Testimonials

“I have reviewed the high school curriculum entitled ‘Called to be More’ and I am pleased to join with other bishops who have conveyed their support for this Theology of the Body resource.  Thank you for creating an engaging curriculum for high school students that conveys so well the Church’s teaching on human sexuality.”

Most Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz
Archbishop of Louisville

I learned that staying a virgin until marriage will make our marriage more truthful.

Grade 8 Student

We really like the whole program.  I rotate between 5th and 6th grade from year to year.  This year is a 6th grade year with the Commonplace books.  It has made a big difference in how the kids approach the curriculum with an actual book that they can keep. We are excited about the new format [addition of 5th grade student activity books]!

Kristina Wernette
Grades 5th/6th TOB Teacher, St. Michael School in Remus, MI

“I am a teacher currently using your product. I cannot say enough good things about it! I have had conversations with other teachers at my school who have said similar things. Previously, we used [another publisher’s curriculum], and since we’ve started our theology of the body, I have noticed a significant shift in my religion classes. Thank you for all the hard work you’ve put into these activities and readings.”

Grade 4 Teacher
4th Grade Teacher, Columbus, OH

“Our third grade teacher just spontaneously shared with me how great the TOB curriculum is (This is her first year using it). She said there was a lot of boy drama (for lack of better words) in her classroom yesterday after recess, but that she can’t believe how much calmer the classroom always is after teaching a TOB lesson and praying with the students. Yesterday they were working on the Fruits of the Spirit and kindness, specifically, and the entire energy of the room shifted and improved for the rest of the day.”

K-8 Principal
Principal in Catholic School in Portland, OR

“Last week we completed unit 1 in 6th grade by making origami animals & then gifting them to our kindergarten buddies.The 6th graders were happy to make the origami, but when I told them to pick their very best one to give to their buddies, the excitement level went through the roof.It was one of those glorious teacher moments, & then we came back to our classroom to have a final discussion on gift of self.”

Kathi Stalzer
Grades 7 & 8 TOB Teacher in Glendale, AZ

“We are honored to be on the [TOB Campus] honor roll!  That adds to my joy today.  Please know how happy we are to be sharing in your work for our youth.   I could go on gushing!   We are focusing on Christian Anthropology as an important campus wide theme for us this year.  Thank you for making this work easier.”

K-8 TOB Campus School Principal
Principal, St. Michael School, Worthington, OH

“Anyone who’s been a principal for a while eventually starts figuring out why it is that kids make these mistakes that end up being the discipline problems in your office. It is because they don’t know why they were created. When you can help them figure out that they are created for a unique and special purpose and so is everyone else in their classroom — it totally changes how they interact with each other. Your discipline issues will change completely when kids understand who they are and why they are here. That’s why I am such a fan of Theology of the Body and the tools Ruah Woods Press has to offer.” [As principal of St. Ignatius of Loyola K-8 School with 1,000+ students: discipline files were reduced from 2 full file cabinet drawers to a folder just 3-4″ thick, and the seriousness of the offenses were milder, all attributed to integrating TOB into the school].

Tim Reilly
Former Principal for 22 years of St. Ignatius of Loyola School currently President of St. Xavier High School

“This [TOB] tells you not just how [to live the Catholic faith], but why. That is exactly what we were missing all along. We have never gotten kids to explore the why part. We knew there was something not complete with us trying to help kids grow in their faith…It [TOB] opens so many other doors too. Kids are more creative. They can concentrate better. They are not worried about all this social stuff as much.”

Tim Reilly
Former Principal for 22 years of Ignatius of Loyola School currently President of St Xavier High School

Q: Your advice for teachers and staff considering adding in Theology of the Body?
“Jump in. Don’t wait! You are going to learn, just like the kids are going to learn. It is really possible to just walk in and start [teaching] right away. It’s the missing ingredient to the recipe you’ve been working on [at your school].”

