We pray the Stations of the Cross to live Jesus’ suffering in his Passion and the love given to him along the way. At each station we stop, pray, and reflect. To help you explore the Stations of the Cross with your group, download our free foldable booklet. The mini-book is designed to be printed on 8½” x 11” paper and includes spaces for children to draw their own pictures or symbols for the stations. […]
We know the Stations of the Cross as a traditional Lenten devotion, but how can we connect the Way of the Cross to our lives? Author Gary Jansen suggests that by walking through each station, we see the unique ways in which Jesus responded to suffering, and we are challenged to react similarly in our own struggles. Jansen writes: Though Jesus seems passive throughout his Passion—he never lifts a finger against anyone and he barely […]
This article is by Gary Jansen, author of Station to Station: An Ignatian Journey through the Stations of the Cross. On Good Friday, 1991, Pope John Paul II introduced an alternative way to pray the Stations of the Cross. Foregoing some of the traditional scenes that are not found in the Bible (e.g., Veronica wipes the face of Jesus), this new approach to the centuries-old devotion allowed believers to engage in the mysteries of Christ’s […]
My third graders always embrace Lent. I will include all my usual Lenten activities this year, but because this is the Year of Mercy, I will be adding some new activities that will help my students perform works of mercy. The first activity will be a visual reminder of Lent. (My young students are visual learners.) Outside my classroom is a very large wall on which we usually display artwork. I will construct a very […]
Children typically really enjoy Lent. It is a season of the Church when they can set practical goals to give up, give away, and pray more. But sometimes we forget to teach our kids the “why” of Lent. What is it that we are trying to achieve with our Lenten observations? What is the goal of Lent? When I explain Lent to children, I always explain that we are preparing our hearts to meet the […]
My friend and colleague Denise, who is also a catechist, has drawn my attention to a creative Website named Catholic Icing, run by Lacy a wife and mother who dabbles in Catholic art. One great idea in particular that Lacy shares is a Stations of the Cross Box. As we head into the 2nd Sunday of Lent, here’s a reminder to check the following: Sunday Connection for 2nd Sunday of Lent, year C Recording of […]
I spent some time looking up some good resources on the Stations of the Cross. Some are online resources, some are downloadable, some are especially for children, others are for general audiences. I hope these are helpful as you plan on praying the Stations of the Cross with your group during Lent. The Stations of the Cross with Mary – Then and Now (Creighton University) – four-page handout The Stations of the Cross (Creighton University) – […]
This Lenten activity is an opportunity for catechists to combine prayer and almsgiving and to help those they teach to develop an appreciation for the Missions, specifically through the Holy Childhood Association (children helping children). UPDATE: This resource is no longer available from HCA, now Missionary Childhood Association. Founded in 1843, the Holy Childhood Association is an international organization whose membership is made up of students in Catholic elementary schools and religious education programs; it is […]
This Lenten activity is designed to help catechists engage those young people who are more visual and perhaps even artistically inclined. Dr. Howard Gardner, professor of education at Harvard University, developed the theory of multiple intelligences in 1983. Dr. Gardner proposes eight different intelligences or ways of learning: linguistic (word smart) logical/mathematical (number smart) visual/spatial (picture smart) bodily-kinestheticl (body smart) musical (music smart) interpersonal (people smart) intrapersonal (self smart) naturalist (nature smart) Quite often, our […]
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