Design Your Own Baptismal Candle Worksheet

Here's an updated version of an old favorite activity on the Sacrament of Baptism. This one is in worksheet form, compete with some background on the role of the Baptismal Candle in the Rite of Baptism, working in the symbols of Baptism, and room for students to design their own Baptismal Candle. 

Click here to download the worksheet:

You may also like this activity on the Baptismal Promises or these on connections to Baptism in the Old and New Testaments.

Vocations Awareness Bulletin Board

Vocations Awareness Week is Nov. 3-9, 2024

This fall we were so excited as a school community to have three alumni enter into seminary and religious life! Wanting to spread the word and celebrate with our current students, I asked if we could create a display in time for Vocations Awareness Week highlighting the vocations that have grow from our school. Once we settled on the location, the project became bigger than I imagined, both literally (this bulletin board is much larger than I expected- almost 12' across!) and figuratively (because the response was so wonderful- I've run out of room to feature everything)!

With the extra space, I decided to create three sections:

1. One part highlighting specific vocations from our parish and school
2. One section honoring our pope, bishop, pastor, and parochial vicar, as well as seminarians from our diocese
3. And one part for "future" vocations- offering prayer cards, novenas, etc. for all students as well as highlighting different religious communities 

In addition to creating my own info to hang on the board, I also reached out to some religious orders to see if they could send us any brochures or prayer cards- and boy, they came through! We received some awesome vocation swag to share with students! We also receive a poster and prayer cards from our Diocesan Office of Vocations, so this was a perfect central location to include everything. I wanted the board to be something interactive that encouraged the students to walk by and take something home with them.

And after creating this bulletin board, I've already had requests to share info about how I made it. I've created a sharable version of everything that I can, but this is definitely a bulletin board that will need to be customized to your school or parish. I've tried to make a few tools to help you get started and hopefully can aid with inspiration! Also, don't be intimidated by this giant board- remember it was bigger than I was planning and I had to fill the space! You could make a board honoring and supporting vocations that is any size- the most important part is to encourage your students to be praying for those in discernment, praying for those living our their vocation, and praying for their own future vocation. 

P.S.- Just a note- we are already talking about making something to specifically honor and uphold marriage later this school year. The intention of this bulletin board was to highlight Vocations Awareness Week, which primarily focuses on the priesthood and religious life. So still more to come, not forgetting about the very important vocation of matrimony!

Here's all the details!

Items to add to the bulletin board

• Contact your diocesan vocations office (posters, prayer cards, etc.)
• Contact local religious orders (brochures, prayer cards, resources)
• Contact religious orders that have sisters/brothers serving in your diocese
• Reach out to other religious orders that you respect
• I would also recommend looking at the affordable resources available at Vianney Vocations. They have tons of brochures, booklets, and prayer cards that would be great for a vocation board (in addition to curriculum and books)
• Add coloring pages, printable prayer cards, brochures, etc. highlighting vocations, prayers for vocations, patrons of vocations, etc.
• Books to borrow about vocations

I added these awesome "Prayer for Priests" letter and St. John Vianney coloring page, both available from the talented Shari of Catholic Paper Goods as an easy activity kids could take with them. (Just a note, if you are planning on making copies of these for a whole school/parish, please make sure that you are reading her terms and using her license for bulk copies. Thanks for honoring the work of Catholic artists and creators!)

Title

I printed this out on brown kraft paper cardstock and cut it by hand, but you could do something similar with die cut letters or a cricut!

Click here for the "Here I am Lord" title with one letter per page (letters approx. 8.5" tall):

Click here for the "Here I am Lord" title with two letters per page (letters approx. 5.5" tall):

Template for highlighting individual vocations:
Click here for an editable template to display the pope, bishop, pastor, seminarians, etc. When you open this file, it will automatically make a copy so you can add your own information and photos. It also includes some saint quotes and headings that are also editable.

**Bonus** If you happen to be from the Diocese of Peoria, click here for a set of slides that is partially complete for you!

