Theo: The new application to evangelize children from love

Theo is a new Catholic application, developed by Francisco Cornejo and Daniela Vega, aimed at parents who want to transmit the values ​​of the Catholic faith to their children, while strengthening their emotional bond.

In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Ecuadorian couple told the story of Theo. Since February of this year, nearly 2 million families are already using this new tool that has won the hearts of adults and children alike.

Theo arises from another application developed by Cornejo and Vega: Storybookwhich is based on audio stories for children, which include relaxation techniques, such as guided breathing and contemplation, to improve the quality of children’s sleep and deepen the bond with their parents through “affective parenting.”

Although Storybook It is built from the Catholic beliefs of Cornejo and Vega, marriage specifies that it is a secular tool, aimed at people of any confession.

Based on the success of this application, which has more than 4 million downloads in the four years it has been on the market, they felt “a very strong call” to create one dedicated entirely to evangelization.

Incorporate faith into children’s sleep routine

Theo helps strengthen the faith of the little ones, incorporating Bible stories for family reflection into their sleep routine, and helping the whole family grow in values ​​such as love, gratitude and hope.

“We are convinced that faith is transmitted from father to son, that faith is transmitted by experience, not simply by listening, but also by living it, and we use all the learning from what we did with Storybook to create Theo”, Cornejo explained.

One of the fundamental points of this learning is physical contact. Theo It is designed to make parents feel closer to their children and each audio story promotes this goal. “Spending time together, with a caress or a hug, affirming with words,” Vega said.

“Obviously we must first educate the interiority of children, creating a good solid bond between parents and children, because the bond we form with our parents in childhood and adolescence is like that first soil where faith can be planted and grow,” he commented.

“So we are sure that the application is not only for the child, but for parents and children at the same time, precisely to be able to sow faith in the right way,” Vega added.

All content of Theo It is made to create moments when parents can be more affectionate. If a child does not feel loved, explains the Ecuadorian couple, they can suffer “a very big wound” that later prevents them from living their faith correctly.

A personal experience

Francisco and Daniela have two children, the result of 14 years of marriage. They felt the need to “work for families” and wanted Theo will reflect your experience.

“God has really been very good to us, we have lived through difficult times where faith has gotten us through,” said Cornejo. From their journey as a couple and as parents they have built this new tool.

“We take great care of our love, I think it is something important,” Vega added. Both assure that prayer has been a fundamental pillar in their family.

“We’re always asking ourselves, ‘Is this what God wants from us now?’ I believe that finding the balance between work, the apostolate and life as a couple is not achieved all at once, but we are on the right path with Francisco. It has been a wonderful experience, I would do it again a thousand times,” said Daniela.

The content of Theo

Valentina Leal, brand manager of Theo y famous Catholic influencer from Colombianoted that the application also allows children to learn English sentences. Along with the meditations and audio stories, the tool offers to delve into the lives of the saints and the celebrations of the liturgical season, always pointing to the togethernessto the union of parents and children.

“There is always a contact, a look, a word, a hug with your dad or your mom or whoever you are with,” Leal noted.

For the brand manager, it is essential that children learn to admire saints, real people whom they can imitate. May your “great desire in life” not be to be like some fictional superhero, but rather like these men and women from the stories you listen to before going to sleep thanks to Theo.

“In the face of these lies of the world, statements based on the Bible seek to give the truth to children, to tell them what God’s truth is for them,” he stated.

Thanks to these stories that become part of their lives, children fall asleep saying and thinking that “they are capable of anything because God put gifts in me,” Leal continued.

“Our children need to hear recognition, there is a lot of disqualification. Even parents are reminding the child what he does wrong during the day. Well, here is the time you need to tell him what he does well and how much it is worth,” added Vega.

“In the end, what faith gives us is also an identity and good self-esteem, and I think that is what children today, above all, need very much,” he added.

The material of Theo It is reviewed and approved by theological experts such as Johan Andrés Nieto, Doctor in Theology from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana; Father Rigoberto Jara, priest of the Archdiocese of Cuenca (Ecuador); and Juan Bosco Abascal, psychologist at the Iberoamerican University.

Valentina Leal also contributes with content curation, as she has a Diploma in Theology and Liturgy from the Santo Tomás University, and is an expert in Biblical Sciences from the Latin American Pastoral Biblical Institute.

Furthermore, its developers explain, since it is designed to be essentially an audio application, it does not imply that children spend even more time in front of a screen.

Advent Campaign

Recently, Theo took on the challenge of making the largest Advent campaign in the world, in which they seek to have more than 1 million children participate “in a journey full of stories, songs, activities and reflections, guided by Theodorea nice stuffed donkey that claims to be a direct descendant of the donkey in the Bethlehem manger.”

The campaign will take place from November 30 to December 24 and will feature the participation of great guests such as David Henrie, Father Ambrose Criste, and Talita Kum.

“It is designed for children from 0 to 12 years old, with resources also for parents. This challenge seeks to turn the prayer intention into a family habit, strengthening faith, formation and Christian hope in homes,” says the team. Theo.

The application can be downloaded for free in the iOS and Android stores, or from your Official Web site Official.