Our Parade of Saints

Keep reading and you will see how we celebrate the feast of All Saints, paying tribute and learning about the Saints the children choose, and taking the time to make costumes to represent thier choices.  This year we have St. Nicholas, St. Marcellino, St. Dennis, Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. Barbara, St. Maria Goretti, St. Catherine Laboure, St. Rose of Lima and an guardian Angel.  Keep scanning down for more about each one.

St. Maria Goretti (Jaclyn)

 

The costume:  Jaclyn is wearing a brown dress and skirt and I made her apron from a drape and pillow case, and then cut the scarf for her hair.  Her blood signifies the horrible way St. Maria was murdered, being stabbed 14 times, with 14 different holes in her apron. 

The Story: Born in Corinaldo, Ancona, Italy, on October 16 1890; her farmworker father moved his family to Ferrier di Conca, near Anzio. Her father died of malaria and her mother had to struggle to feed her children.

In 1902 an eighteen-year-old neighbor, Alexander, grabbed her from her steps and tried to rape her. When Maria said that she would rather died than submit, Alexander began stabbing her with a knife.

As she lay in the hospital, she forgave Alexander before she died. Her death didn't end her forgivness, however.

Alexander was captured and sentenced to thirty years. He was unrepentant until he had a dream that he was in a garden. Maria was there and gave him flowers. When he woke, he was a changed man, repenting of his crime and living a reformed life. When he was released after 27 years he went directly to Maria's mother to beg her forgiveness, which she gave. "If my daughter can forgive him, who am I to withold forgiveness," she said.

When Maria was declared a saint in 1950, Alexander was there in the St. Peter's crowd to celebrate her canonization. She was canonized by Pope Pius XII in 1950 for her purity as model for youth.

She is called a martyr because she fought against Alexander's attempts at sexual assault. However, the most important aspect of her story is her forgiveness of her attacker -- her concern for her enemy extending even beyond death. Her feast day is July 6. St. Maria Goretti is the patroness of youth and for the victims of rape.

St. Barbara (Madelyn)

 

The Costume:  Madelyn is wearing a brown shirt, and a brown dress we sewed the gold trim to, then we attached the cape and added more gold trim to the cape. I took the gold trim off a shirt we had been saving.  I then sprayed the chalice with gold pain, and the host is made with a lid to a paint can that I sprayed gold.  I had bought the vase styrofoam and put it in the chalice, and hot glued a 1/2 painter stick to the back of the host and pushed it into place.  Her crown was silver, we sprayed it gold. 

The Story: Barbara lived in the 4th century and brought up as a heathen. A tyrannical father, Dioscorus, had kept her jealously secluded in a lonely tower which he had built for that purpose. Here, in her forced solitude, she gave herself to prayer and study, and contrived to receive instruction and Baptism in secret by a Christian priest.

Barbara resisted her father's wish that she marry. Then on one occasion, during her father's absence, Barbara had three windows inserted into a bathhouse her father was constructing. Her purpose was thereby to honor the Trinity

The life of St. Barbara is a vivid reminder that there can be much anger in our world and in our lives. Being in touch with God's presence in a very special way can do much toward relieving ourselves of our tendency to allow anger to control us. We should pray often against a sudden and unprovided death; and, above all, that we may be strengthened by the Holy Viaticum (Last Sacraments) against the dangers of our last hour.

St. Rose of Lima (Rosalyn)

 The Costume:  Rosie has a sewed pillow case for her veil and the ring of flowers, holding a bird the kids had.  She is wearing a white dress that I sewed the black cape to and the white top sewed in plce. 

The Story: St. Rose of Lima is the patroness of Latin America and the Philippines. This South American Saint's real name was Isabel, but she was such a beautiful baby that she was called Rose, and that name remained. As she grew older, she became more and more beautiful, and one day, her mother put a wreath of flowers on her head to show off her loveliness to friends. But Rose had no desire to be admired, for her heart had been given to Jesus. So she put a long pin into that wreath and it pierced her so deeply, that she had a hard time getting the wreath off afterward. Another time she became afraid that her beauty might be a temptation to someone, since people could not take their eyes off her. Therefore, she rubbed her face with pepper until it was all red and blistered.

