After the flurry of the first few weeks of class, you may be looking ahead to the Church holy days on the horizon. The Church will celebrate All Saints’ Day on Saturday, November 1. Since it falls on a Saturday, it is not a Holy Day of Obligation this year.
In addition to some treatment about saints in all levels of the Gospel Weeklies, Pflaum provides a bonus All Saints’ Day activity on page TG1-36 of your Teaching Guide and these free activity pages about saints and All Saints’ Day:
- Seeds / Semillas children will see that saints like Saint Francis of Assisi / San Francisco de Asís cared for God’s people and Creation. You may also wish to share A Prayer to Sing at Halloween / Oración para cantar en Halloween.
- All Saints’ Day / Día de Todos los Santos will help Promise / Promesa children to understand saints as faithful people who live with God in Heaven. One very popular saint is Saint Teresa of Calcutta / Santa Teresa de Calcuta. Teach the children about her care for the poorest of the poor.
- Good News / Buena Nueva children will enjoy the All Saints’ Day Is November 1 / El 1.o de noviembre es el Día de Todos los Santos. If you haven’t already shared We Remember Saint Francis on October 4 / Recordamos a San Francisco el 4 de octubre, you may wish to do this in relation to All Saints’ Day.
- Even saints had day jobs. The Saints and Their Labors / Los santos y sus obras activity will remind Venture / Aventura students that all talents are welcomed in God’s kingdom. Harvest Time Saints Game / Juego sobre los santos will introduce your students to saints whose feast days are celebrated in the months of September, October, and November. The Patron Saints / Santos patronos activity will help them connect saints to certain concerns, occupations, and interests.
- In Saints’ Epitaphs / Epitafios de los santos, Día de Todos los Santos, 1.o de noviembre Visions / Visiones students will take a poetic look at the lives of six saints. It may even inspire them to write an epitaph of their own! Saints Who Labored / Santos que trabajaban invites students to connect saints to their professions.
You may also wish to share these additional fall resources about saints with Family-Parents:
- Litany of the Saints: A Prayer Service for All Saints’ Day
- November Feast Days
- Can You Name All Twelve Apostles?
- Saint Jane Francis de Chantal
- Saint Bernard of Clairvaux
- Saint Matthew
- Saint Jerome
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