Our Lady of Sorrows Block Print- Feast Day 9/15

The Church dedicates the month of September to the Seven Sorrows of Mary. Through this devotion, we remember that even though Mary was without sin, she still experienced suffering and hardship.

At the Presentation in the Temple when Jesus was just a baby, Simeon prophesied that Mary’s own soul would be pierced by a sword. The Seven Sorrows of Mary are stories from the Bible where the Blessed Mother experienced pain and sadness. From losing Jesus in Jerusalem to witnessing His death on the Cross, Mary’s heart understood grief and suffering, but she never lost her faith and trust in God. These moments show us how the Blessed Mother loved Christ and turned to Him when life was hard.

When I was working on my Names of Mary block carving collection a few years ago, I created an image of Our Lady of Sorrows. I'd like to share a 5x7 printable from that project with you! This image was originally hand drawn by me, transferred to a rubber block, carved out, and then printed like a stamp. This is a true scan of that print that you are welcome to hang as art in your home or classroom or use as a feast day decoration!

Click here for the print:

And you can also find it included on these Names of Mary Bookmarks:

And if you are interested in more info on our Lady of Sorrows, the devotion has a whole chapter in my book Through the Year with Mary! Complete with a kid friendly explanation, full color artwork with discussion prompts, reflection questions, a prayer, and a connection to Jesus, the goal of the book is to help you have good conversations with your kids!

Click here to find in from my publisher the St. Paul Center or here to find it on Amazon!

St. Veronica Block Print- Feast Day 7/12

 

This image of St. Veronica was inspired by many years of praying this line from Fulton Sheen's Stations of the Cross:

“O Lord, the day I was born anew of water and the Holy Spirit, the image of your Cross was engraved upon my heart. Today you ask me: ‘Whose inscription is written thereon?’ It is be yours, then let me render to God the things that are God’s. Grant that like, like Veronica, I may brave all human respect to carry your image about with me, not on a veil but on the tablet of my heart. Bestow on me the grace to be so much like you that others among whom I live may see something of you in me, as the maidservant saw something of you in Peter. If they do not see in me the marks of your passion, let them at least see the sparks of your love.”

-Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, Way of the Cross, Station VI

Click here for a free block print of this St. Veronica image, perfect for her Feast Day on July 12th or to display during Lent.

This block print was the first time I tried a reduction print with multiple layers of color. It isn't perfect, but I enjoyed the process and will definitely try it again! You can see some of the process in this video on Instagram:

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Our Lady of Częstochowa Block Print- Feast Day 8/26

Do you know much about Our Lady of Częstochowa? While it has changed owners and locations many times in its history, the icon has been housed at the Jasna Góra Monastery in Częstochowa, Poland, since 1384. Exposure to air and the soot of burning candles has darkened the colors of the icon over time, leading it to sometimes be called the Black Madonna.

One of the most recognizable elements of the icon are the scars on Mary’s cheek. Tradition says that during an invasion in 1430, thieves tried to steal the image from the church. They placed it in a wagon, but the horses refused to move. In anger, one thief slashed the painting with his sword, leaving the marks on Mary’s face, and the icon was thrown out of the wagon. Our Lady of Częstochowa's feast is celebrated on August 26.

When I was working on my Names of Mary block carving collection a few years ago, I included my own version of Our Lady of Częstochowa image. I'd like to share a 5x7 printable from that project with you! This image was originally hand drawn by me, transferred to a rubber block, carved out, and then printed like a stamp. This is a true scan of that print that you are welcome to hang as art in your home or classroom or use as a feast day decoration!

Click here for the print:

And you can also find it included on these Names of Mary Bookmarks:

And if you are interested in more info on Our Lady of Częstochowa, the devotion has a whole chapter in my book Through the Year with Mary! Complete with a kid friendly explanation, full color artwork with discussion prompts, reflection questions, a prayer, and a connection to Jesus, the goal of the book is to help you have good conversations with your kids! 

Click here to find in from my publisher the St. Paul Center or here to find it on Amazon!

Stella Maris Block Print- Feast Day 9/27

The Feast of Our Lady, Star of the Sea is celebrated on September 27th. Also called Stella Maris, this devotion to Mary has been around since the 5th century and is especially popular with sailors and coastal towns, but is also just a beautiful symbol of how the Blessed Virgin guides us during the storms of life.

St. Thomas Aquinas wrote: It is surely fitting that her name is ‘Mary,’ which is akin to the Star of the Sea (‘Maria—maris stella’), for just as sailors are directed to port by the star of the sea, so also Christians are by Mary guided to glory.

When I was working on my Names of Mary block carving collection a few years ago, I knew I wanted to create an image of Stella Maris. I'd like to share a 5x7 printable from that project with you! This image was originally hand drawn by me, transferred to a rubber block, carved out, and then printed like a stamp. This is a true scan of that print that you are welcome to hang as art in your home or classroom or use as a feast day decoration!