 Many miracles followed her death. She was beatified by Clement IX, in 1667, and canonized in 1671 by Clement X, the first American to be so honoured. Her feast is celebrated 23 of August. She is represented wearing a crown of roses.




 

St. Nicholas (Mikey)

The costme:  Mikey has a green and gold outfit my mom made years ago and we use almost every year.  A red and white cape and has a green bag filled with gold snowflakes around her waist and is holding her bishop croiser and has the bishop mitre (hat) we made last year.  He is caring a christmas tree. 

The story: He was born at Parara, a city of Lycia in Asia Minor; in his youth he made a pilgrimage to Egypt and Palestine; shortly after his return he became Bishop of Myra; cast into prison during the persecution of Diocletian, he was released after the accession of Constantine, and was present at the Council of Nicaea. In 1087 Italian merchants stole his body at Myra, bringing it to Bari in Italy.




The numerous miracles St. Nicholas is said to have wrought, both before and after his death, are outgrowths of a long tradition.

One story tells of a poor man with three daughters. In those days a young woman's father had to offer prospective husbands something of value—a dowry. The larger the dowry, the better the chance that a young woman would find a good husband. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. This poor man's daughters, without dowries, were therefore destined to be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home-providing the needed dowries. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas. Sometimes the story is told with gold balls instead of bags of gold. That is why three gold balls, sometimes represented as oranges, are one of the symbols for St. Nicholas. And so St. Nicholas is a gift-giver.


Children around the world know and love St. Nicholas—for he brings gifts and treats in December. He is known by different names—and even looks different from place to place. But, it is the same St. Nicholas who delights with small surprises and good things to eat. Nicholas gave in secret, alert to others' needs, and expecting nothing for himself in return. It is this selfless generosity which seeks only the good of the other that made Nicholas' gifts the gifts of a saint.

St. Catherine Laboure (Evelyn)

The costume:  By far the most challenging.  We used a blue graduation gown and we sewed it shut.  We then used a piece to make a belt.  We took apart a white shirt for the top piece, and for the veil we used a pillow case, and I cut pieces of cardboard in triangle shapes on each side, I sewed the triangles into the pillow case, then anothe piece of cardboard to hold it out at the bottom in rectangular shape and sewed that in.  She has one more piece from a white drape to drape over the top.  Its sewed together at her forehead and then pinned tight at the back of her neck.  Carolyn drew the large Miraculous Medal she is holding, its on a string around her neck.  We will probably pin it in place for the actual party.

The story:

 Ninth of eleven children born to a farm family, and from an early age Catherine felt a call to the religious life. Never learned to read or write. Forced to take over running the house at age eight after her mother died and her older sister joined the Sisters of Charity. Worked as a waitress in her uncle’s cafe in Paris, France. Upon entering a hospital run by the Sisters of Charity she received a vision in which Saint Vincent de Paul told her that God wanted her to work with the sick, and she later joined the Order, taking the name Catherine.

On 18 July 1830 she had a vision of Our Lady who described to her a medal which she wished struck. On one side it has the image of Our Lady, and the words, “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee”; on the other are the hearts of Jesus and Mary. Our Lady told Catherine that wearers of the medal would receive great graces, it has become known as the Miraculous Medal, and its wearing and devotion has spread worldwide. Miracles reported at her tomb.

Immaculate Heart of Mary (Katelyn)

The costume: Katelyn is wearing a blue robe, white lace table cloth under the robe that comes down to her feet,  gold sash, a blue and gold wrap, lace blue veil and Carolyn drew her the immaculate heart.  

The story: Immaculate Heart of Mary,


My favorite feast of Our Lady


It was St. John Eudes who initiated the worship of the Holy Heart of Mary in 1648 by composing a Mass and Office, although the feast failed to be approved by the Congregation of Rites in 1669. Repeated requests over the years for official recognition of the feast were reinforced in 1917 when the Virgin Mary appeared at Fátima, Portugal, and expressed her wish that the devotion be established so that Russia would be saved.

On October 31, 1942, the 25th anniversary of the appearance at Fátima, Pope Pius XII consecrated the entire human race to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and two years later, a feast under that name was established for August 22, octave of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception

Guardian Angel (Carolyn)

The Costume: We bought a white robe from the thrift store, added some store bought angel wings and has gold beads in her hair, we also sewed the robe completely closed for a gown effect. 

