Saints & Holy Relics Presentation/Visitation: The Cathedral Catholic School, 4/14/2014

   

The Cathedral School in Honolulu,

where I was invited to share about Saints

and Holy Relics with a group of 1st and

4th graders and their teachers.

A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by a woman who had attended my March 20th speaking presentation at Stephen Church, Nuuanu.  She's a teacher at a small Catholic school in Honolulu - The Cathedral School - and asked if I could share about Saints and Relics with her students.  After praying about it, we made the necessary arrangements and this morning I had the opportunity to share the lives of six holy individuals with about 25 children and their two teachers.

The six holy souls who I shared about with

the students at the Cathedral School.

During my thirty minute presentation with the youngsters, we started by playing a game using a giant puzzle I created of St. Damien of Molokai, before I introduced the children to the Saints and Blesseds whose Holy Relics I had brought with me to share.  As I briefly shared about each spiritual hero, I showed lots of related pictures from my computer tablet and tried to emphasize a lesson to the children from the life of each holy person:

+  St. Bernadette  =  courage/perseverance in the face of ridicule for believing in God

+  St. Damien  =  charity and mercy towards the less fortunate

+  Bl. Francisco & Bl. Jacinta  =  praying for unbelievers and sinners

+  Bl. Margaret  =  capacity to rise above any obstacles to become great in God's eyes

+  St. Rose  =  never too young to share about Jesus to others

When I was done speaking, the teacher invited the children to come forward in small groups to view the relics up close, which for most of them was their very first exposure to the concept of Holy Relics.  Many of the students - ages 9- and 10-years-old - besides being naturally curious, appeared genuinely interested and fascinated by the idea that the Saints/Blesseds were physically present with us through their hallowed remains.

   

Left: A small display altar that I set up

in the classroom for the Holy Relics and

statues I brought.  Right: 1st grade students

with their teacher, viewing the relics.

Before ending my time with the kids, I re-emphasized to them that a life lived with Faith, Hope, Love, and Mercy makes us more like Jesus - Saints in the making!  And when I asked the little ones if they believed that they, too, could live at least one of these spiritual values and become a Saint, the response I received was a resounding, "Yes!"

Mission accomplished for today.

* * * 4/18 UPDATE:  Letters from the Students * * *

I received a large envelope today, filled with handwritten letters from the 4th Graders of the Cathedral School.  I was moved.  It just goes to show that our kids really are hungry to learn about good things, such as the lives of our dear Saints... and they are paying attention even when we think they're not.  Anyhow, below are just of the few scanned copies of the letters I received from the students who I had the joy and blessing of visiting with. Talk about inspirational!

May Jesus bless all these beautiful children with lasting FAITH... and may Our Lady and the Saints always watch over them and guide them ever closer to our Lord.