Kathleen Littleton is first and foremost, a wife and mother of nineteen children, fourteen living on earth and five in heaven. She gave up her career as an attorney to counterculturally raise up and form her family, joyfully leaning on God’s grace through life’s many trials.
Kathleen holds a Masters in Theological Studies Summa Cum Laude from the Institute of Pastoral Theology of Ave Maria University and has worked for five years as a Director of Religious Education and part-time for the Diocese of Joliet Tribunal. She obtained her Juris Doctorate Degree in Law from DePaul College of Law in Chicago, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Secondary Education, English and French from the University of Illinois, Urbana.
With her husband of thirty-three years, James Littleton, she is the co-founder of Forming Faithful Families, a 501(c)3 nonprofit ministry to support and honor the domestic church, family and married life, and with him has co-authored Better by the Dozen, Plus Two, subtitled Anecdotes and a Philosophy of Life from a Family of Sixteen (2007). She authored its sequel Better By The Dozen Plus Two, Part Two: Lessons Learned through Loss and Leukemia by a Family of Sixteen (2012), and To Reflect the Truth that God Knows (2015). Together they have written a program guide for Forming Faithful Families for small group and parish use in service to the New Evanagelization, and have produced DVD series for use in parishes and small groups which airs on Catholic television nationwide.
As Catholic reverts, spiritual guides, radio guests and contributors to Catholic, Kathleen and her husband, James are available as speakers or presenters, individually or as a couple, on a wide range of healing, marriage, and Faith and family topics. Their guest appearances on Catholic television and radio programs include: EWTN Live with Fr. Mitch Pacwa, November 11, 2009; EWTN’s Bookmark with Doug Keck, May 9, 2010; Light of the East, host Father Thomas Loya; The Drew Mariani Show on Relevant Radio; Kresta in the Afternoon on Ave Maria Radio; The Doctor Is In with Coleen Mast on Ave Maria Radio; and Speak Now with Susan Konig on Sirius Satellite Radio the Catholic Channel; and they have been featured Zenit interviews, the Chicago Tribune, and in Immaculate Heart Messenger Magazine
Top five of many talks Kathleen and/or her husband, James offer:
No Regrets For Being Open To Life by Kathleen and/or her husband, James
The blessings that come when couples live their marriage according to God’s plan told by a former contracepting attorney and career woman turned mother of nineteen children.
Lessons Learned Through Loss and Leukemia by a Family of Sixteen by Kathleen and/or her husband, James.
A family of sixteen’s story of how God’s grace keep them strong, hopeful and faith-filled through life’s challenges of foreclosure, death, loss and leukemia through surrender and reliance on God and His love manifested through the love and generosity of others, even strangers, in God’s bountiful providence.
Raising Christian Children in an Unchristian World by Kathleen and/or her husband, James
Parents of fourteen children share how to create a domestic church and live joyfully counter-culturally in today’s anti-life and anti-family world covering the four essential pillars of child formation and the four essential parental proverbs.
First the Woman, Then the Saint: Living a Life of Balance by Kathleen
Practical and spiritual necessities to achieve balance in our many roles as wives, mothers, professionals, and apostles through vocation definition and priority management to embrace and live life according to what truly matters most.
Zeal for Souls: Living Our Baptismal Call by KathleenWe can’t give to others what we don’t first possess ourselves and so like Mary, we must become women of the Eucharist, carrying Christ in our own interior tabernacles, and we must become convicted of this before we can convince others; this talk includes practical guidance on prayer (how and why to do it), the difference between a volunteer and an apostle, and what is truly necessary to be effective in spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ, a responsibility and privilege that every baptized person shares whether they realize it or not.
***Kathleen and/or James offer numerous other talks as well on a wide range of Healing, Faith. Pro-life, and Family topics. (see full list after sample emails below)
Sample Emails Received After EWTN Appearance:
I just delighted in watching and listening to you on EWTN Live this evening! Your gorgeous children and your "radical" "pouring out" of yourselves in your "YES" to God amount to some of the most inspiring faith I think I've ever seen. I was particularly moved by your profound grasp of the Faith and your easy, articulate expression of it throughout your interview. And what a rude shock it was to change the channel for a moment, after the close of your program with Fr. Mitch, and find myself instantly back in the secular, modern world of self-preoccupation. Thank you, thank you for your gracious, generous, love-filled witness! May God continue to bless you both, and all your children, with His ever deepening love and strength. P.B.
It was a great show. Ramona and I watched it from home in Hanceville. What a witness to the power and love of God and God’s love for family life. B.S.
Dear Jim and Kathleen, After finishing your book I feel I actually do know you both plus your children. I liked the book very much and am recommending it to others. Gee, I feel like a piker with only 9 children. We wanted a dozen but after 7 miscarriages it was not to be. Kathleen, did you find that when women found out how many children you had (any over the number 5) the ladies would look at your face and then your stomach and then back to your face. It was something they all did!!!! Not sure what they were thinking but apparently they didn't see what they were looking for because they would then say, "You don't look like you had that many". The comments you wrote about I could identify with. We now have 22 grandchildren and 11 greats. God has blessed us abundantly. God bless each of you and carry on!!!! You are all doing a fine job. Know there are lots of challenges but lots of rewards, also. Keep the faith and keep smiling!!! Prayerfully yours, D.D. PS Much, much later. Interruptions. Are you familiar with them?????
Talk about a domestic church! Yours is like a cathedral! S.S.
Hi, I saw your interview with Fr. Mitch on EWTN and wanted to tell you how inspiring it was! I took my daughter to Mass this morning and it was great. We are going to try to go daily. C.B.
