All Saints Day

"The church in this great festival honours all the saints reigning together in glory; first, to give thanks to God for the graces and crowns of all his elect: secondly, to excite ourselves to a fervent imitation of their virtues by considering the holy example of so many faithful servants of God of all ages, sexes, and conditions, and by contemplating the inexpressible and eternal bliss which they already enjoy, and to which we are invited: thirdly, to implore the divine mercy through this multitude of powerful intercessors: fourthly, to repair any failures or sloth in not having duly honoured God in his saints on their particular festivals, and to glorify him in the saints which are unknown to us, or for which no particular festivals are appointed."

(source: EWTN) 

As we remember those who have gone before us we hope we did them just at our All Saints Day carnival this past Saturday.  For the past few years our kids have dressed up as their favorite known and unknown saints.  We celebrated with games, monologues and tons of food.

I present you the saints of 2010

left to right: Lucy as St. Lucy, Max as St. Nicholas, Rose as Nuestra Virgen de Guadalupe

and out in front is Princess as Our Blessed Mother Mary

Each family was to bring little gifts to give away at each of the games.  I opted to decorate sugar cookies and make little saints to give away at the "Spin a Saint Wheel"

above: St. Therese of Lisieux, Mother Mary, St. Lucy, St. Benedict, St. Padre Pio

below: St. Clare, Bl. Kateri, Bl. Mother Teresa, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Frances

At the carnival

 

My nephew as St. Padre Pio, and nieces as Bl. Kateri and St. Gianna Beretta Molla

(please keep the two older children in your prayers, we believe we may have a priest and a sister in our midst)

The games were built by one of the hostess of the carnival.  She had made them along with her mother for a parish event.  The pictures don't do them justice...they were so cool!

Spin a Saint

St. Joan of Arc and St. Martin de Tours ran the St. Therese Plinko game

The St. Patrick Snake Toss was run by some familiar faces and St. Joan of Arc

St. Elizabeth Drexel along with this young saint, who you'll have to forgive me I just can't remember the name...so sorry. 

This was finding Jonah in the whale's mouth

This little guy to the left, St. Alexander the Charcoal Worker is so precious he just melts your heart when you see him

We have two more games, just check out Noah's Ark...

We had parents get into the day's festivities with St. Joan of Arc to the left and St. Frances of Assisi to the right

And all for the Glory of God I present to you,

All the Saints of 2010

May the Church Triumphant continuously pray for us

and may we see them as our examples as we follow their trail to Heaven!