Tim Reilly
Former Principal for 22 years of Ignatius of Loyola School currently President of St Xavier High School

“I believe [being a] TOB Campus allowed the students to see and realize in much greater depth that our bodies, minds, and hearts are made for love, and all this comes through God. The students, through scripture, picture books, and fun activities, were much more in tune with the truth that we are made in God’s image. Yet, best of all was the application of this throughout discussions about our class novels and the treatment of each other. It is the most valuable program we can give our most valuable asset: the children. I saw a real difference it made with my students, and their application rekindled my faith. It is a genuine, real, human, and needed program.”

5th Grade Teacher
At a TOB Campus School

“TOB had a huge impact on my first graders this year! I constantly overheard compliments to one another and even given to me. My class would make hundreds of little notes for ALL of the first graders that read “You are a gift from God” or “You are loved.” I truly believe that TOB has changed the environment of our school. So excited about becoming a TOB Campus!”

1st Grade Teacher
At a TOB Campus School

“My heart is on fire for spreading the beauty of Theology of the Body, however I struggle with being able to convey its beauty in an approachable way for middle school students. This curriculum has made it possible both in the beauty of the Commonplace Books and conventionality of the activity and text allowed my students to draw deeper into prayer and meaningful discussions than ever before in my class.”

6th Grade Teacher

“This is a great pairing with our current religion textbook. Our teachers love the set up and are able to use the materials in creative ways.”

Grades K-8 Principal

“I learned the deeper meaning of vocation & vows. What stood out to me is that we will never be fully satisfied until we find God’s calling for us.”

Grade 8 Student

“I learned some new things like that God made everyone different and unique and I learned about how powerful His love is, which were things that stood out to me. That you are not forced to do anything, but God suggests it so that you can become happy.”

Grade 7 Student

“We are all gifts from God.”

Grade 6 Student

One second grade boy learning TOB for the first time offered this unsolicited note to his teacher:

“The books you read, the words you say, change me.“

Grade 2 Student
Immaculate Heart of Mary School

“The curriculum for encouraging students to understand that they are a wonderful gift and should treat themselves as such is a breath of fresh air in this harsh world of self-ridicule and body shaming.”

3rd Grade Teacher
After Online Formation/Training

“Thank you for such a beautiful and enriching training. So many graces. I feel like I received a huge gift that I am just beginning to unwrap. I am very grateful for the knowledge, wisdom and practical examples/tips to help me grow as I learn to hand on to my students and share with others what I have received.”

6th Grade Teacher
After Online Formation/Training

“I think you hit the mark… The lessons are spot-on, but also introductory because that is where so many of us (teachers, parents and students) are with regard to digesting and living out these beautiful teachings.”

Grades K-8 Principal
After Reviewing NEW Kindergarten REVEALED Demo Copy

“It is well organized and the lay out is easy to follow [and] integrate into instructional framework of our school. The content is to be integrated into the classroom community throughout the day, not as single stand alone lessons… ​I absolutely loved the first section with the chants and songs that reinforce the big ideas of TOB into everyday classroom life. It helps our language reflect our beliefs… It made me wish I could teach kindergarten next year!”

Grades K-8 Principal
After Reviewing NEW Kindergarten REVEALED Demo Copy

“I LOVE how you use good quality literature and tease out how that clarifies what it [Theology of the Body] looks like and sounds like in action. Amazing!”

Grade 1 Teacher

“…each night before our first grader goes to bed, he has the habit of telling me that I am a gift before he dozes off to sleep. It melts my heart and even encourages me on tough days.”

1st Grade Parent
St. Ignatius of Loyola School & TOB Campus

“We have some amazing conversations about marriage, being made male and female… Once they become comfortable in the classroom with sharing things, it can be very fruitful to go into why the Church teaches what it does about certain things and giving them something of substance to think about. I see a lot of kids in the middle school grades who do understand the concepts of gift of self and treating each other with reverence.”

Valerie Bender
Grades 6-8 Teacher at St. Ignatius of Loyola

“I think what is so beautiful is that in the younger grades we focus on Genesis and other Scripture. As they get a little older, it moves to connecting scripture to stories. And then by the time they are in the middle school grades, we can see them connecting it all to themselves. ‘My gosh, I am a part of this. I’m part of God’s story!’”

