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The Catholic Church celebrates the Month of the Holy Rosary during October. We celebrate Our Lady of the Rosary on October 7. We invite you to take this opportunity to ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to guide us and protect us through the 2026–27 program year of the Pflaum Gospel Weeklies. We also encourage you to invite the children under your care and their families to pray the Rosary during this month. Since October is also Respect Life Month, families may wish to pray the Rosary for greater respect for and care of all human life—from womb to tomb.
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
Use these videos as you discuss today’s Gospel. Please preview all videos you plan to share with your class:
• Parable of the Tenants – An Animation
• Parable of the Wicked Tenants Farmers Animation
• Sunday Setup—Weekly Video and Post (courtesy of the Diocese of Bridgeport)
Other Resources
• Pope Leo XIV and the Papacy
• Special Message from Pope Leo to Young People (NCYC | November 21, 2025)
For Catholic Schools
• Albert’s Expeditions Join Albert, a fierce yet friendly Peregrine Falcon, named after Saint Albert the Great (who even gave the Peregrine Falcon its name 800 years ago!) on scientific expeditions all around the globe. From under the soil to the sky full of stars, discover the stunning natural world full of life that God has created. Meant for children ages 5–10 and all families who want to learn more about their beautiful world around them and the Divine Creator who formed it all.
Seeds
Lesson Theme: Jesus wants us to grow.
For this lesson, you will need name tags, a ball, scissors, pencils, crayons, a Bible, a story coloring page (one per child), and a Church Year calendar. It may be a good idea to have at least one aide to assist with the cutting and folding activity on page 4. Asking parents to volunteer as aides in class is a good idea to keep them engaged in their children’s faith formation.
This is a good opportunity to remind children of their dignity as children of God. Be enthusiastic when you remind them that God loves them unconditionally, created them for a purpose, and sent Jesus to save us and bring us into God’s family.
Teaching Guide
Family Companion & Weekly Parent Resources
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
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
• Bible Bag: Kid-Sized Lessons on the Sunday Gospel with Mrs. Cole
• “God’s Love Is” by John Burland
Promise
Lesson Theme: God cares for all Creation.
For this lesson, you will need crayons, scissors, glue or tape, tulip bulb(s), and a Church Year calendar. Prepare name tags that read “God made ________ with love.” Invite the children to print their names and wear the tags as they arrive at the classroom.
Note that there is an additional vineyard activity to download and share here. Find the answer key here.
This is a good opportunity to remind children of their dignity as children of God. Be enthusiastic when you remind them that God loves them unconditionally, created them for a purpose, and sent Jesus to save us and bring us into God’s family.
Teaching Guide
Family Companion & Weekly Parent Resources
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
Extending Activities
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Assessments
Word of the Week
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Gospel Reflection and Saint of the Week with Miss Heidi
• Bible Bag: Kid-Sized Lessons on the Sunday Gospel with Mrs. Cole
• “God’s Love Is” by John Burland
Good News
Lesson Theme: We grow the fruit of God’s love.
Other materials you’ll need are crayons, scissors, classroom Bible, a world map or globe, and a Church Year calendar. Note: You will not need Bibles for the children for this lesson. Find additional blocks for the What Can You Create? activity here.
You will introduce the children to the Apostles’ Creed this week. You will focus on different beliefs we profess in the Creed throughout the year. Important beliefs you will discuss this week are about God the Father, who is almighty and Creator of Heaven and earth. We strongly encourage you to cover the lesson content that appears in the gold Connecting Gospel and Doctrine box in your Teaching Guide every week. This is where the main doctrine of the lesson will be found.
Teaching Guide
Family Companion & Weekly Parent Resources
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Assessments
Seasonal Resources
Video
• The Story of Saint Francis of Assisi
Venture
Lesson Theme: We grow the fruit of God’s love.
The Church celebrates the Month of the Holy Rosary during October. For this lesson, you will need a rosary for each child. They will learn about how to pray the Rosary and will conclude the session by praying the Rosary or at least one decade. Other materials you will need are pencils or pens, writing paper, markers or colored pencils, and Bibles (one per child or pair of children).
Mark the classroom Bible at Isaiah 5:1–7, the First Reading for this Sunday. You will guide the children to locate it in their Bibles and read it aloud as part of the page 5 activity, “Vineyards Need Hard Work and Constant Care.” To introduce the time capsule activity (pages 6–7), you may wish to bring in personal items for your own capsule or bring in items that you would include for 2026.
Teaching Guide
Family Companion & Weekly Parent Resources
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Assessments
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Contractors discover 1843 Foundation Stone of Singapore’s Cathedral of the Good Shepherd in 2016
• October: Month of the Rosary
Visions
Lesson Theme: God calls us to grow and bear fruit.
The Church celebrates the Month of the Holy Rosary during October. For this lesson, you will need a rosary for each young person. The young people will learn how to pray the Rosary and will end this session by praying the Rosary. If you have sent the Family Companion books home for family use, you may print copies of this one-page guide compliments of the Diocese of Rochester Catholic Schools (dorschool.org).
The “What Does It Mean to Be Catholic” activity (pages 6–7) covers a lot of ground. Assure the young people that they will learn about these sections—commandments, creed, Marks of the Church—throughout the year.
Teaching Guide
Family Companion & Weekly Parent Resources
Parent Teaching Pages
Parent/Grandparent Assistance for Home Study
The Gospel at Home
Weekly Review Template
Assessments
Seasonal Resources
Videos
• Dog Toys for a Cause: Initiative Battles Hunger
• Marks of the Church
• October: Month of the Rosary
Image credit: Steven Weirather from Pixabay
