Catholic family life

A 1028 Word Interview with the President of Fatima Family Apostolate

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Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed John Preiss, president of Fatima Family Apostolate, via phone on October 24th, 2025. Some of the questions/answers have been rearranged, edited, and paraphrased to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.

Carrying on Father Fox’s Legacy

Fatima Family Apostolate was founded by Father Robert J. Fox nearly forty years ago. How do you continue his mission today?

He founded in 1986 and what we do today through our media, our website, and the materials he wrote (over 50 books) we spread the message of Fatima to families. The main thing we focus on is praying the Rosary daily, wearing the Brown Scapular, and doing the First Saturday Devotion.

The Heart of the Fatima Message

Many Catholics know the basics of Fatima—the apparitions, the Rosary, and the call to conversion—but fewer grasp its full depth. What do you think is the most misunderstood or overlooked part of the Fatima message today?

I think just living it out in your daily life. We have Catholics that come to the shrine that haven’t heard about Fatima. We have so many different Marian devotions. People don’t realize that the Fatima message (I call it the CARE- Confession, Adoration, Rosary, and the Eucharist) and the First Saturday Devotion is the nucleus to our faith. 

Family Life and Fatima

The Apostolate emphasizes the family as the foundation of faith. How can modern families—often busy, distracted, and digitally saturated—practically live out the message of Fatima in their homes?

What we have to do as parents is to set aside time for the message of Fatima. After work we are tired, the kids are running around. It’s about commitment. We commit to soccer, swimming, and other things. There’s so many opportunities, but we as parents need to be committed to praying the Rosary together as a family. So we set a time around 7:30pm to pray the Rosary as a family. 

My wife and I were already praying the Rosary by ourselves. When you have a lot of children like we do the more structure you have, especially in prayer it just works out better for everyone. 

Image courtesy of John Preiss.

Mary as Model and Mother

As someone deeply devoted to Our Lady, how has your own relationship with Mary grown through your work? Can you share a moment when you personally experienced her intercession or maternal guidance?

I definitely have grown, it’s been a spiritual blessing to be a part of this apostolate. As a convert in 2000, I didn’t have a devotion to Mary prior to my conversion. Meeting Fr. Fox and learning about Fatima has been helpful in my prayer life. 

There was an instance where my niece was in an accident, hit by an 18 wheeler, and we prayed the Rosary and I got a sense that things will work out. 

I also remember when, before I was a part of the apostolate (around 2008), I was in Adoration. Fr. Fox was ill and stressed at this time. I went to church and asked Our Lady and Our Lord for a sign of how I could help Fr. Fox, and I heard church bells. I didn’t believe it so I asked them again how I could help Fr. Fox. And I heard the bells again. 

Fr. Fox soon after made me the executor of his will and Vice President of the Fatima Family Apostolate.

Evangelizing Through Media

Your website and blog are vibrant resources for formation and inspiration. How do you see digital evangelization—especially blogging and social media—helping to renew Marian devotion in our time?

I see that you can make videos to reach more people. The Internet and social media can be bad but it can be used for good. I see now that I can do 10x more today than I could 10-15 years ago. 

It’s so much easier to create products and start a blog than ever before. God has given us the resources and the ability to evangelize and we have to use every tool at our disposal to bring people to the faith. 

Fatima and the World Today

Looking at the cultural and moral challenges we face globally, how do you see the message of Fatima speaking prophetically into our current moment?

Fatima is a message that is timeless. The thing we need to focus on now is the First Saturday devotions. Some say we need to do the consecration to Russia, we have a letter from Sr. Lucia saying that the consecration was done in 1984 by Saint Pope John Paul II. We can get caught up in various conspiracies, but if we want peace in our world we need to pray for peace. The message of Fatima is even more relevant. We need to live out the messages of Fatima and not the controversies. 

Hope for the Future

What gives you hope as you look to the future of the Church and the families you serve? 

I see that the young people are coming to church. The priests coming out of seminarians are more on fire for the faith. Your age group (millennials) is trying to develop their prayer life. 

What does the CARE program bring us to? It’s to the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. And First Saturday Devotion is the way to strengthen families. Will we have total peace? Probably not, but it will be a different kind of peace, a peace in our hearts that God is in control. 

There’s one parish in our diocese that has four Latin Masses each Sunday. It’s neat to see the young families. And the goal is to have them pass the faith onto their children. 

We have to have a generational change in the Church. Where we can teach our children to pass on the faith to their children. And I hope that continues. That’s how the world gets better, when we are practicing our faith. It might take a few generations to notice the changes. 

Are there upcoming projects or initiatives from Fatima Family Apostolate that readers can look forward to?