Vickie Geckle
St. Ignatius of Loyola, Grades K-5 TOB Teacher

“This curriculum is giving them [the students] a view of the big picture that truly is arming them against the culture. They are learning who they are, whose they are, and where they were created to live forever. They are learning to spot the good, the true and the beautiful in the world and to use that as their guide for choosing how to live.”

Vickie Geckle
St. Ignatius of Loyola, Grades K-5 TOB Teacher

“St. Ignatius is nurturing a generation of children who will grow in confidence, knowing their true identity as sons and daughters of God. This is the foundation they need to be able to go forth and set the world on fire, approaching the world’s concerns in a rightly-ordered manner. There is nothing of higher value if they don’t first understand they were created by God to love Him, to be in relationship with him, and to love themselves and others. My daughter’s education is sending her down a path of joy, freedom and love. This is the best gift any parent could desire.”

Megan Mears
Parent (& Teacher) at St Ignatius of Loyola

Q: What do you think is the most important thing you have learned in TOB?
“How to be a gift from God and how to get to heaven. I love TOB!”

Grade 3 Student
St Ignatius of Loyola

It is no coincidence that the vision for the New Evangelization and the teaching of the Theology of the Body came from the same mind. St. John Paull II has left us with a great gift in the Theology of the Body and has inspired the Church to use that teaching for the New Evangelization. Called to be More should be a go to resource for parishes and schools who take seriously their mission to evangelize.

Sean Ater
Director of the Office of the New Evangelization for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati

Finally, here is a curricula designed to win the hearts and minds of young people through an encounter with the Person of Jesus Christ in His deepest identity: creative Lover and Redeemer. This program answers the plaintive cry of the modern mind, steeped as it is in relativism, for meaning, identity, and authentic freedom.

Jenny Uebbing
Writer, speaker, and mother of 4

The aptly-named “Called to be More” curriculum supplement for high school religion classes does a fine job of exploring the big questions that young people face: “Who am I?” “Who is God?” “How am I called to live?” Rooted in Theology of the Body and Christian anthropology, “Called to be More” presents a Catholic view of human dignity, freedom and truth, and the meaning of life that stands as a sign of contradiction to the dominant view in the world today. Each lesson plan is a complete package, including suggested activities and movie clips, making it easy for any teacher to use it. It is my hope that many will do so.

Most Reverend Dennis M. Schnurr
Archbishop of Cincinnati

Through their life-transforming retreats, classes, curricula, and other programs, Ruah Woods has become a tremendous resource for the Church today–for people of all ages. If you’re looking to discover the beauty of God’s plan for human love and the richness of Saint John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, get involved in their work today!

Jason Evert
Chastity speaker and author

It’s a joy to see Called to be More now available to the public! This curriculum helps humanity rediscover its greatness through an ‘adequate anthropology’ centered in Jesus. Through a blend of testimonies, stories of saints, movie clips, and more, this curriculum helps the youth discover their vocation to love, following after Christ’s own example. This is exactly what we need in our culture today. As a Vocation Director, I see the importance of this education of the Theology of the Body as foundational for a young man or woman to hear and respond joyfully to a call to consecrated life, priesthood, and marriage. If we want to build a culture of vocations, it starts here!

Dawn Hausmann
Director of Consecrated Vocations for the Diocese of Lansing

As a supplement to pursue various TOB-related objectives, Called to Be More is a solid resource from folks who’ve been on the cutting edge of helping teens understand our Catholic vision of love, relationships and what it means to be created in the image of God. For occasional use on topics ranging from Sacraments and Morality through Vocations and Catholic Social Teaching, I recommend that high school catechists and parish youth ministers take a look at Called to Be More as a helpful tool for authentic, pastoral catechesis.

Ken Ogorek
Director of Catechesis for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis

Called to be More is a robust and very thorough curriculum resource for reaching students and their families in a profound way. Throughout the material teachers, students and parents will be refreshed by its attention to detail, struck by its joyful proclamation of the Gospel and edified by learning universal truths that set the human heart free to love for a lifetime – and into eternity!

Carlos Tejeda
Director of the Office for Marriage and Family Life for the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois

A new student to the school whispered to her teacher,
“Thank you for teaching TOB. I have learned to love myself.”