Angel of God, my guardian dear

to whom God's love commits me here.

Ever this day/night be at my side

to light, to guard, to rule and guide.

Amen.

The story: Perhaps no aspect of Catholic piety is as comforting to parents as the belief that an angel protects their little ones from dangers real and imagined. Yet guardian angels are not just for children. Their role is to represent individuals before God, to watch over them always, to aid their prayer and to present their souls to God at death.

The concept of an angel assigned to guide and nurture each human being is a development of Catholic doctrine and piety based on Scripture but not directly drawn from it. Jesus' words in Matthew 18:10 best support the belief: "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father."

Devotion to the angels began to develop with the birth of the monastic tradition. St. Benedict (July 11) gave it impetus and Bernard of Clairvaux (August 20), the great 12th-century reformer, was such an eloquent spokesman for the guardian angels that angelic devotion assumed its current form in his day.

A feast in honor of the guardian angels was first observed in the 16th century. In 1615, Pope Paul V added it to the Roman calendar.

St. Marcellion (Tony)

 

The Costume:
Took apart a pair of overalls, moved the crotch down to give it a knickers look, used the buttons to attach the shoulder strap from side button hole to pocket button hole, sandles, a loaf of fake bread and a tan button up shirt.  And wa-la...Little Boy Saint, I have to admit, Tony makes a perfect little Marcellino!!!

The Story: The story revolves around Marcelino, an orphan abandoned as a baby on the steps of a monastery in nineteenth-century Spain. The monks raise the child, and Marcelino grows into a rowdy young boy. He has been warned by the monks not to visit the monastery attic, where a supposed bogeyman lives, but he ventures upstairs anyway, sees the bogeyman and tears off back down the stairs.

At a festival, Marcelino causes havoc when he accidentally lets some animals loose, and the new local mayor, a blacksmith whom the monks would not let adopt Marcelino because of his coarse behavior, uses the incident as an excuse to try to shut down the monastery.

Given the silent treatment by the monks, Marcelino gathers up the courage to once again enter the attic, where he sees not a bogeyman, but a beautiful statue of Christ on the Cross. Remarking that the statue looks hungry, Marcelino steals some bread and wine and offers it to the statue, which comes to life, descends from the Cross, and eats and drinks what the boy has brought him. The statue becomes Marcelino's best friend and confidant, and begins to give him religious instruction. For his part, Marcelino realizes that the statue is Christ.
The monks know something is strange when they notice bread and wine disappearing, and arrange to spy on Marcelino. One day, the statue notices that Marcelino is pensive and brooding instead of happy, and tells him that he would like to reward his kindness. Marcelino answers: "I want only to see my mother, and to see Yours after that". The statue cradles Marcelino in its arms, tells Marcelino to sleep - and Marcelino dies happy.

The monks witness the miracle through a crack in the attic door, and burst in just in time to see the dead Marcelino bathed in a heavenly glow. The statue returns to its place on the Cross, and Marcelino is buried underneath the chapel and venerated by all who visit the now flourishing monastery-turned-shrine.

St. Dennis (Joseph and friend Austin)

 Joseph chose St. Dennis this year. 

The costume: We used two graduation gowns, a bishop's hat, a white blouse sewed closed at the top, and a little fake blood.  I attempted to sew wood paint sticks in the shoulder to give it a shoulder look.  We sewed the graduation gowns closed down at the bottom, so it would stay closed. 

The story:
 Saint Denis (also called Dionysius, Dennis, or Denys) is a Christian martyr and saint. In the third century, he was Bishop of Paris. He was martyred in connection with the Decian persecution of Christians, shortly after A.D. 250. After his head was chopped off, Denis is said to have picked it up and walked ten kilometres (six miles), preaching a sermon the entire way, making him one of many cephalophores in hagiology. He is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church as patron of Paris, France and as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers

Just for you babe...

No Space, Leave the place!

How can you tell when you are in a room, restroom, motel etc. with a mirror or a 2-way glass?

Here's how: I thought it was quite interesting! And I know in about 30 seconds you're going to do what I did and find the nearest mirror.

