Archive for: Newman Guide Articles

Catholic families are always looking for beautiful Catholic books for children. An alumna of a faithful Catholic college is giving families more timeless options.

Maura Roan McKeegan says that her education in the theology graduate program at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, inspired her to become an author. Now she’s published several Catholic children’s books as a fruit of her experience in the Franciscan University community, including St. Conrad and the Wildfire, just recently released.

The Cardinal Newman Society is grateful to McKeegan for sharing about the impact of her faithful Catholic education on her life and work, as a part of our “Profiles in Faithful Catholic Education” series.

Newman Society: Why did you choose to attend Franciscan University of Steubenville? What impact did the University have on you?

Maura Roan McKeegan: When I was a young adult—after I graduated from a state university—I attended a summer conference at Franciscan University. I loved it so much that I went back the next year, and the next. I began to daydream of going there to study full-time. I wanted to know more about God, and I couldn’t think of a better place to learn. Franciscan had changed my life so much in three weekends; I could only imagine what three years there would do.

At first, it felt like an impossible dream. I was a classroom teacher and didn’t know how I could leave my job. But soon, God showed me that He was calling me to go to graduate school at Franciscan. I moved to Steubenville to pursue a master’s degree in theology, and Franciscan became a second home to me. The material I studied was so beautiful that it sometimes made me cry. The classes I took, books I read, and people I met helped me grow exponentially in the way I understood and lived my faith.

Eighteen years later, I am still here with my husband, raising our children in Steubenville, and marveling at the way God used three weekends to give me a gift that would last a lifetime.

Newman Society: How has your education at Franciscan University influenced your work as an author?

Maura Roan McKeegan: My education at Franciscan University inspired me to become an author. I remember sitting in Dr. Scott Hahn’s class and listening to him talk about typology—how Adam, Moses, and Jonah prefigured Christ; how Noah’s Ark prefigured baptism; how the Ark of the Covenant prefigured Mary. It was all new to me. I had just spent five years as a classroom teacher, and I thought to myself, “Children would be fascinated by this!”

I had the idea of writing a series of picture books that placed Old and New Testament stories side by side, so that children could see the connections. The idea stayed in my head for ten years, until I finally realized that God was calling me to write the series. Now, through Emmaus Road Publishing, I’ve written three books in that series, with a fourth currently being illustrated.

My newest book, St. Conrad and the Wildfire, is separate from the Old and New series. All of these books are the fruit of my time at Franciscan University, both as a student and as a member of the Franciscan family.

Newman Society: Can you tell us about your recently released book for children, St. Conrad and the Wildfire?

Maura Roan McKeegan: About five years ago, I learned about St. Conrad for the first time and was immediately captivated by his story. He was a medieval nobleman who went hunting one day and accidentally set a forest on fire. He didn’t tell anyone the truth about what happened until an innocent peasant was blamed and sentenced to death, and only Conrad’s confession could save him. The course of events that began with his errors eventually led Conrad to become a saint.

St. Conrad’s story struck me as perfect for a picture book. With medieval nobles, a castle, hunting, fire, false accusation, a near execution and the challenge of telling the truth in the face of danger, it had all the elements of an exciting and enduring tale. I also loved how it showed that imperfect people can become saints—that our mistakes can become paths to grace. As a person who makes a lot of mistakes, I found that message consoling.

Newman Society: Why do you think beautiful and well-written Catholic books for children are important?    

Maura Roan McKeegan: Picture books are my hobby and my passion. I love the way they unite generations, when young and old cuddle up together and delight in stories that capture hearts through words and pictures. Beautiful and well-written Catholic picture books give us a way to follow what Jesus says when he tells us to “become like little children” in Matthew 18:3. When we sit with children and read aloud together, we build bonds of love in a world of childlike simplicity that children will remember long after they are grown. Beautiful picture books awaken lifelong connections between love, spiritual childhood and faith.

Although truth and beauty are often lacking in the creative arts today, graduates of John Paul the Great Catholic University in Escondido, Calif., are working to buck that trend and positively impact the culture.