I just wonder how what your children answer to people and peers who may poke fun at or comment not too nicely on having so many siblings ... in this day and age of having only one or two children. I commend your family and will thank God there are Catholics like you, there to give example to the rest of us selfish Catholics, or so-called, right? Thank you. H.P.
Hi dear family! I am a Brazilian and I saw yesterday you program on EWTN. Was so beautiful and amazing grace for me to see and listen to you! I want to "thank you" from all my heart because I really think our families can and must go to Mass daily because the world is taking their peace... they don't know what it means to be a parent any more... and you gave me a lot of HOPE telling that YOU go to Mass! It´s not impossible! It´s God´s grace! May Our Lady keep giving you the grace to be this witness the world needs! J.M., Brazil
Dear Mr. & Mrs. Littleton, Am now watching you on EWTN. Thank you soooo much for your witness to bringing Christ’s love into the world through your holy family. Thank you for your sacrifices for the Body of Christ. Thank you for your dedication to Our Lady of Guadalupe, Empress of the Americas and Mother of the Unborn. How awesome is our God and the work He is doing in you! May he continue to pour His blessings on you and yours as you do His Will, which is Love and Mercy itself. Prayerfully yours, S.M.
Hello Littleton Family, This morning we were so blessed to see your appearance on EWTN with Father Mitch. You are truly inspiring. R.D.
Speaking Topics Kathleen Littleton, J.D., M.T.S.
(3500 words approx. 30 minutes)
Prayer/Spiritual Life/Eucharist/Liturgy/The Blessed Mother
- How Does One Become Holy and Why Should One Want to Anyway (3623)
- The Eucharist is the Source and Summit of Prayer; The Font From Which All Power Flows (3192)
- The Spiritual Life is a Battle Ground: The Prize is Fullness of Life in Christ (St. Teresa of Avila/St John of the Cross/Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta) (3550
- The Spiritual Life is a Battle Ground: The Prize is Fullness of Life in Christ Includes the three stages of the spiritual life (St. Teresa of Avila/Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta) (5857) Can be given IN TWO PARTS
- The Infinite Power of The Liturgy (3048)
- Like Mary, Be a Woman of the Eucharist with Practical Examen (1796)
- The Role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Salvation from the New Testament (outline form 1128)
- What is Prayer: How and Why To Do It (1360)
Lay Vocation/ Universal Call to Holiness/New Evangelization
- The Theological Foundation for the Endeavor of the Lay Faithful To Renew the Temporal Order in Selected Documents of the Second Vatican Council and Post-Conciliar Period (3015)
- Zeal for Souls: Living Our Baptismal Call (30 min)
- What the Church and the People of God Can do to Respond to what Threatens the Modern World (Redemptor Hominis) (3380)
- The Theme and Vital Purpose of Witness in the Teachings of Vatican II (3645)
- The Apostolate of the Laity as Sharing in the Light of the Nations (2693)
- The Theology of Participation of the Baptized in Christ’s Salvific Mission (2401)
- Evangelization, Catechesis and Theology is Rooted in the Gospel Mandate (1991)
Family Formation/Marriage Vocation/Womanhood
- No Regrets for Being Open To Life includes Testimonial from Chapter one of First Better book (30 min) The blessings that come when couples live their marriage according to God’s plan told by a former contracepting attorney and career woman turned mother of nineteen children.
- First the Woman, then the Saint: Living a Life of Balance Practical and spiritual necessities to achieve balance in our many roles as wives, mothers, professionals, and apostles through vocation definition and priority management to embrace and live life according to what truly matters most. (3223)
- Moral Norms for the Family in the Acts of the Apostles and Pauline Letters (outline form 1731)
- The Mystique of Womanhood: Our Capacity for the Other (about 30 minutes) This talk covers our giftedness as women, our unique feminine genius, what the Popes and the Church have said is uniquely women’s gift to society and the family, some examples from the lives of saints, principles to live by using the Blessed Mother as our model, and practical means to balance our various roles as women
- Raising Children Up In the Way They Should Go (about 30 minutes): This talk covers the four greatest gifts parents can give their children, living by a hierarchy of values, and practical aspects of raising Christian children in an often unchristian culture, focusing on formation intellectually, spiritually, humanly and apostolically.
- The Worthy Woman of Proverbs 31: Ten Virtues of Our Lady to Imitate, the Highest Form of Praise (30-45 min)
- Starting a MomsMatter! Ministry at your Parish/Home Small Group
Suffering/Spouse as Care-Giver/Generosity of Others/Miracles of Mercy in My Life
- Lessons Learned through Loss and Leukemia by a Family of Sixteen A family of sixteen’s story of how God’s grace keep them strong, hopeful and faith-filled through life’s challenges of foreclosure, death, loss and leukemia through surrender and reliance on God and His love manifested through the love and generosity of others, even strangers, in God’s bountiful providence. (40-45 min)
- The Problem of Evil and the Christian Meaning of Suffering (2567)
- Miracles of Mercy in My Life (3500 words/30 or so minutes)
Joint Talks with James Littleton on Marriage and Family Life (45 min or so)
- Marriage Always and Forever*
- Awe of Life*
- Courageous Fatherhood and Majestic Motherhood*
- Raising Children Up In the Way They Should Go * Parents of fourteen children share how to create a domestic church and live joyfully counter-culturally in today’s anti-life and anti-family world covering the four essential pillars of child formation and the four essential parental proverbs.
- Living by a Hierarchy of Values*
*All include Our Journey from Living the Lie of Contraception to Being Parents of Fourteen Children and the Four Greatest Gifts Parents Can Give their Children.
