Page 4 - LC Saints

introduction
Most of us enjoy stories. we enjoy hearing stories about friends and relatives. stories teach us lessons we don’t even know we are learning. we also enjoy telling stories about our friends or about ourselves.
The stories of the saints contained in this book call us to reflect on the blessings we receive from the lives
of these holy men and women. all of the saints laughed, cried, worked, played, believed, doubted, hoped, and despaired—but through it all they “acted with justice, loved tenderly, and walked humbly with their God” (Micah 6:8) in the ordinary everyday events of their lives.
some of the saint stories deepen our courage and help us find a voice to speak out against injustices. other stories propel us toward volunteering to help those in need. still, other saint stories encourage us to take risks or create new paths as we too try to act with justice, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with God in the ordinary, everyday events of our lives.
This book can be used in several different ways. First of all, at times catechists need to work with small groups of children—what can the other children do while the teacher is working with a small group? The catechist can set up two or three learning stations, and the children who aren’t working directly with the catechist can learn about the saints through these independent activities.
another way to use this book is to set aside a couple of class times. divide the class into small groups and have the students rotate through the different centers. The catechist can facilitate learning through asking questions and assisting students as they create the different projects.
a third way to use this book is to create an intergenerational evening focused on the saints. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and parishioners can be invited for a two-hour session focusing on the saints. all of the centers can be set up in advance, and people can rotate through the different centers.
another possibility is to create a “saint Museum.” each student prepares a short talk about one of the saints and dresses like that saint. saints are placed around the room, and when visitors stop in front of the saint, the saint begins talking about him/herself.
Finally, for the students in grades three through six, the catechist can take the saint stories and put them together one after the other to create a readers’ theatre for the students. These can be performed for the younger students, parents, or other guests. readers’ theatres are great because the catechist doesn’t need props, costumes, etc; only scripts are needed. The story is told using vocal expression.
This book can comfortably be used in a variety of ways, which allows it to meet the diverse needs of both teachers and students. be creative! use this book as a springboard to deepen your students’ knowledge and love for the saints. May these holy men and women pray for us as our hearts find a home within their stories.
LG-Saints-2013 FINAL.indd 5 1/14/13 4:36 PM
Sample—do not duplicate