Missionary Outreach, Lent Devotions, Alms Giving Activities,

Catholic are called to practice almsgiving during the Lenten season. Giving money may be difficult for kids. So here are volunteer work ideas, charity donations, ROAK and good deeds kids can do for Lenten sacrifice. These spiritual and corporal works of mercy exhibit social justice in the world church, Almsgiving, living simply, corporal works of mercy, showing compassion and generosity, they're all part of the spiritual exercises (in the vernacular, being God with skin on). I like to take money saved on things I give up for lent and share it. It's a simple way to raise awareness and develop empathy to my kids. earthquake relief

Lenten Kitchen: Vegan War Cake

Lent Recipes Vegan Cake Recipe: War Cake During WWII, foods were rationed: eggs, milk, sugar and other items. Vegans do not eat these foods, so what better recipes for vegans than recipes from WWII? Here is my grandmother's famous 'war cake' recipe. vegan war cake recipe

Free Printable Stations of the Cross Lent Devotional Coloring Pages

In the Catholic liturgical calendar, Lent begins on Ash Wednesday continues for 40 days up through Holy Week, the Easter Triduum and Easter. Catholic Christians try to imitate Jesus with prayer, fasting or sacrifice and almsgiving (charity). A Catholic prays the rosary and Stations of the Cross on Friday (and as often as possible).  Here are free printable Stations of the Cross coloring pages to guide Lenten devotions. Each year during the Lenten when our family was homeschooling, the children drew images, one for each of the Station of the Cross. We used these images to guide Lenten devotions and prayer. We created Stations of the Cross in our home and yard, placing the images in order along a path. One year we hung them in the hallway. This way we had our own Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross, or Way of Sorrows). The children would begin each Friday in Lent praying the Stations of the Cross. Older children can draw Stations of the Cross coloring books for younger children to color. Or you can use free printable Stations of the Cross coloring pages. A favorite source was the Fr. Lovasik coloring books series. Here are free printable Stations of the Cross coloring books. Print a booklet for CCD, VBS, religious education classes, Catholic school, homeschooling and family devotions.
Catholic Mom offers free printable Stations of the Cross coloring books and prayer devotional guide. This is a fifteen page booklet covering each of the 14 Stations of the Cross. The liturgical prayer used at station is printed on the front cover and is repeated at each station. Children may color all the pages in their coloring books at once, or you may use Stations of the Cross coloring books as daily Lenten calendar countdown to Easter activities. Children might color one page each day for Lenten devotions. Here are other free printable Stations of the Cross activities.
Web Archive has free printable Stations of the Cross coloring pages drawn like Victorian church stained glass.  These images are quite small, but could be printed for a flip book or enlarged and printed as quarter or half page coloring pages. Traditionalists will love the neo-classical black and white artwork. St. John the Baptist Religious Ed has loads more free printable Catholic coloring pages for the mysteries of the rosary (Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious and Lumious Mysteries), Easter, Lenten, Bible and other Catholic themed coloring pages). 
Extend Stations of the Cross Lenten devotions and activities by assigning children to compose a prayer or response for each station. Preschool through first grade children might write one word or phrase to represent each station. Grades 1-2 might compose a one sentence prayer. For grades 3-5 assign one or two paragraph Lenten devotions and prayers. This makes good type 1 writing activities. Adjust the length of the prayer to suit the needs and abilities of the child. Some may wish to write their prayer as a poem, song or haiku. Don't make prayer or writing seem like chores or children will dread doing them. 

Special needs children might draw or act out each of the stations of the cross. Children could compose sign language or dance in response to the each Station of the Cross. The objective of this activity is to encourage children to respond to Our Lord's passion, death and resurrection. Encourage children to respond in whatever form they feel most comfortable with. 

Free Printable Catholic Saints Paper Dolls and Crafts

Free Printable Catholic Saints Paper Dolls and Coloring Page Activities
It's been inspiring to see that my most popular articles have been those about Ash Wednesday, Lent, Catholic faith and free printable homeschooling lesson plans activities. Here is yet another free printable Catholic activities website. printable Catholic saints paper dolls

Lenten Kitchen: Easy Vegan and Vegetarian Sushi Roll Recipes

Lenten Kitchen Vegan Recipes: How to Make Fish-free Sushi Rolls
Sushi is great for vegetarians, vegans, diabetics, those on low sodium diets, those with thyroid deficiency and in short, the whole world. Sushi rolls make excellent food for Lenten fish and fast days. Read More

Lenten Kitchen: Quick, Easy Vegetarian Soup Recipes

Classic family suppertime scenario: You're out of almost everything and everyone's starved. You've got no time to cook. Don't despair. Here are easy recipes for those kinds of days: six vegan/vegetarian homemade soups ready in 20 minutes. Perfect quick, easy Lenten recipes. Healthy Simple Supper Soups in 20 Minutes