Grade 5 Student
St. Ignatius of Loyola School

“My classroom culture has changed [by teaching TOB] because I see God’s love in my students everyday. They respect their classmates and show God’s love to each other through their actions. The vocabulary is helping communicate their feelings. I love TOB!”

1st Grade Teacher
St. Ignatius School of Loyola

“Throughout the year the children were able to easily express how God made them uniquely
unrepeatable. We had a family journal entry for Mother’s Day and a prompt they had to finish was about what God said when his/her mom was born and many children said that God looked at their mothers and said they were unrepeatable. The boys also became aware that little acts of chivalry are easy to perform. They would suggest that the girls go first or would step back to let me go in front of them.”

2nd Grade Teacher
St. Ignatius School of Loyola

“I loved every bit of the TOB program for my kindergarten class . … Lessons were simple, age appropriate, and meaningful to their little world. Every lesson children were reminded that they are unique, special, and loved. I stayed in the room for each lesson excited to see what I would take away from the class, and so I could continue with her [the designated TOB teacher] message during the rest of the week. A very positive experience for me and all my little friends!”

Kindergarten Teacher
St. Ignatius of Loyola

“TOB impacted my classroom in so many amazing ways! My students absolutely loved learning TOB each week. They often would relate what was taught in TOB to what we were working on … ‘Mrs. Geckle [designated K-5 TOB teacher] taught us that 2 weeks ago!’ They learned about different saints and how they could relate to them. They read impactful stories and did meaningful activities that made our classroom feel more like a family. The students understood from TOB how to treat others who are different and how to lift people up in life! I believe that TOB is extremely beneficial to my students to help them grow into kind and faithful people.”

Grade 3 Teacher
St. Ignatius of Loyola School

“With the purchase of the On a Mission to Love [Rosary] books, we have incorporated a school wide praying of the
rosary each and every Tuesday… We also purchased the Theology of the Body textbooks for our
religion teachers to use during instruction. Fully integrating the TOB curriculum into our school was a goal
drafted in our 2016-2021 strategic plan, and we feel we have successfully planted the seed with our
students that they are in fact unique, created in the image and likeness of God, and for a special purpose.”

Grades K-8 Principal
St. James School

Best part…”For me it was the way Katrina simplified the teaching for catechists who are not professional teachers. I also appreciated the way she encouraged everyone.  She also gave the reasons why these teachings are so important in this time in salvation history. For example why certain components are so essential for this age group now in regard to what they are receiving from the world and where they are developmentally. She is a gift!”

Grade 6 Catechist
After Online Formation/Training

“It has now become clear to me, after taking this [online] course, how much we can infuse the teachings from the [TOB] material into our weekly religious ed curriculum! I will be sharing what I have learned with my catechists so they can reinforce these amazing teachings of St. John Paul II and the Catholic Church!”

DRE
After Online Formation/Training

“You are really onto something with these recorded workshops. It’s a very cost effective as well as convenient way to train catechists to teach this and it helps give the catechists the needed confidence and encouragement. Well done!”

DRE
After Online Formation/Training

“This has been a very informative workshop. In this day & age where the sanctity of marriage is being attacked, it is refreshing to have a curriculum being offered that is faithful to Catholic teaching.”

Mark Dvornak
K-8 Teacher, Immaculate Heart of Mary, NKY After In-Person Staff Training

“Many students in our circle of influence are struggling with identity — who they are — what is their purpose. If we can start with this language early with these kids — how much angst and heartache can we save them? It will also bring us as teachers back to the core of who we are — it’s easy for us to forget too sometimes. If you have ever felt any kind of ache or longing in your heart — this curriculum will help you to internalize God’s ultimate plan for you…”

4th Grade Teacher

“Thank you for creating materials that are literature based! Students love story time and are easily immersed in wonderful literature. I believe that this approach helps them to remember the concepts and to apply them much more effectively than a simple, traditional textbook would. I have been teaching religion for over 15 years, and this is by far the very best approach I have ever used. This approach coupled with JPII’s beautiful message has ignited a whole new passion in my teaching. What a blessing! I only wish I would have discovered it earlier!”