Tools for the bulletin board

Here are items that I ordered from Amazon to complete the bulletin board:

(Contain affiliate links)

• Clear brochure holders, 12 pieces in 2 different sizes (these have been perfect! My only issue is that I quickly ran out of space!)
• Clear flat tacks (I used these to attach the brochure holders to the bulletin board- and they have held quite well. They are a little longer than regular thumb tacks and the flat head is necessary so the items don't get stuck as they are pulled out, which would knock the whole thing down.)
• Clear shelves (these are excellent in theory, but have not worked as well using thumb tacks- a couple have fallen down a few times. I think they would be excellent if you were actually able to screw them in to the wall!)
• Bulletin board border- just in case someone wants it! I wanted something neutral and not to flashy, with a nod to our school colors (maroon and gold) so this was a great fit

Book List

And click here for a post with a list of great books about Vocations:

St. Therese of Lisieux, pray for us!

St. John Vianney, pray for us!

Books about Vocations for Catholic Kids

Here are some great children's books about Vocations! Of course, it is also super helpful to read the biographies of Saints who followed God's plan for their lives through a particular Vocation, but these books are more generally about the characteristics and callings of Holy Orders, Religious Life, and Matrimony. If you have any other book suggestions for these categories, feel free to share them in the comments!

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. That means that if you click through and purchase something, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. I'd also love to encourage you to shop directly with the publisher or with your local bookshop!

Books about Holy Orders

Fr. Ben Gets Ready for Mass- Warner, Katie

Jack Giorgio, Future Priest- Katie Warner

We Have a Pope- Katherine Bogner

So Many Ways to Be Holy: A Child’s Book about Vocations- Kristen M. Soley

Learn to Discern – High School Vocations Workbook

Light of the Sacraments- Cory Heimann & Tricia Dugat 

Father Drew, What Do You Do?- Rebecca W Martin 

(Out of print- watch for used copies) Where Do Deacons Come From?- Elizabeth Ficocelli

(Out of print- watch for used copies) Where Do Priests Come From?- Elizabeth Ficocelli

Books about Religious Life

Sister Clare Gets Ready for Prayer- Katie Warner

So Many Ways to Be Holy: A Child’s Book about Vocations- Kristen M. Soley

Little Convent in the Big City: Biggest Family Ever- Mother Clare Matthiass

Little Convent in the Big City: The Unsolvable Problem- Mother Clare Matthiass

Little Convent in the Big City: The Light in You- Mother Clare Matthiass

Sister Aloysius Comes to Mercyville

Sister Aloysius Arrives at Our Lady of Sorrows

Sister Aloysius Says "Pray, Pray, Pray"

Sister Aloysius Gets Ready for the First Day of School

Of Bells and Cells: The World of Monks, Friars, Sisters and Nuns- M. Cristina Borges

Learn to Discern – High School Vocations Workbook

(Out of print- watch for used copies) Where Do Sisters Come From?- Elizabeth Ficocelli

Books about Matrimony

So Many Ways to Be Holy: A Child’s Book about Vocations- Kristen M. Soley

One Holy Marriage: The Story of Saints Louis & Zelie Martin- Katie Warner

Learn to Discern – High School Vocations Workbook

Light of the Sacraments- Cory Heimann & Tricia Dugat 

Eucharistic Procession Paper Model Set (in Spanish too!)

 

Well, I think I have a new favorite resource here on the blog- this Eucharistic Procession set was the sweet gift of inspiration and was so much fun to make! It was a rare project where the final result matches the image in my head. (fellow creators- you can relate to how rare this is!)

Just in time for Corpus Christi Sunday, you can make your own "paper doll" version of a Eucharistic Procession. I've got a few different variations from the more complicated 3-D version in the photo to a simple coloring page, but I do hope that they are a tool to inspire Eucharistic Devotion in your home and classroom.

What is a Eucharistic Procession?

A Eucharistic procession is like a holy parade that brings Jesus, truly present in the Holy Eucharist, into the world that he loves. The Blessed Sacrament is placed in a monstrance and carried out of the church by a priest. A Eucharistic procession sometimes begins at one church and ends at another. It can be a short walk around the neighborhood of a church or can stretch for miles and miles from start to finish. Along the way, Jesus is accompanied by priests, deacons, altar servers, and people of all ages. Together they can pray the Rosary, sing hymns, or walk in silent prayer. Processions are often planned for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, but can take place just about any time of the year.

