If you only had ONE hour of mandated formation every year to teach over 2.5 million Catholic children and youth, what would you give them? We at TOBET know. We’d have them learn from our new program called Bridges and Boundaries. Here’s the context:
In 2002, news broke of a pedophile priest from my current parish of St. Luke’s in Irving, Texas. This was a horrendous moment in the Church and prompted a major response by the Church leaders to mandate a specific kind of training, not just for adults but also for children and youth. We Catholics now know it as Safe Environment (or Safeguarding), to protect children and youth from such harm and dangers in future. This response by the Church has continued to this day, with the USCCB still mandating every Catholic child or youth to go through a form of Safe Environment training to receive an education in self-advocacy skills.
Safe AND Faith Environment
This training implementation was both necessary and important, traditionally focusing on the dangers of the world around us. But isn’t it time not merely to react but to form. Can we change the vision to FIRST giving the True, the Good, and the Beautiful—i.e. Theology of the Body—to the students? By knowing who they are, made in God’s image and likeness as embodied person, they can then be better equipped to recognize when something is amiss and apply the vital self-advocacy skills. This reframing of training from mere Safe to also FAITH Environment is what TOBET is now doing through Bridges and Boundaries, our poignant PreK-12th grade video-based program. The following image depicts stand-alone years, like the Liturgical Cycle:
We have already received great feedback from the schools and parishes that have piloted the program. Here’s a quote from one of the bishops from a diocese implementing it:
January 12, 2026
As a fan of TOBET and friend of Monica Ashour, I highly recommend TOBET’s Bridges and Boundaries program for PreK-12th grade. I’m excited that my catechists and teachers are using this dual program of Catholic formation, along with the much-needed self-advocacy skills. It’s wonderful that safe environment can include a faith environment as well. Thank you, TOBET!
Bishop David Konderla, Diocese of Tulsa
Won’t you help us get the word out to dioceses and parishes and schools about this fantastic, new vision of a safe AND faith environment? Forward this email to those you know who can effect this positive change. For after all, as Pope Benedict said, “The body is both a bridge and a boundary.”
-Monica Ashour, Content Creator for Bridges and Boundaries
Screenshot from TOBET’s Bridges and Boundaries Year A Animation for 3rd-5th Grade
Monica Ashour is co-founder, international speaker, author of 28 books, and President of TOBET.
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