Free Printable Lent Calendars for Homeschool, Family and Religious Education

Free Printable Lent Calendars for Catholic Families and Homeschoolers
Our Lenten journey in the Catholic church begins on Ash Wednesday and follows Jesus Christ for forty days of suffering in the desert, up to Holy Week and the Easter Triduum. Here are free printable lenten calendars to help your experience of Lent. free printable Lent calendars

Lent Altar or Tablecloth Family/ Homeschool Craft Project

Lenten Church, Religious Education or Family Devotional Craft
The supper table is the hub of family life. Make a tablecloth with the entire family or as a religious education project as a Lenten craft and devotional project. Inexpensive and easy. Makes a great family altar cloth and a great family tradition. Perfect for homeschooling families. Family tablecloth devotional craft

Lent Candle Holder Craft

Like an Advent Wreath, this Lenten cross candle holder, counts the weeks of lent. Easy, inexpensive family craft and devotional activity. Family, home school or religious education Ash Wednesday craft.
Ash Wednesday Cross Candle Holder Craft

Free Printable Lent Lesson Plans and Activities

Free Printable Lent Lesson Plans, Activities Print materials to guide your family, home school and religious education programs in the observance of Lent. Free printable Catholic lessons, activities, games, crafts. printable lenten lesson plans

Best Confirmation Gifts for Teens

Gift Giving Guides: Best Religious Confirmation Gifts for Teens
Several Christian denominations celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation. The confirmand is confirmed by the Holy Spirit. It is customary to give gifts as a token of remembrance. Here are reasonably priced gift suggestions. Read More

Free Printable St. Patricks Day Lessons, Games Coloring and Activities

Free Printable St. Patricks Day Lesson Plans St. Patrick's Day, March 17 has a silly holiday aspect. Wearing green, the blarney stone, leprechauns, 'Kiss Me, I'm Irish' pins. There was a man and a story behind St. Patricks Day. Here are free printable lesson plans to explore these stories. There are some silly St. Patrick's Day coloring and activities, but some informative and educational websites and free printable activities also. St Patricks Day printables

Free printable St. Valentine Lesson Plans, Valentines Day worksheets, crafts, coloring pages

Valentine Craft Project - Treasure Box A history of  St. Valentine and the early church martyrs. Origin of the tradition of giving valentines. Plus free printable valentines, lesson plans, worksheets and crafts. Literature suggestions for Valentine's Day and how-to guide for design of an inexpensive or free memory box for Valentine's Day. Read More

Free Printable Lent Coloring Pages for Ash Wednesday to Holy Week

Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant Christians observe Palm Sunday which celebrates the Biblical triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem one week before His crucifixion. Palm Sunday begins Holy Week and the countdown to the Paschal Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday or Easter Vigil). Holy Week culminates on Easter Sunday. 

Here are free printable Holy Week activities, Palm Sunday crafts, Easter printables and Bible coloring pages. Use as lessons in homeschool, Christian school, Sunday school or Catholic religious education.

DL-TK offers free printable Palm Sunday crafts. There are cut and paste crafts featuring Jesus, donkeys and palms. Sunday-School-Fun-Zone has several dozen free printable Holy Week coloring pages, Easter crafts, Bible puzzles and Catholic Christian holiday games. There are Bible verse memorization activities, images of people waving palms, a donkey and Bible character lessons. Print a countdown-to-Easter craft which for Holy Week.

Ministry-to-Children has eight free printable religious Easter coloring pages. These could be used as a Holy Week countdown. Give children one page color each day. When the pages are complete, they might be combined into a devotional prayer booklet. Catholic Mom has free printable Bible activities geared to each Sunday's gospel reading. All the guesswork for lesson planning and cross-curricular connections has been done for you. These printable units are useful for all ages from preschool through middle school. They're adaptable for special needs students, too. There are printable versions of the Bible reading, an accompanying coloring page, mass worksheets, fill-in-the-blank and crossword puzzles.

Catholic Mom is cross-referenced with specific webpages for holidays and feast days. There are links for crafts, readings, additional resources, printables and supplemental activities. Catholic Mom hasprintable activities for Palm Sunday, Holy Week and the Easter Triduum, including Holy (or Maundy) Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Vigil (called Holy Saturday) and Easter Sunday.  Palm Sunday and Holy Week fluctuate by year. March 29 was Palm Sunday for 2015.

Roman Catholic Holy Days, Feast Days, Liturgical Calendar and Church Seasons

Catholic Holidays and Holy Days; An Explanation of the Liturgical Calendar The word 'holiday' takes its origin from the term 'holy day'. Different faiths have various 'holy days' and seasons. In Catholicism, holy days also referred to as 'feast days', are organized around the Liturgical Calendar.
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