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While the children’s focus may be on the celebration of Halloween this week, there are several other important observances on our calendar. As October nears its end, we celebrate the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time on 10/27 and Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles on 10/28.
The month of November is Black Catholic History Month, National Adoption Month (USA), Native American Heritage Month (USA), and Month of Remembrance of the Holy Souls in Purgatory. We wrap up the week with the Solemnity of All Saints on 11/1 (Holy Day of Obligation) and All Souls’ Day on 11/2.
Find a Prayer for All Saints’ Day here.
Every week in the GROW newsletter, you will find helpful tips for teaching your Gospel Weeklies lesson, a reflection on the Sunday Gospel, and links to online resources.
Videos of Sunday’s Gospel (Mark 10:46–52)
Use these videos as you discuss today’s Gospel. Please preview to make sure the videos are appropriate for your group:
• Holy Heroes
• Mark 1:46–52 with Lego
• Healing of the Blind Beggar, Bartimaeus
• Gospel Reading and Reflection for Kids
• Every Day Can Be a Sunday
Videos for All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day
• Saints | Catholic Central
• All Saints’ Day
• All Souls’ Day
• How Does the Catholic Church Declare Official Saints?
Jubilee 2025: Pilgrims of Hope Resources
• Jubilee 2025 activities, handouts, resources, and more
Seeds
Lesson Theme: Jesus helps us to see.
For this lesson, you will need scissors, crayons, cardboard tubes (one per child), a magnifying glass, telescope, or binoculars, a pair of sunglasses, and a Church Year calendar. We suggest that you separate pages 1–2 from 3–4 in advance of the lesson.
This week, while talking about Jesus’ encounter with Bartimaeus, the children will use their sense of sight to explore the different things we see. You can find an additional activity about The Senses here.
You may wish to mention that All Saints’ Day (November 1) is a Holy Day of Obligation.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Extending Activities
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Word of the Week
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Gospel Reflection and Saint of the Week with Miss Heidi
• Kid-Sized Lessons on the Sunday Gospel with Mrs. Cole (Bible Bag)
Promise
Lesson Theme: We can see God’s goodness.
Saint Francis of Assisi (feast day 10/4) is pictured on the cover of Promise. You may wish to add a picture or statue of him to your prayer table. You may wish to mention that the Church celebrates all the saints on All Saints’ Day (November 1, Holy Day of Obligation).
For this lesson, you will need a children’s Bible or a picture book about Noah. As the children act out the story of Noah, you may wish to use the music to the song “The Ants Go Marching” and use these lyrics. You will also need scissors, crayons, and a Church Year calendar. We suggest that you separate pages 1–2 from 3–4 in advance of the lesson.
Be sensitive to the children’s experiences and fears if your geographic area has experienced flooding, hurricanes, or other natural disasters. Assure the children that these events are not a form of punishment from God. Tell them that God cares about all his Creation and wants all people to be saved. Even when people die as the result of a natural disaster, God will take those who are faithful to him to eternal happiness in Heaven.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
Extending Activities
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Online Assessment
Word of the Week
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Gospel Reflection and Saint of the Week with Miss Heidi
• Kid-Sized Lessons on the Sunday Gospel with Mrs. Cole (Bible Bag)
Good News
Lesson Theme: Jesus’ followers care for Creation.
Saint Francis of Assisi (feast day 10/4) is pictured on the cover of Good News. You may wish to add a picture or statue of him to your prayer table. Answers to the cover activity are found on page TG1-26 of your Teaching Guide. You may wish to mention that the Church celebrates all the saints on All Saints’ Day (November 1, Holy Day of Obligation).
This is the first lesson in which the children will learn a part of the Apostles’ Creed. This lesson will include an overview of the Creed and its opening lines. You’ll return to other parts of the Creed in future lessons.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Online Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Ten Commandments with Hand Motions
• The 10 Commandments
Venture
Lesson Theme: We can see with eyes of faith.
Plan ahead by gathering these materials for this lesson: pencils or pens, markers, scissors, Sunday missals or missalettes (one per child), photos of loved ones who have died, ofrendas (candles, flowers, mementos), refreshments (optional), bandanas or cloths for blindfolds, and a Liturgical Year calendar. Prepare one set of cards (pages 7–8) in advance.
The verb to see has many meanings. Pope Francis urges us to really see people who are poor or are outsiders in some way. In this spirit of really noticing what’s going on around us, make sure to give the children time to identify the differences in the cover activity. These changes are marked for you in the Venture Teaching Guide, page TG1-26.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Online Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Sacraments 101: Baptism (Why We Baptize)
• Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos)
Visions
Lesson Theme: Christians call on Jesus with faith.
For this lesson, you will need pencils or pens, scissors, and Sunday missals or missalettes (page 5 activity). Assemble a sample Vatican II booklet (pages 7–8) before class.
This Sunday’s Gospel is about seeing. It is the story of the blind man whose sight is restored by his faith in Jesus. It is also a story about how Jesus sees the man—he notices someone in his midst who needs help and healing. Challenge the young people to notice the needs of others. Encourage the young people to not only identify areas of injustice in the world, but also how they might contribute to solving these problems.
Teaching Guide
Parent Teaching Pages
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Online Assessment
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Second Vatican Council
• 50th Anniversary of the Second Vatican Council
• Opening of Vatican II
Image credit: PHILL THORNTON PHOTO/stock.adobe.com