Mentors to Saints Bulletin Board- Perfect for Catholic Schools Week!

While prepping for a retreat for high schoolers this past fall, I wanted to make something encouraging to hang up in the chaperone hospitality room- a little message to express our thanks to the priests, youth group leaders, overnight chaperones, kitchen workers, and retreat team for the often unseen impact they have on the teens they work with. 

My brainstorming led me to think about Ven. Jan Tyranowski- a man who was asked to direct his parish's youth ministry during the turbulence of WWII in Poland. With so many priests arrested and sent to concentration camps, Tyranowski took his role seriously, beginning first with his own holiness. He passed that call to holiness on to the young men of his own parish, eventually leading to five diocesan priests and six religious vocations. And one of those diocesan priests was Karol Wojtyla, the future Pope St. John Paul II.

More brainstorming led to some other awesome mentors to Saints during their youth, and it's not surprising to me that most of these mentors are either Canonized or on the path to Canonization themselves!

-St. Thérèse of Lisieux and her parents Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin

-St. Kizito and his catechist St. Charles Lwanga

-St. Dominic Savio and his teacher St. John Bosco

-Bl. Chiara Luce Badano and her mentor Servant of God Chiara Lubich

-Ven. Augustus Tolton and his pastor Fr. Peter McGirr

Whether youth group leaders, teachers, catechists, godparents, mentors, or the parents of young people, we know that adults impact their formation in the faith and growth in virtue. The Lord can use His humble servants to share His goodness and guide their paths to Him. And we pray to be worthy of that call! I'm reusing this display as an encouragement for my coworkers during Catholic Schools Week, and you are welcome to use it yourself!

Click here for the "print ready" mini posters with photos and captions on the same page:

Click here for the mini posters with separate photos and captions if you'd like be able to cut them apart to create something like the display I made above:

Do any other young Saints and their mentors come to mind? Leave their names in the comments and I'll add to the collection!

Easter: Fifty Days to Celebrate

Christ is Risen! Alleluia!

He is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

Easter Sunday may have been yesterday, but the season of Easter goes on for fifty days.  From now until Pentecost, keep the Risen Christ alive with your kids using some of these activities!

Click on the pictures for the links to the original posts, complete with printables and instructions.

The Way of Light Coloring Book
During Lent, we pray the Way of the Cross, the fourteen stations that tell the story of Jesus' Passion and Death.  During Easter, there is also a set of fourteen stations about the stories that happened between the Resurrection and Pentecost. The Biblical accounts are collected with simple pictures and the Scripture references in this mini coloring book:

 Here you can see a screen shot of the four page printable:

The Way of Light Easter Sunrise
This craft creates a Easter sunrise with a ray of sun for each of the stations of the Way of Light:

The Way of Light Resurrection Eggs
This activity creates a set of Way of Light Easter eggs.  Each egg contains small objects that tell the story of the days of Easter:

The Way of Light Story in a Bag
Using simple objects collected in a bag, this project helps kids be the story tellers of the events of the Easter Season:

Way of Light Adult or Teen Bible Study
Seven part Bible study for individuals or groups:

Paschal Greeting Printable
The traditional Easter greeting in the form of a simple coloring page, great to hang up in your home or classroom:

Easter Playlist
Jam to the sounds of the season:

Easter Posters
Have some fun with lettering techniques and Scripture verses with special Easter significance while making these Easter posters:

Gospel in an Eggshell
Using tiny objects that fit into a plastic Easter egg, wrap together the story of Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection:

New Life Seeds
Connect the death and resurrection of Christ to the growth of seeds this spring time:

Fulton Sheen Quote Coloring Page
"Unless there is a cross in our lives, there will never be an empty tomb; unless there is a crown of thorns, there will never be the halo of light; unless there is a Good Friday, there will never be an Easter Sunday."