2nd Grade Teacher

“You have created a well-thought out TOB curriculum. It was teacher/ student/parent friendly. It is easy to teach… Everything that you need is included- storybook synopsis/ TOB background information, worksheets, materials needed for crafts, discussion questions. I enjoyed teaching it to my students. I would not change a thing! Thank you.”

1st Grade Catechist

“Everyone who is teaching faith formation should take this course. In fact, I think the 6th grade level is a great place to start. I know that TOB is what our culture needs (it’s what it really needed a generation ago) but this course has really reinforced the need for everyone to hear this message, regardless of their age. I now have a better concept of what it means to be made in the image of God and the hierarchy of created things; I also understand how this is foundational to understanding every relationship we, as humans, have.”

Grade 6 Teacher
After Online Grade 6-8 Training Course

“This material is very well thought out and vital for our students’ lives. I love revealing to my students the beauty and complexity that is our faith.” 

4th Grade Teacher

“The Commonplace Book made students look more deeply into stories we had heard before and consider it from a deeper perspective.”

6th Grade Teacher

“I love everything about this curriculum. (I am the Rel. Ed Coordinator, the person that implemented this curriculum into our parish program). I love that we are setting the groundwork by providing the vocabulary and basic ideas of what TOB is.”  

DRE

“I love the conversations we have and I also like how the ideas feed into everything else we do in our school.”

7th – 8th Grade Teacher

“I like the concepts. It is so important for them to know that God loves them as they are. It is important for them to know that they are created well and in the image of God. So are all of the people they encounter each day. It helps them treat others as they should be treated.”

6th-8th Grade Teacher

“I think it does a great job of explaining TOB and the main themes within the lessons in a very age-appropriate way. I really enjoyed getting together in a big circle to share our reflections.”

7th – 8th Grade Teacher

“I am so excited to be able to provide the children in our parish religious education program the Ruah Woods Press’ Theology of the Body Curriculum. My hope is that our children (and their parents) learn and embrace the rich and beautiful teachings of TOB which will enhance their relationships with God and each other throughout their lives.”

7th – 8th Grade Catechist

“Theology of the Body has been a tremendous blessing to our entire school community. Through our prayer and worship, we have seen our community grow spiritually and view their bodies in many positive ways. I think that even as a lifelong Catholic, I have a lot to learn and understand about my faith. Teaching religion to middle school students is both a challenge and a gift. I pray that I am helping my students grow closer to God and build the strength and faith that they will need to thrive in life. This curriculum has certainly helped me to reach this goal. Our young adults need to know about the tremendous love that God has for them, as well as the other people that they encounter each day. “

6th-8th Grade Teacher

“It is nice to discuss their passions and to talk about what their vocations might be some day. It is also cool to share my own vocational journey.”

8th Grade Teacher

“I loved reading the words of Pope St. John Paul II and the discussion from my sixth graders was powerful and moving. They truly came to understand their body is a gift from their creator and how important it is to treat this gift with love and respect.” 

6th Grade Teacher

“This beautiful curriculum made my heart sing. I felt I was experiencing wonder and discovery right along with my daughter as we connected the lesson to the “kalos,” the experience of beauty and culture. [Your curriculum] has a genius for connecting truth to beauty in a way that makes catechesis speak to the heart.”

Homeschooling Parent

“[Your] Theology of the Body is an excellent program that allows the students to understand their true identity and accept that God has a plan for them. It is so rich in theology and the spirit of John Paul II.”

6th-8th Grade Teacher

“Theology of the Body empowers my students to embrace how to live out their faith. Instead of just talking about what we believe, TOB gives us a roadmap for how to live out our purpose. Students realize that they are created in God’s own image and filled with incredible dignity. They come to truly believe that they are valued and needed. It is awesome to witness them respond to this lifechanging message especially because it is completely counter to what their culture is telling them. TOB is a gamechanger.”

Grade 6-8 Teacher
Tina Ramundo, Immaculate Heart of Mary School

Q: Will you keep your Common Place Book? 
1. “Yes, because it helped me a lot, and I can always go back & look through it again if I feel like I need any guidance from it at all.”
2. “Yes because it refreshes me of how much God loves me.”
3. “Absolutely. I am keeping it because I think this helps me understand things better.”