Click here for the print:

And you can also find it included on these Names of Mary Bookmarks:

And if you are interested in more info on Stella Maris, the devotion has a whole chapter in my book Through the Year with Mary! Complete with a kid friendly explanation, full color artwork with discussion prompts, reflection questions, a prayer, and a connection to Jesus, the goal of the book is to help you have good conversations with your kids!

Click here to find in from my publisher the St. Paul Center or here to find it on Amazon!

Our Lady Undoer of Knots Block Print- Feast Day 9/28

You have probably seen this painting of Our Lady, Undoer of Knots before, but do you know the story of its origin? Around four hundred years ago, a couple from Germany named Wolfgang and Sophie Langenmante were experiencing struggles in their marriage. Wolfgang went to his parish priest, Fr. Jakob Lem, and asked his advice for how to help their marriage.

Fr. Lem was inspired to to tell the Langenmantes to ask Mary to untie the knots in their relationship. Through Mary’s intercession, they went on to have a happy and holy marriage. Years later, in gratitude for his grandparents’ faithful marriage, their grandson commissioned a painting of Mary untying a tangled ribbon of knots. In addition to the untangled ribbon, the artist also showed Mary stepping on a knotted-up snake, demonstrating that Satan twists and tangles and misleads us. The painting was donated to their local church, where you can still see it today.

The Feast of Our Lady, Undoer of Knots is celebrated on September 28th. We can ask Mary to help us face little problems and also to aid us in untangling big challenges.

St. Irenaeus wrote: The knot of Eve’s disobedience was loosed by the obedience of Mary. For what the virgin Eve had bound fast through unbelief, this did the virgin Mary set free through faith.

When I was working on my Names of Mary block carving collection a few years ago, I included my own version of the Undoer of Knots image. I'd like to share a 5x7 printable from that project with you! This image was originally hand drawn by me, transferred to a rubber block, carved out, and then printed like a stamp. This is a true scan of that print that you are welcome to hang as art in your home or classroom or use as a feast day decoration!

Click here for the print:

And you can also find it included on these Names of Mary Bookmarks:

And if you are interested in more info on Our Lady Undoer of Knots, the devotion has a whole chapter in my book Through the Year with Mary! Complete with a kid friendly explanation, full color artwork with discussion prompts, reflection questions, a prayer, and a connection to Jesus, the goal of the book is to help you have good conversations with your kids! Fun fact- the block carving image I created actually ended up in my book! Even though all of the other art (around 50 full color images!) are all classic sacred art or photos of statues/stained glass, we couldn't find a high enough resolution image of the original Undoer of Knots painting. So my artwork is full page and the original painting is a smaller image include in the info on the next page. Not something that was planned, but my editor and team were grateful I had something on hand that was ready to be used!

Click here to find in from my publisher the St. Paul Center or here to find it on Amazon!

Ascension or Assumption- Do your students know the difference?

 

I know this activity is coming in a little late to be useful this year, but I figured I might as well get it posted so it is ready for next year!

I think Ascension and Assumption are two of the most mixed up Catholic terms. The Ascension occurred forty days after Easter when Christ returned to Heaven. The Assumption happened at the end of Mary's earthly life when she was brought to Heaven body and soul by God.

We were back to school a little early this year, so for the first time in my memory I actually had classes on the Solemnity of the Assumption. We started with all school Mass, and then I used these activities during the rest of the day with my six junior high classes.

I used a collection of classic art to get the conversation started- and I was right- very few of my students knew much about the Ascension or the Assumption or the difference between the two. Starting with the art was a great way to get them talking and think about similarities and differences. For example, they readily noticed that the artists showed Christ rising on His own, while Mary is often being carried by angels.

After looking at the art and reading a short snippet about each from the Bible and the Catechism, they worked on sorting these facts into what was true about the Ascension and the Assumption or applied to both. (I included a couple of short videos in the slides as well.) We talked through their answers on the worksheet and they did quite well! 

While the Solemnity of the Assumption has already passed this month, you certainly could still use this activity during August! And of course it will make a great tool for the Ascension at the end of the Easter Season as well.

Click here for a slideshow with the art, quotes, and videos:

Click here for the Ascension or Assumption worksheet:

Click here for the answer key:

Click here for a version set up as a Venn Diagram:

And here for the key:

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin is a singular participation in her Son's Resurrection and an anticipation of the resurrection of other Christians. ~CCC 966

St. Philomena Block Print, Prayer Cards, and Coloring Page

Last summer I made this little print to celebrate the Feast Day of St. Philomena which is coming up on August 11th. We know so little of her life, but because of her holy martyr’s death, we remember and honor her still today. Philomena is the patron Saint of my school and her feast day is also my baptism anniversary- which I see as a little hint that maybe she’s been praying for me longer than I ever realized. ❤️⚓️🌿

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This block carving was first time I’ve made a multi color print using a puzzle technique. Here's a link to watch a process video making the print, and copies of the print are available to you below!

Click here for all the St. Philomena prints in one pdf

-5x7 color or black/white

-8x10 color or black/white

-prayer cards in color or black/white

St. Philomena line art coloring page*