All Saints' Day 2015

Yesterday our chapel held it's second annual All Saints' Day party. I am so thankful we have this available to us, to help illustrate for our children the meaning of these holy days and hopefully inspire them to live their faith. Catholic culture has mostly disappeared in this country. Today is the Feast of All Saints (All Hallows), the day we honor those who have entered the gates of heaven (the Church Triumphant). The faithful on earth are also part of the Communion of Saints (the Church Militant, as we battle our way through life), as are the souls in purgatory (the Church Suffering). November 2, All Souls Day, was established to pray for the souls of the deceased who are suffering in purgatory.

St. Peter (don't mind his goose-egg; a fellow "saint" smacked him in the head with a child-sized garden shovel), St. Michael the Archangel, St. John Vianney, and St. Patrick (these are his "camera" faces) who is also missing a shoe.

Our little saints. St. John Vianney doesn't like looking at or smiling at cameras. St. Patrick is bestowing his blessing.

We started the party with the Litany of All Saints, and a group photo before costumes were abandoned and/or dismantled.

St. Michael missed our pew. Thankfully Grandma was there to redirect.

All our little saints.

We then headed into the basement where there were games and crafts for the children to enjoy, followed by lunch provided by the ladies of St. Philomena's.

Happy Feast of All Saints!

Match the Saints to their Objects

Liam trying out the fishing game at home. The hook was weighted with beans and had Velcro on each side to easily snag the felt fish.

Mena in St. Peter's fishing boat!

St. Valentine's jail cell. I forgot to get a photo of it, but there was a little table and chair inside the cell with paper and pencils for the children to write letters on.

No pre-Medieval period jail is complete without rats.

Making sacrifice beads. There were also saint initial coloring sheets for the children.

Sacrifice beads. The beads are meant to be slid up and down as you offer up trials and tribulations to God. My purple sacrifice beads with the Our Lady of Lourdes/St. Bernadette medal went missing; if any of you ladies find it would you mind please returning it to me? The medal was a gift from my Dad a long long time ago and there's sentimental value attached to it. Thank you!

Guessing the number of candies in the jars.

St. Cecilia's musical chairs. When the music stopped the children sat on a chair with different saints' pictures taped to them; the saint whose name was drawn had their chair removed.

Listening to a story about the North American martyrs.

The North American Martyrs, embarking on their mission by canoe, with a group of Indians lying in ambush in the foreground.

The missionaries, rounding a bend. Their boat was Cristero powered.

Slaughter by hostile Indians

Toby and Ian peacefully enjoying some candy while the drama played out.

I had a video of the children's reenactment of the North American Martyrs, led by a Mexican Cristero, converting some Indians to Catholicism and being slaughtered by others. However, it was lost somehow, probably deleted by accident (and probably to the relief of some!) :) Happy Feast Day!