JPCatholic, which is recommended in The Newman Guide, provides students with a solid formation in the liberal arts and faithful Catholic theology, while also preparing them for careers in the creative arts, business, film-making and other new media.

Graduate Nate Sjogren says that the College’s curriculum “forms Catholic artists to be well-rounded Christian storytellers,” and he sees the creative process as a “cooperation with God and his creation.” Today, Sjogren is a motion graphics designer at Drive Studio in San Diego, Calif. The Cardinal Newman Society is grateful for his time in sharing about the impact of his faithful Catholic education, as a part of our “Profiles in Faithful Catholic Education” series.

Newman Society: How did your education at John Paul the Great Catholic University help form you as a Catholic artist?

Nate Sjogren: From the outset, JPCatholic begins with the intention to impact the culture for Christ. This mission influences everything we were taught and encourages us to create art with a greater purpose beyond ourselves. Throughout the curriculum there is one central theme: story. Our entire formation is motivated by telling meaningful, powerful stories. Even now as a motion graphic designer, everything I create has a narrative, even if it is metaphorical. The curriculum forms Catholic artists to be well-rounded Christian storytellers, regardless of their expertise in the industry.

Newman Society: JPCatholic combines practical classes like film-making and new media with courses in the liberal arts and theology. How do you think this well-rounded education has influenced your professional success?

Nate Sjogren: I think the well-rounded education is the key. Like myself, many students are struggling to discover their expertise as they journey through film school. It is crucial that young adults are well-formed in many areas so that they are able to sample a variety of creative specialties. In fact, it wasn’t until I began my internship at Drive Studio that I discovered my passion for motion graphics. Being well-rounded increases the opportunities to get a foot in the door. Beyond that, expertise — let alone success — is earned through practical experience in real-world scenarios.

Newman Society: What does Pope St. John Paul II’s “Letter to Artists” mean to you?

Nate Sjogren: The idea that artists are called by vocation to be co-creators with God is revolutionary. When I first sat down to design, I was immediately stumped by the blank canvas in front of me. How am I supposed to magically come up with a completely original idea out of thin air and also put it on paper? The task is daunting… until I realized that nothing is original. God created everything already.

This very fact diffuses the pressure that new artists feel to be completely original. Instead, the creative process becomes a cooperation with God and his creation. It is liberating knowing that any creative brilliance doesn’t solely rely on me, and that my designs are a fusion of life experiences, inspiration and concepts already in existence. I’m not the Creator, but I’m brought into the creative process with God. That truth is humbling yet exhilarating.

Newman Society: Do you have any stories or experiences from your time at the college that stand out to you?

Nate Sjogren: When I was in my third year, I was hired for my very first gig as an editor. After the studio had filmed the interview I was supposed to cut together, I received a call from one of the producers. He mentioned that they would like to add in some motion graphics to complement the interview, and he asked if I could pull it off. Although I had never done motion graphics before, I knew some basic After Effects [motion graphics software], so I told him, “Let’s do it!” 

That weekend I spent every last bit of free time learning After Effects. YouTube and other free tutorial sites like Video Copilot and Creative Cow were invaluable during this formation process. And as a result, we pulled off our first motion graphic commercial without a hitch.

This was a breakthrough moment for my education and my career. Through the formation and network at JPCatholic, I got my first gig and discovered my passion for motion graphics. Not long after, I was offered an internship at Drive Studio because of my interest in graphic design and animation, and the rest is history.

Newman Society: As a motion graphics designer, you’ve produced logos, motion graphics and branding for the FIFA World Cup, the NFL, NBC Sports, National Geographic and others. What have been some of the most exciting projects to be a part of?

Nate Sjogren: When I was a kid, I was obsessed with soccer — watching every professional match I could, training with my team all year round, and even playing the FIFA video games for hours. So it was a dream come true to help design and animate the entire graphics package for the 2018 FIFA World Cup on FOX Sports with the Drive Studio team.

It was also very exciting to see the months of hard work pay off on the Super Bowl LIV scoring system and information graphics that debuted on FOX earlier this year. You may recognize the larger-than-life touchdown graphic that my team and I came up with as an innovative solution to make the scoring moments more dramatic.