Do you know how to determine if a mirror is 2-way or not? A policewoman who travels all over the US and gives seminars and techniques for businesswomen passed this on


When we visit toilets, bathrooms, hotel rooms, changing rooms, etc., how many of you know for sure that the seemingly ordinary mirror hanging on the wall is a real mirror, or actually a 2-way mirror (i.e., they can see you, but you can't see them)? There have been many cases of people installing 2-way mirrors in female changing rooms . It is very difficult to positively identify the surface by looking at it.

So, how do we determine with any amount of certainty what type of mirror we are looking at?

TWO WAY GLASS IMAGE MIRROR IMAGE

Just conduct this simple test: Place the tip of your fingernail against the reflective surface and if there is a GAP between your fingernail and the image of the nail, then it is GENUINE mirror. However, if your fingernail DIRECTLY TOUCHES the image of your nail, then BEWARE! IT IS A 2-WAY MIRROR!



"No Space, Leave the Place" So remember, every time you see a mirror, do the "fingernail test." It doesn't cost you anything.

REMEMBER. No Space, Leave the Place:

Ladies: Share this with your girlfriends, sisters, daughters, etc.

Men: Share this with your wives, daughters, daughters-in-law, mothers, girlfriends and/or friends.

Happy Birthday JoeBoy!

Joe made it to his teen years!  Happy Birthday, pics and details coming...

Marilyn's anniversary

Well this is the night each year where I know I should be sleeping but its hard for me to go to sleep.  Its hard because she was born at 1:55am and died at 7:15am.  The whole time she was "alive" in my head is while I sleep.  I know its so normal to say, Ok, 7 years ago I was in labor, ok, 7 years ago she was born, 7 years ago she was baptized, 7 years ago she cried, 7 years ago they said she looked better, 7 years ago they couldn't figure it out, 7 years ago they transported her, 7 years ago she had her heart attack and died, 7 years ago we held her.  Maybe because we aren't really meant to do that?  It just is.  It is, so it is.  She's special, she never had worldly memories or worldly moments, she just was whisked away.  So maybe I need to just give her that peace. 

I was looking through her book a few moments ago and came across a prayer one of my friends put on a book mark for me and I put it in her memory book.  It is quite lovely:

O Mary, my Mother, obtain for me, I entreat you, the grace of a holy resignation.  Obtain for me the grace to understand this trial which is so hard for me to bear.  I know that God in His all-wise Providence has seen that it is for the best.  Yet it is hard for me to sustain the grief I feel.  I fly to you, dear Mother, Comfortress of the Afflicted and constant aid of those who trust in you.  I  know that you can obtain for me the peace and resignation that I seek.  I confide in you entirely in this my tribulation and sorrow.  You know the meaning of a mother's love and can understand the depth of my affliction.  Be to me a tender and protecting Mother.  For now, dear Mother Mary, I feel more than ever the need of your mothering love and sweet consolation.  Amen. 

I know the prayer is meant at the time of the loss, but still applies in so many ways.  I think it may always...

Marilyn at OneTrueMedia.com

In honor of her 7th birthday, we miss you sweet princess...

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
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Cool Ideas

I love this idea for a 1/2 door! 

Speaking of cool ideas, it was a busy work day for me.  Scraped all the paint off the second set of stairs, and sanded them done to bare wood, this week I will stain them.  And I stained a hand rail and boards that I'm going to put hooks on for coats.  Got a lot done but now left with achy fingers. Gives that song, "work my fingers to the bone" another meaning.  Anyone remember that song?  

Boney Fingers---Hoyt Axton & Renee Armand

Found the song!  hehe!

And it erupts...

Joey made a volcano for class.  First one didn't work out but second one did.  And he got it to erupt.  The formula was warm water, a squirt of dish soap, red food dye, a few spoons of baking soda and vinegar!

Camp night

Girls got to go camping for one night with all the highschool girls (Carolyn couldn't attend as she had class) I can't believe Katelyn slept outdoors!  Jaclyn slept in a tee pee!  But now they will have colds, no doubt!

Rosie...everyone needs a Rose!

Happy Birthday to Princess Rose, whom turned 4 today.  Feast of Margaret Mary and also her godmothers birthday.  Sacred Heart of Jesus, always protect my princess!