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Preparing For Your Students' Pilgrimage
The Solanus Casey Center is a place for healing as well as spiritual nourishment. We have many guests that arrive here daily for prayer and meditation. We ask that you advise your students, that their field trip is truly a holy pilgrimage. We need to be consciously aware, that our sacred space requires all guests to use quiet inside voices when visiting our center. When praying at Father’s Tomb, please remind the students that this is a prayerful place and reverence is indeed required.
To the left is a link for Kid’s Activities where we have a selection of age appropriate activities. If you are planning on using the reflective questions, please print them at your school and bring them with you the day of your pilgrimage.
To better prepare your students for their spiritual journey at the Solanus Center, the following are suggested questions:
- · What does it mean to be holy?
- · Why does the Church need saints?
- · Can prayer bring you closer to God?
Upon completion of your pilgrimage, the following ideas
are suggested as culmination activities:
- · Canned food and clothing drive to help feed and clothe the poor
· A daily/weekly prayer for the Beatification of Venerable Solanus Casey
· Acts of kindness journal (Primary grade children would illustrate/intermediate grades would illustrate and record)
· Dedicate a wall or bulletin board in your school to Solanus Casey (It would be a reflection of his holy life)
· Create a pathway to sainthood booklet (Include the steps to sainthood and each student could either illustrate a picture or write a report about their favorite saint)
· A Solanus Play (Reenactment of the life of Solanus as a young man and a Capuchin)
· The Beatitudes of Christ ( List individuals who are peacemakers in the world today)
· List the corporal and spiritual works of mercy( Primary grades can illustrate)
· Write a letter to Pope Benedict stating why you believe Fr. Solanus Casey should become a saint.(Please mail letters to our Hospitality Coordinator and they will be mailed to Rome)
· Have a prayer petition wall in your classroom (Students record prayers needed for loved ones/reinforces the need and power of prayer)
· Gratitude and Appreciation were Solanus’ favorite words. ( Primary grades can illustrate their gratitude: home, family etc./intermediate grades record a gratitude journal)
Prayer for Pilgrims and Students
Lord God, you have created all things according to your infinite Wisdom. You are the ture source of Light and Knowledge. Be pleased to shed your radiance upon me and remove the darkness of my mind and strengthen my will, that I may be freed from sin and ignorance.
You fashion praise to your glory even on the lips of children. Bless me that my words may always give your praise. Grant me penetration to understand, capacity to retain, method and facility in study, subtlety in interpretation, and abundant grace of expression.
Direct my every effort from its beginning, guide its course and bring it to perfection in your sight.
All praise to you, the only true God, Father, Son and Holy spirit, now and always. Amen.
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