Grade 6 Students

Q: Will you keep your Common Place Book? 
1. “Yes. I’ll keep it because I keep some of my deepest thoughts in there.”
2. “Yes because it has good morals to reflect on.”
3. “Yes. I think it has helped me become a better Catholic.”

Grade 7 Students

Q: Will you keep your Common Place Book?
1. “Yes because I think it will help me in my journey through life.”
2. Yes, it will remind me of God’s call for me.”
3. “Yes, if I need to be taught how to trust in God again.”

Grade 8 Students

More than thirty years have passed since St. John Paul II’s clarion call for a three-dimensional New Evangelization. He famously envisioned the fullness of Catholic faith transmitted in a ‘New Pentecost’ marked by ‘new ardor, new methods, and new expressions.’ We have been blessed with the first and third dimensions of the New Evangelization, but until now have wandered in a methodological desert.  To date there are only a handful of Theology of the Body resources that articulate and organize St. John Paul’s revolutionary insights into truly catechetical forms. I predict that Emily Macke’s astonishingly beautiful Called to be More will soon be counted among them.

Fr. Thomas Wray
Director of the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati

Having attended Catholic schools from second grade through high school, I never encountered a religion class curriculum as relevant to the life of a student as this.  Called to be More will help students and teachers alike to recognize that St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body is more than just a series of chastity talks, but an intimate study of the human person who was made by Love for love: When students begin to learn and internalize that their identity does not come from their gender, grades or athletic ability, but comes from being made in the image and likeness of God, they’ll begin to ask for themselves where they belong in God’s plan for the world.  And then they’ll change the world.

Anna Mitchell
Producer and Co-host of the Son Rise Morning Show Sacred Heart Radio / EWTN Global Catholic Radio Network

Emily Macke beautifully captures the essence of Pope Saint John Paul II’s Theology of the Body in this curriculum that can be seamlessly integrated into the classroom. I have often struggled with how to apply what I learned at the John Paul II Institute and make it accessible and relevant to my students. These lesson plans didn’t just “fit” into my teaching, they illuminated the depth and richness of the faith assisting in the transformation of the classroom from a place of mere academic learning to a place of real formation of the person. This curriculum can help teachers and students alike ask the important questions and slowly uncover the answers as they encounter the vastness of the Father’s incredible loving plan for each of us.

Shaina Pia
Religion Teacher at St. Joseph High School in Trumbull, CT

So often in today’s culture, we encounter individuals and ideologies which are confused about the nature of the person and which are at odds with the teaching of the Church about who we are and who we are made to be. As parents, we sometimes cringe thinking about the challenges our children will face in navigating such a wounded world. St. John Paul II experienced this “cringe” as well and knew that it was essential to lay out an “adequate anthropology” which would make it easier to answer the challenges of the modern world. Thus, Theology of the Body was born. Ruah Woods has done an enormous service for the Church in making accessible to our students this crucial teaching on the human person. In presenting a model which naturally integrates into existing curricula, teachers and schools are spared the difficult task of where to fit a whole independent course and because the “method is the message” has shown that John Paul’s important work touches on all areas of the Church’s life and ministry. We will be reaping the benefits of imparting this message to our high school students for decades.

Richard Budd
Director of Marriage and Family Life Ministry for the Diocese of Lansing

High School religion teachers are tasked with the awesome and challenging call to teach the Person of Jesus Christ. As a freshman religion teacher, I hope to teach the truths of the faith in such a way that my students begin to cultivate and grow in a sense of wonder of the amazing love God has for all of humanity and for them specifically. This supplemental Theology of the Body curriculum, which seeks to do just that by addressing “the heart of the tragedy experienced by modern man,” will be an excellent complementary resource to the USCCB’s curriculum framework. I am thrilled to utilize the “Called to Be More” supplements in the classroom as it will inspire a more holistic approach to teaching the beauty and fullness of the faith.

Emily Haley
Religion Teacher at St. Henry District High School in Erlanger, KY