Crafts for Catechists
Patron of Students Back-to-School Treat “Christian perfection consists in three things: Patron of Students Back-to-School praying heroically, working heroically, and Treats provide a perfect opportu- nity to introduce your students to suffering heroically.” —ST. ANTHONY MARY CLARET some of our heavenly intercessors. What a great way to begin the A patron is a saint who is invoking certain saints in times of school year! venerated as a special interces- special need. It appears that God sor before God. According to My has given to individual saints pow- Here are some of the saints Catholic Faith, “When we pray ers to help us in special needs. Thus who are patrons of students: to the saints we ask them to offer we invoke St. Joseph as patron of ✱ their prayers to God for us. This is a happy death; St. Anthony when ✱ St. Thomas Aquinas what we call the “intercession” of we have lost anything; St. Blaise for ✱✱ St. Catherine of Alexandria the saints. If we are grateful for the diseases of the throat, etc. Many ✱✱ St. Nicholas of Myra intercession of a friend before an wonderful answers to prayer lead ✱✱ St. Philomena earthly superior, how much more to the belief that the saints take ✱✱ St. Gemma Galgani so should we be for the intercession particular interest in persons of saints before God! Experience whose circumstances are the same ✱✱ St. Ursula ✱ has proved that much is gained by as theirs were on earth.” These ✱ St. John Bosco PHOTOS COURTESY OF JESSICA GORDON
26 CATECHIST September 2016 Crafts and Activities for Your Students
✱ ✱ St. Jerome 3. Cover the seam between the yel- Note: For a quick and easy alternative ✱✱ St. Joseph of Cupertino low and pink paper with the strip of to the cardstock and foil, download a aluminum foil. ✱✱ St. Isidore free printable version of the wrap- 4. Adhere one Hershey’s Kisses to per here: showerofroses.blogspot. ✱✱ St. Ambrose the top. com/2011/08/patron-of-students- ✱✱ St. Gregory the Great 5. Attach the Patron of Students tag back-to-school-treat.html ✱✱ Find additional patrons of with some ribbon. students here: catholicsaints.info/ patrons-of-students/ LET US PRAY Creator of all things, true source of light and Patron Saints of wisdom, origin of all being, graciously let a ray of your light penetrate the darkness Students, pray of my understanding. Take from me the for us! double darkness in which I have been born, an obscurity of sin and ignorance. Give me a keen understanding, a retentive memory, and the ability to grasp things correctly and fundamentally. Grant me the talent of being exact in my explanations and the ability to express myself with thoroughness and charm. Point out the beginning, direct the prog- ress, and help in the completion. I ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. —A Prayer for Students by St. Thomas Aquinas
MATERIALS NEEDED Jessica Gordon blogs at ShowerOfRoses.blogspot.com ✱✱ 3 1/2 “ x 4 ✱✱ 3 1/2” x 3/8” and CatholicCuisine.blogspot.com 1/2 “ Yellow Aluminum Foil Cardstock ✱✱ ROLO® and ✱✱ Pinking Shears Hershey’s Kisses ✱✱ 3 1/2” x 1/2” Pink Cardstock ✱✱ Adhesive ✱✱ 1” circle Pink ✱✱ Ribbon Cardstock ✱✱ Patron of Students Tag WITH THE CLASS 1. Trim one short end of the yellow cardstock with pinking sheers (zigzag edge scissors), and score every 1/4” lengthwise. Wrap around ROLO and adhere. 2. Next, wrap the pink cardstock at the opposite end, adding the pink circle to cover the exposed end of the ROLO.
Permission is granted to reproduce this page for your parish or school September 2016 CATECHIST 27