Showing posts with label All Saints Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label All Saints Day. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

Celebrating the Saints :: Our 2020 Costumes

St. Helena, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Anges + Lamb, St. Rose of Lima, St, Michael the Archangel

I've been meaning to share this pictures from All Hallows' Eve here on the blog and finally had a few moments to finish up the post. I took them as we were leaving the house to head over to our parish's All Hallows' Eve/All Saints Party. It was such a fun evening for all! More pictures coming soon... 


.: St. Anges + Lamb :. 

Twinkle Toes (age 17) and Joy (age 1) as St. Agnes + Lamb 🐑

White Dress from Amazon, Blue Scarf, White Lilies and Rose Crown from the costume box
Lamb Costume from Pottery Barn, Leggings from Gap Factory, Shearling Mocs from Freshly Picked

 

“The Early Church rightly venerated young Agnes for her valor, her virginity and her boldness. Agnus is the Latin word meaning “lamb, sheep.” Her sacrifice as a young “lamb” and the holiness of the Lamb of God for whom she died resonated. She is frequently pictured and sculpted with a little lamb in her arms or by her feet.”  


 
.: St. Teresa of Avila :. 

Chiquita (age 15) as St. Teresa of Avila 🕊❤️🏹📖  

Carmelite Habit from Our Coats of Many Colors. I ordered it (and a Dominican Habit for our 3 year old) at the end of August just before they lost their warehouse and all inventory due to a fire! I've been ordering costumes from them for over ten years, praying for them and hope they rebuild their business... 

She came up with the rest with things from the costume box or around the house. 

 

St. Teresa of Avila’s heart was physically pierced by an arrow of God’s love! After exhuming her body, they discovered a puncture wound in her heart. Read the description from her autobiography:

“Our Lord was pleased that I should have at times a vision of this kind: I saw an angel close by me, on my left side, in bodily form. This I am not accustomed to see, unless very rarely. Though I have visions of angels frequently, yet I see them only by an intellectual vision, such as I have spoken of before. It was our Lord’s will that in this vision I should see the angel in this wise. He was not large, but small of stature, and most beautiful—his face burning, as if he were one of the highest angels, who seem to be all of fire: they must be those whom we call cherubim. Their names they never tell me; but I see very well that there is in heaven so great a difference between one angel and another, and between these and the others, that I cannot explain it.

I saw in his hand a long spear of gold, and at the iron’s point there seemed to be a little fire. He appeared to me to be thrusting it at times into my heart and to pierce my very entrails; when he drew it out, he seemed to draw them out also, and to leave me all on fire with a great love of God. The pain was so great, that it made me moan; and yet so surpassing was the sweetness of this excessive pain, that I could not wish to be rid of it. The soul is satisfied now with nothing less than God. The pain is not bodily, but spiritual; though the body has its share in it, even a large one. It is a caressing of love so sweet which now takes place between the soul and God, that I pray God of His goodness to make him experience it who may think that I am lying.”


.: St. Michael the Archangel :. 
Above the 38th Parallel 

Snuggles (age 13) as St. Michael Above the 38th Parallel

St. Michael the Archangel ⚔️ Defend us in battle; be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast into Hell, Satan and all the other evil spirits, who wander throughout the world, seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

 

Have you read Michael’s Letter or heard the story of St. Michael Above the 38th Parallel
It's so great and what inspired his costume this year.


.: St. Helena :. 

Rose (10) as St. Helena

Costume: Crimson Princess Costume in Large, with a wood cross made by her Dad

“She worshiped not the wood, but the King, him who hung on the wood. She burned with an earnest desire of touching the guarantee of immortality.”  - St. Ambrose about St. Helena discovering the true cross



.: St. Maximilian Kolbe :. 

Bud (age 8) as St. Maximilian Kolbe 

He was so excited to reuse his eldest brother’s costume from 2013... Amazingly the blue tape is still sticking to the shirt! He also asked me to help him print out the quote shown on the icon/Confirmation gift in the older boys' bedroom. It all came together! 

“Modern times are dominated by Satan and will be more so in the future. The conflict with hell cannot be engaged by men, even the most clever. The Immaculata alone has from God the promise of victory over Satan. However, assumed into Heaven, the Mother of God now requires our cooperation. She seeks souls who will consecrate themselves entirely to her, who will become in her hands effective instruments for the defeat of Satan and the spreading of God's kingdom upon earth.” - St. Maximilian Kolbe



.: St. Rose of Lima :. 

