Pray the Year: Liturgical Resources for Families

Pray the Year was launched with a simple goal in mind: to help families enter into the life of Christ by praying together throughout the Church's liturgical calendar.

By signing up for Pray the Year families will receive 8 prayer resources each year, corresponding with the changes in the liturgical seasons. A few days before the start of a new season you will receive an email containing

A brief explanation of the liturgical season
Ideas for a celebrating the season as a family
A short family prayer you can print out and use at home
Links to other helpful resources

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I interviewed the creator of Pray the Year, Jonathan Sullivan, about this project.

Tell us about this project in 5 words or less:

Free liturgical prayers for families.

What led you to create Pray the Year?

One of the basic principals of Catholic faith formation is that parents are the primary educators of their children in the faith. And yet I think many parents (myself included!) struggle with how to do that. They may think they need to have all the answers to their children theological questions or be living saints, when the most basic way parents pass on the faith is modeling and helping their children develop a life of prayer. Pray the Year is a small attempt to help parents do that in a simple, parent-friendly way.

When did this project begin?

I've been turning it over in my head for about a year, but some experiences in recent months convinced me that helping families understand how to celebrate as a Domestic Church should be a priority. The first email goes out on November 26!

What's included in the emails your subscribers receive?

Each email includes a short description of the liturgical season, information on how the Church celebrates that season, and links to resources. The centerpiece, however, is a printable prayer ritual that families can do in the home, usually connected to a specific part of the season. For instance, this Advent, the ritual is a simple blessing families can do when they set out shoes the night before St. Nicholas Day.

How often do you send Pray the Year emails?

Emails go out a few days before the start of each liturgical season, with an extra email in the middle of the longer period of Ordinary Time during the summer. So about eight emails a year.

Who should sign up for Pray the Year?

The emails are meant for Catholic families that want to pray well together but aren't quite sure how. Parishes and Catholic schools are also free to download, print, and distribute the prayers, so I also encourage DREs and principals to sign up.

Besides this project, what else are you involved in? Tell us about yourself.

My biggest role is as a husband and father of seven. During the day I work in evangelization and faith formation for a Midwest diocese. I also write and speak on various faith topics; details can be found on my personal website at www.JonathanFSullivan.com.