The altar servers might carry a canopy, processional cross, candles, a thurible, or bells. One type of processional canopy, a baldachhino, is held over the monstrance by four servers holding a pole for each corner. This creates a sacred space that is set aside for the Eucharist during the movement of the procession. The processional cross is a large crucifix attached to a long handle that can be lifted high for all to see. The candles remind us of Jesus, the Light of the World, truly present in the Holy Eucharist. The thurible is filled with burning incense, which releases sweet smelling smoke that rises to the sky, symbolizing our prayers rising to Heaven. The bells incorporate another of our five senses, announcing that Jesus is really present here with us. A Eucharistic procession is a wonderful opportunity to worship our Lord and pray together as a community as we witness our faith publicly to the world.

Make your own Eucharistic Procession Model

You can use this printable set to make your own model of a Eucharistic procession with a priest, servers, and lay people. The priest can carry the Monstrance and the servers can carry the processional canopy, candles, cross, and thurible. Use the tips on each page to put the model pieces together, and then set up the whole Eucharistic procession on a table or floor. Sing a Eucharistic hymn or say a prayer, praising the Lord for the gift of the Eucharist Then check with churches in your area and attend a real Eucharistic procession with your family!

Click here to download the whole Eucharistic Procession set, including an explanation of processions, making it easy to share with students or other families:

If you'd like to create the Eucharistic Procession, but don't need the supporting pieces to made the figures stand on their own, this paper saver version reduces the whole set down to three pages, and would be great for making a poster or other two-dimensional set:

And click here for just a coloring page of a Eucharistic Procession:

And click here for the model set in Spanish:

Renewal of Baptismal Promises in Spanish

Renewing our Baptismal Promises is a perfect activity for celebrating Baptism anniversaries, the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, during the Easter Season, when studying the Nicene Creed, Confirmation prep, or anytime! I like to print the Baptismal  Promises and cut in a long narrow strip of paper so that my students can decorate the other side like a Baptismal candle, using symbols associated with the Sacrament and new life in Christ.

Thanks to a kind LHBR reader and her priest, I have a new printable with the Renewal of Baptismal Promises in Spanish, making it easy to do this activity in a classroom and let kids choose Spanish or English for their candle. 

You can find the original post with the English version here, as well as several other Baptism activities!

Click here for the Renewal of Baptismal Promises in Spanish:

Renovacion de las Promesas Bautismales:

Click here for the Chi Rho image to decorate the candle:

Click here for the original post on the Paschal Candle:

Click here for the original post on making a Baptismal Candle:

And find all resources in Spanish under this tab.

The Source & The Summit- Studying the Eucharist

We often spend a lot of time teaching kids about the Eucharist in preparation for their First Holy Communion, as we well should! But sometimes this great gift is then a mere mention in the textbooks of later grades. I want my students to see the Eucharist as integral to what we believe, literally "The Source and the Summit" as described in the Catechism, so I've been working on adding some new tools into my curriculum.

The activities below were created with my middle schoolers in mind, but could certainly be stretched to older kids or simplified for younger. We did them as stations, and there is a booklet with the student copies all in one place at the bottom of the post, or you could use any of them individually. The National Eucharistic Revival is a perfect reminder and opportunity to renew our focus on the Most Blessed Sacrament in our homes, parishes, and classrooms!

You can also find resources for other Eucharist projects and teaching about the Mass under the Sacraments tab here.

Click here for a page of recommended Scripture verses in the New Testament. I hung this up and the students chose their own passage for a Lectio Divina reflection, which can be found below.

Get a student reflection page for Lectio Divina here:

These Old Testament Typology passages are a great way to show that the Eucharist was concealed in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the Person of Jesus Christ.
Click here for a list of Types of the Eucharist in the Old Testament:

This fill-in-the-blank page uses the NABRE translation of the Bible if you want to make it as easy as possible on your students to find the missing words. These would all make great memory verses to remind what we believe about the Eucharist!
Click here for a fill-in-the-blank of five important verses about the Eucharist:

In addition to Sacred Scripture, it is important to teach kids how to navigate the Catechism of the Catholic Church. There are tons of paragraphs in the CCC related to the Eucharist, but this page has them read a little from the section that explains the term "Source & Summit":

Here is a cover page/coloring page/mini poster to use with this unit:

And if you'd like to do these activities as a whole unit or offer them as stations, you can find the student handouts in this booklet:

Other supporting resources for the stations include this post on books about the Eucharist:

This post about using Visio Divina with Sacred Art about the Eucharist:

And this post about Bl. Carlo Acutis and his Eucharistic Miracles Website:

May Jesus, Truly Present in the Blessed Sacrament, help us keep our eyes fixed firmly on Him!