The main project is promoting Fr. Fox’s books Eucharist: Heaven and Earth Unite. We also have a museum and it’s on the road to the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Hanceville. We have first class relics of Saints Jacinta and Francisco. 

We are looking to do an event at our center in May 2026. 

About John Preiss: 

John C. Preiss is the Director of the Fatima Family Apostolate and an accomplished Catholic author dedicated to promoting devotion to Our Lady of Fatima and deepening the faith of families worldwide. As a convert to the Catholic Church, John brings a passionate and personal perspective to his ministry. John and his wife Teresa, reside in Hanceville, Alabama with their ten children.

Thank you for sharing!

A 1045 Word Interview with the Carmelite Homemaker

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Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Cecelia Allen via phone call on March 26th, 2025. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.

You spent nearly a year in a Carmelite monastery before discerning a different path. Can you share more about that spiritual journey and how you recognized God’s call shifting in your life?

I started discerning religious life when I was little. I first wrote to the monastery when I was 14. Because they were cloistered I couldn’t visit, but when I was 16 I was able to stay in their guest room. I entered the monastery when I was 19 and felt a tug towards throughout High school. Eight months after I entered, I started feeling a tug towards some type of ministry, a more active service or retreat ministry. At first I thought this was another phase in the adjustment of contemplative life. I continued to feel this draw towards more active ministry. I really struggled to leave because I loved all aspects of that. I was given this advice by a priest, “to discern where you find peace.” When I left the monastery I felt peace but I still miss it. 

When I left that cloistered community I was thinking of joining another religious community. I realized that such women’s communities were either cloistered or very active in teaching 8 hours a day. 

I learned through the call to marriage that I could make my home a cloister, a type of miniature contemplative community. 

What was the most profound lesson you learned during your time in the monastery that continues to shape your life today?

Living the liturgical year. Being at the monastery when you are praying to the Divine Office your whole existence is centered on the liturgy. While I have been Catholic my whole life and received great catechesis, when I was at the monastery, it felt like it was my first Christmas as a Catholic. This was because Advent was such a profound time to prepare for Christ’s birth. It felt like Heavenly time where earthly time stopped and we entered more deeply into the life of Christ. 

You describe carrying “the little cloister” in your heart. How do you practically integrate Carmelite spirituality into your daily life as a homemaker? Are there specific practices, prayers, or rhythms you’ve adopted from monastic life?

I prioritize the Divine Office in my prayer life. I love the whole thing, but one hour I prioritize as a family is Night Prayer. Personally, I do enjoy Morning Prayer. 

St. Therese of Lisieux, a Carmelite saint, is known for her “little way” of finding holiness in ordinary moments. How do you see this spirituality manifesting in your role as a wife and homemaker? Could you share an example of how you’ve found extraordinary grace in seemingly mundane tasks?

Actually, it has been so amazing to study Carmelites from the perspective of a wife and mother. The more I study this spirituality, the more I realize it is applicable to our life in the world. Living in the presence of God undergirds all the Carmelite spirituality. I have been so encouraged by reading Teresa of Avila’s writings, The Way of Perfection, for everyone! This contemplative living is accessible for everyone. 

Carmelite spirituality emphasizes contemplation and interior life. In the midst of the busy responsibilities of home and marriage, how do you maintain a deep prayer life and sense of interior stillness?

That’s a good question, it’s definitely a work in progress. I have learned that in terms of maintaining a strong payer life it is not going to look like the days before. The other day I prayed the Divine Office but I was pacing up and down the hallway with my baby on my shoulder. Having that communication with your spouse to have them watch the kids while you pray is something I am working on. The big thing is accepting that prayer life isn’t the same as before marriage. 

For interior silence, I have Gregorian chant in the background playing. I used to think that silence, no background noise, was the way to draw into that interior silence. But I found that my mind wandered. When I have the chant playing in the background I am more drawn to focus on the silence. 

Your husband encouraged you to bring your Carmelite experience into your marriage. How has this unique spiritual background influenced your relationship?

I think it’s allowed me to see how a lot of people see religious life as the ultimate sacrifice. But having come from that religious life perspective I have become more aware of how marriage is also a vocation and a gift of yourself. The gift of totality in my marriage is something I learned, or became more aware of, due to my experience in the monastery. It’s that awareness our vocation (no matter which one you’re called to) is meant to stretch you to make you holy. 

Many young Catholics struggle with understanding their vocation. Having experienced both religious and married life, what wisdom can you share about discernment and listening to God’s call?

The biggest thing is to what the priest told me, “follow your peace.” If you are feeling a consistent tug towards religious life don’t be afraid to take action to pursue it. The postulant period (about the first year) is that time of discernment. Don’t be afraid to take the next step in discernment and don’t be afraid to discern out.

