ministry or religious education program, as it conforms to the new parish adaptation of the framework.

Features to enhance students' knowledge of Jesus:

• Review Questions to help summarize each main section


• Write or Discuss prompts offer ways to reflect on material and apply it to the students' lives


• Vocabulary terms are defined in the Glossary of Selected Terms


• Jesus: Friend and Savior feature includes practical applications for furthering study, including activities, questions and answers apologetic in nature, and a prayer.

Catholic Essentials comes in three cool and holy colors! Green--the color of creation and the renewal of life, Blue--Mary's color, or Gold--the color of kings, Jesus Christ!