Favorite Kids' Books About Jesus in the Eucharist

What a gift we have in the Eucharist. That Jesus is Truly Present- Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity- is a mind blowing, miraculous mystery! Helping kids understand the importance of the Mass and the significance of the Eucharist is no easy challenge, but fortunately we have some great tools to help! Here are some of my favorite books about the Eucharist and the Mass to share with kids.

I've divided them up in a set of categories, but didn't label them by age- I really think that most can stretch from young to old! The picture books can still be read by older kids by using them to dive deep into symbols and meaning. The more complex graphic novels and stories also have awesome pictures that can also be used with the younger kids to talk about the parts of the Mass. The guides are great for all to use while participating in the Mass. Lots of options to add to your kiddo's collection!

(This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. That means that if you click through and purchase something, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. I'd also love to encourage you to shop directly with the publisher or with your local bookshop!)

Read-Alouds that Help Prepare for Mass

This is the Church- Warner, Katie

I Went to Mass, What Did I See? - Warner, Katie

When Jesus Speaks- Susan Joy Bellavance

Books that Dive into the Details of the Mass

The Holy Mass: On Earth as it is in Heaven- ONeill, Kevin and Mary

Catechism on the Seven Sacraments: Building Blocks of Faith Series- ONeill, Kevin and Mary

The Supper of the Lamb Hardcover- Scott Hahn & Emily Stimpson Chapman 

Jesus Speaks to Me About the Mass- Angela Burin

Little Catechism on the Eucharist- Coggi, Fr. Roberto

The Sacraments in Action

Stories with Eucharistic Symbolism

The Weight of a Mass- Nobisso, Josephine

Portrait of the Son: A Tale of Love- Nobisso, Josephine

The Miracle of the Bread, the Fish and the Boy, by Anthony DeStefano

Jesus in Space: A True Story That's Out of This World Cecilia Cicone

Books to Teach the True Presence

Finding You, The Sisters of Life

Seven Clues: A Catholic Treasure Hunt- Scott Hahn and Maura Roan McKeegan

Jesus and the Miracle of the Mass- Gracie Jagla

In this Catholic Church- Maura Roan McKeegan

What Angels See, Matthew Kilmurry

Where is Jesus Hidden? Maura Roan McKeegan

I Look at Jesus and Jesus Looks at Me- Nannet Horton

Jesus and Me: Talking with My Greatest Friend Melissa Kirking

Stories of Eucharistic Miracles

Heavenly Hosts: Eucharistic Miracles for Kids- Griffin, Kathryn

Stories of the Blessed Sacrament- Bay, Francine

The Treasure of Saint Tarcisius: Hero of the Eucharist, Caroline McDonald

Eucharistic Saints: Twenty Stories of Devotion to Jesus, Meredith Hinds

Stories of the Eucharist: A Family Treasury of Saints and Seekers- Heidi Hess Saxton 

Books for Learning the Articles of the Mass

A is For Altar, B is For Bible- Lang Main, Judith

The Catholic Field Guide- Chronister, Michelle

Brother Francis Activity Books

Loyola Kids Books of Catholic Signs and Symbols- Welborn, Amy

"E" is for Eucharist: A Catholic ABC- Cangilla McAdam, Claudia

Stories about the Priesthood

Jack Giorgio, Future Priest- Katie Warner

Fr. Ben Gets Ready for Mass- Warner, Katie

Guides for Praying Along with the Mass

Celebrating the Eucharist: A Mass Book for Children

I Pray the Mass- Patricia Jablonski

With Jesus Always: My Mass Book by Sadlier Publishing

Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus: An Introductory Latin Missal for Children Adalee Hude

Those are some of my favorites- how about you? What books would you recommend to share the gift of Jesus in the Eucharist with your children and students?