Faith in Action Saint Martha Parish Plainville, Massachusetts

Over at the Jackson School

Grade 1 students were involved in all kinds of hands-on

activities using the Pflaum weeklies.

If our little ones con-tinue to pray the Hail Mary and Our Father

during evening prayers, then they’ll be in good shape for the begin-ning of Grade 2...the

exiting year of Sacraments!

Faith Formation Newsletter Spring 2018

.

A wonderful year of spiritual growth!

Grade 2

First Reconciliation The children come in scared and left happy and relieved! Why not keep the momentum up by returning to confession again and again as a family? First Communion is coming up soon! Be sure to check the website for some cute photos.

(above) At our Catechist Workshops, teachers discover new strategies and share ideas. Our Parish is truly fortunate to have such devoted volunteers willing to share the love of Jesus.

We are all called to “Go out and make disciples…” and these people are doing just that!

What type of things

happened in Grade 4

this year?

What better way to remem-ber a Bible story than to hear it straight from the Bible; act it out using the skit provided in our Pflaum Weekly; and then to create a craft as a reminder! (Can you guess which story this is?)

….well, they get a return letter from the Vatican with Pope Francis’s blessing for

both them and their families!!

The Largest Amount of

Donations Yet!

Grade 3 students gener-ously donated all sorts of items related to birthday parties for New Hope, a women’s shelter in Attle-boro. These third grad-

ers are firm believers that no child’s birthday should go uncelebrated!! The donations were brought to the altar and later collected at the

Jackson School by a representative of New Hope who explained the importance of this

program to the children.

What happens when a class of third graders writes to Pope Francis?

Another Grade 4 Class collected coins in Baby Bottles for Abundant Hope during Lent and brought home containers of Holy Water. It was a rewarding Lent!

Some fourth graders wrote letters to the 10th Graders who will soon be making their Confirmation. This also helped the younger children understand the significance of this sacrament.

Meanwhile over in the Saint Martha Church Hall

…

Grade 5

Our grade 5 students were great role models for our 4th graders as they led

them in the praying of the Rosary.

Grade 6 was able to use the Church in experiencing several Catholic practices. (left) Deacon Joe conducted the Stations of the Cross and we were very fortunate that we had altar servers in our class to assist!

Stations of the Cross

Even though our Faith Formation classes take place in the public school, teachers in grades 4 and 5 were still able to

lead classes through the Stations of the Cross, using a set of posters and small guide books.

On another occasion, Grade 6 students prayed the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy, something totally new to them.

For service projects, students wrote letters to the First Communion students and even made them a set of puzzles depicting the Ten Commandments.

The year concluded for the Grade 6 students with a Catholic Trivia game! Congratulations to Team 4!

Dear Parents, It has been a great year!! Thanks so much for your diligence in getting your chil-dren to Faith Formation classes. The children seem to really enjoy the variety of activities offered, whether it be service projects, various forms of prayers (Rosary, Chaplet, Stations of the Cross), or class-sponsored Masses. Our goal is to not only have the children learn the basics of Catholicism, but to ultimately encounter Jesus personally. This is why we stress attending Mass and receiving the sacraments as often as possible.

Have a very happy and relaxing summer! Maggie Hoagland, Director of Faith Formation for Children

Reconnect with your faith

Jeannie Ewing

1. Visit a shrine

Take your family on a little road trip to discover what holy places are near you, and you may be pleasantly surprised at how your children will be spiritually touched by the experience. (Near us: Fatima Shrine in Holliston; LaSalette in Atteboro)

2. Build a Mary garden Prayer gardens allow a person time in solitude to contemplate, pray, and meditate by reflecting on the sacred space that includes specific flowers, statues, or grottos. Mary gardens include flowers named after Our Lady, such as roses, lilies, marigolds, Our Lady’s Tears, among other countless varieties. If you have the space in your yard, carve out some time in the summer to make this a family endeavor of transforming a particular space into one that is dedicated to Mary. You can add special touches, like benches and statues. Once it’s complete, pray a family rosary together (or a decade) and encourage everyone to spend time as they wish to pray outside.

3. Make a time capsule Everyone likes the idea of burying treasure and opening it up years later. Collect pho-tos, holy cards, favorite prayers or Bible verses, fond memories, and other trinkets or memorabilia to include in your time capsule. (hint: Write down where you buried it so that it can be found years later!!)

4. Create a scavenger hunt Scavenger hunts are always a hit for the young and old alike, so why not make yours specific to learning about the Faith? There are some fantastic ideas online on how to make this typical activity an opportunity for you and your kids to grow in knowledge of the Faith.

Most Catholic scavenger hunts aren’t designed for moving outdoors, but you can crea-tively ponder ways to get your family moving on a treasure hunt for medals of saints, holy cards, or little figurines you have buried or hidden outside that correspond with questions you come up with.