I realize that there’s two different tugs to marriage: the natural and the draw that’s indicative towards a vocation. And to ask God to help me discern the difference between the two. 

Who is your favorite Carmelite saint and why?

My favorite is Elizabeth of the Trinity because of her writings on living in the presence of God. Her main focus is the indwelling of the Trinity in our souls due to our Baptism and living in that presence always. I found this so accessible as a wife and mother. 

I also enjoy the work of John of the Cross and Terese of the Andes. Teresa of Avila and Therese of Lisieux would round out the top five (please don’t be mad at me!)

Where can my followers learn more about your ministry? 

I have a YouTube channel, Instagram profile and I have a blog. Links to these can be found at: Carmelite Homemaker.

About Cecelia: 

After discerning religious life in my high school years, I entered a Carmelite monastery when I was 19 years old. A year later, I discerned out, feeling called from the solitude of Carmel to some form of ministry. 

I am now a wife and mother, but my love for the monastery remains a deep part of who I am. I have made it my mission to bring the beauty of monastic life into my life in the world, and help others do the same.

Thank you for sharing!

A 620 Word Interview with the Founder of Catholic Family Crate

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Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Elissa Tiprigan, founder of Catholic Family Crate via phone call on September 4th, 2023. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any  integrity of the answers given.

Describe your faith journey:

I’m a cradle Catholic and attended Catholic schools through middle school. We went to youth groups and went to a few Steubenville conferences. My husband and I got married and moved to Denver. We were awakened to the richness of the Catholic Church through the witness of large Catholic families. In my adult life, I learned more about our faith. It’s not just a Sunday experience but it’s a joyful and beautiful and a rich history.

When was Catholic Family Crate created?

We started it in 2018.

What led up to the creation of Catholic Family Crate?

My oldest was two at the time and I was learning more about the liturgical feasts (I knew about Advent and Lent). I felt overwhelmed with wanting to share all these rich Catholic traditions. My sister experienced a Catholic community in Steubenville and I was talking with her on the phone about how to learn about the faith. I started to research saint feast days. My sister suggested a monthly Catholic subscription box. For about a year or two I was hoping someone else would develop a company to create a subscription box for Catholics.

Logo provided by Catholic Family Crate.

Enter in Catholic Family Crate. I formulated a team: my parish priest Fr. Luis Granados, DCJM- our theologian, a few writer friends, and a couple friends who were Catholic Montessori teachers.

Eventually we hired our own artist to help us create more of our own content. At the end of every box we provided a survey. The most popular items our customers selected were the items we created.

I was on a date with my husband at Barnes & Noble and remember telling him how we couldn’t find high quality Catholic products that were affordable. I wanted my kids to have good quality Catholic resources.

After the fourth box, it became apparent we needed to switch to include all our own products.

In 2019 we adjusted our mission statement: to provide high quality and affordable Catholic resources.

Do you have a specialized illustrator for your products?

Yes, since 2019 we hired an illustrator, new writer, and a new theologian.

I didn’t have a desire to be a business owner when I began this journey. It started as a need to fill for my family. I said “yes” to the little “yeses” God sent my way.

How did find your illustator?

We found her through Instagram. We also have had various graphic designers helped with colors and backgrounds when it comes to mass production.

What’s your favorite product you have created for Catholic Family Crate?

Our Pray by Sticker Book. It’s 10 different Catholic images. You match up the stickers with the numbers on the page. At the end you have a beautiful Catholic mosaic. It is an opportunity to keep your child busy with screen-free activity.

Image provided via email by Elissa, Founder of Catholic Family Crate.

I’ve played with your Catholic Playing Cards and enjoyed the artwork and the saints you picked. Describe the symbolism and intention beyond the cards.

We planned to have the Jesus as the King, Mary as the Queen, Joseph as the Jack, and the Holy Spirit as the Ace. We did plan to have a diversity of older and modern saints along with having an equal number of male and female saints.

I could see doing other card themes such as boy and girl saint decks or a Marian deck.

What other products do you have in the works?

A Bingo deck for Catholic-themed party, an oversized activity sheet for the Doctors of the Church, and A Card Ring-Doctors of the Church Edition.

Why should you be Catholic?

Because of the Eucharist.

About Elissa:

Elissa Tiprigan is the founder of Catholic Family Crate. Catholic Family Crate makes Catholic educational resources, games, art, stickers, subscription boxes, and more to make growing in the Catholic faith easy and fun. They are on a mission to revolutionize Catholic resources and make them affordable, accessible, high-quality, and engaging. In her mind, she’s an accidental entrepreneur, but she’s grateful for God’s wild plan for her life. She lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband and four children.

Thank you for sharing!