Resurrection Eggs
These eggs contain small objects and strips of Scripture that tell the story of Holy Week:

What Easter Looks Like Printable
Black & white and color printable of the symbols of the Easter season:

Regina Coeli Mini Book
During the season of Easter, we do not continue to pray the Angelus, but instead pray the Regina Coeli.  This mini book contains the prayer, some explanations, definitions of words, and pictures to color:

Debunking Resurrection Theories
This graphic organizer contains several of the theories that try to explain away the idea of the Resurrection of Christ.  It could be used as a discussion starter for a middle or high school youth group study on the truth of the Resurrection.

Women of the Resurrection Adult or Teen Bible Study
Seven part Bible study for individuals or groups, including Scripture verse coloring pages:

Divine Mercy Sunday
Check out this post for some ideas for celebrating Divine Mercy Sunday:

Pentecost

These activities tie together Pentecost and the Sacrament of Confirmation:

I wish you and the kids in your lives a very blessed Easter season!

Women of the Resurrection: Small Group Study {with coloring pages!}

Community.  We all need it- our faith wasn't meant to exist in a bubble.  Christian community provides us with structure, accountability, mentors, and fellowship.  I'm grateful to be a part of a thriving young adult community that meets weekly for time in Scripture and prayer.

Our latest series during this Easter season is called "Men and Women After the Heart of God."  The ladies are gathering in our small groups to talk about women who were impacted directly by the Risen Christ or one of His apostles.  We are also focusing on a virtue that each women emulated.

When making up the handouts, I kept things simple, proposed a few questions, left a spot for notes and ideas...and then still had a whole blank page.  What to do with that space? So I turned it into a little coloring page complete with a key verse from that particular study.  We have been coming stocked with art supplies to do some coloring while we read and discuss.

I have to admit, a little part of me was worried about this.  I'm in the "I love art" camp, I have always doodled while taking notes, and I remember more when my hands are busy. But I was concerned that we might appear a little rude when not making eye contact, or that we wouldn't be able to focus on the Scripture, or that someone would worry about not being artsy enough.

So I kept the readings short and the questions simple and hoped for the best...and it was awesome- some of the best discussion we have had in a long time.  Conversation seemed more natural. and ladies that don't always jump in spoke more and dove deeper.  I'm going to call it a success :).

If you would like to use these studies for your Bible study, small group, youth group, etc. click on the images below to print the study guides.  They print two sided and then fold in half to make a little booklet as you see in the photo above.


Click here for the study on Mary Magdalene and the virtue of service:

Click here for the study on the Women of Jerusalem and the virtue of community:

 Click here for the study on Lydia and the virtue of hospitality:

 Click here for the study on Tabitha and the virtue of joy & generosity:

 Click here for the study on Priscilla and the virtue of leadership:

 Click here for the study on Lois & Eunice and the virtue of maternity:

 Click here for the study on Mary and the virtue of receptivity:

And if you would just like the Scripture coloring pages, click on any of the images below.  All seven coloring verses are in one full page pdf:

Happy studying, coloring, and praying with these wonderful women of the Resurrection!

Everything Lent: Activities for 40 Days

Keep the praying/giving/fasting going for all 40 days of Lent with some of these activities:

Click on the pictures below to go to the original post with instructions and printables.

Videos for Lent, Holy Week, and Easter:

Song Playlist for Lent:

What Lent Looks Like Printable:

What the Triduum Looks Like:

Sunset & Shadow Stations of the Cross Art Project:

Lent Notes Foldable:

Lent Word Cloud printable:

Give Up & Take Up youth lesson on Lenten Sacrifices.
***This post also contains links to some of my favorite Lenten videos and online resources for teens.

Youth Group lesson connecting the Stations of the Cross and Lenten acts of mercy:

Using the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy for Lenten prayer, fasting, and giving:

Youth Group lesson connection the Passover and the Passion, using the movie Prince of Egypt:

The Gospel in an Eggshell: Connecting the infant Christ with the Christ that died to give us eternal life- great especially as we have such a short time between Christmas and Lent.

 Ideas for making your own Resurrection Eggs, which are great to tell the story of Holy Week:

New Life Seed Printable:
Great for making the connection to "unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it bears no fruit."  Plant the seeds, see them die, have flowers by Easter!

Linking Up with Blessed is She's Weekly Lenten Link Up. Go visit for more awesome resources and reflections on the season!