Grace (age 3) as St. Rose of Lima

Apart from the cross, there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven.” - St. Rose of Lima 💗

 



"You cannot be half a saint; you must be a whole saint or no saint at all." 
- St. Therese of Lisieux

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

All Hallows' Eve Party at St. Joan of Arc Parish


Some of our children's favorite childhood memories are the All Hallows' Eve Parties we had at our old parish (up through 2010) and hosted at our old home (from 2011-2017). When we moved last October they were so disappointed that we wouldn't be hosting our annual All Hallows' Eve party... and I was relieved since, with our last baby (and now another!), I just haven't had the energy to host it anyway!

One of my dear friends was asked by Father Gordon to put together the parish's All Hallows' Eve/All Saints Party this year and she did an AMAZING job! We had a little planning meeting (just three of us!) at my house, but other than putting together some posters to advertise the party (above) and taking on the All Saints Guessing Jars game, I did very little. She did an incredible job and put in a lot of time and hard work into coordinating, preparing and pulling it all together. On our way to the party I told my kids, "I'm so glad this parish has a Geneva!"

It was a lovely evening beginning with outdoor games before it got too cold and dark. After that we moved inside for the Litany of the Saints and then Dinner. After Dinner there was more indoor games, including the All Saints Guessing Jars and a Pumpkin Carving Competition.

There ended up being OVER 400 people in attendance!

I didn't get as many pictures as I would have liked while holding my little two month old (plus all I have is my iPhone camera now after a recent accident with my camera...sob... so some of the pictures are pretty blurry), but here are some that I did take to share.

Giving some instructions to the Maiden's of St. Joan who were helping for the evening!

.: Costumes :. 

St. Lucia, St. Cecilia, St. Pio, St. Zelie, The Little Flower, St. Louis and St. Philomena - All Saints in Heaven, Pray for us!




Cassock or Costume? 


My favorite costume of the evening? ... Father Gordon! 

It took a little convincing to get my husband to show up at the parish party dressed as his brother, but he did it and it was so much fun to see the reactions! #yetanotherfathergordon #fssp

I don't think they look that much alike, but even in regular church clothes (slacks/white shirt/tie) Sean is often mistaken as his brother (who is always in his cassock). Last Sunday he held the door for someone and they responded "Thank you, Father!" and he's even been thanked for "his" sermons. 

 

I missed seeing Father's original reaction, I wish I would have been able to get it on video, but according to my 14 year old, "It was SO great!! Father said "WHAAATTT!" while pointing at Dad and then doubled over laughing!" She also said all evening she would notice some of teens *almost* say something to Sean and then realize he wasn't Father Gordon! So funny! 



.: Outdoor Games :.



The Slay Goliath game was AWESOME! This is a larger version of the David & Goliath game we came up with back in 2007. The couple from our parish who put this one together did an incredible job. Definitely one of the highlights of the outdoor games, especially for all the teens!






 




Geneva came over and picked up some of our leftover moving boxes to put together this game.


Our little "St. Cecilia" spent a lot of time in there with her little friend but eventually emerged. 








 




Saint Michael's Stomp was another hit at the other end of the parking lot! 



.: Litany of the Saints and Dinner :.

I didn't get any pictures from the Saintly Procession, Litany of Saints, or Dinner, but you can find some over on the parish's Facebook page!



.: Ora Pro Nobis :. 


The children were provided everything they needed (including 30 pieces of candy!) to put together their own Ora Pro Nobis Candy Bags for the month of November. 



.: Indoor Games :.

 



 





All the kids loved "Feed My Sheep" ... Though it might have to do with how much candy St. Philomena was handing out to each of them after playing! ;) 

 


.: Pumpkin Carving Contest :.


There were so many entries for the pumpkin carving competition! Every table had a couple pumpkins on the center and there was a whole other table for all the overflow. Next year we need to line them up outside so you can better view them lit up with candles. 

Geneva's carving of the Immaculate Heart which was outside and not included in the competition - So beautiful! 

The three parish priests choose the three winners from all the anonymously carved pumpkins. Second and Third place went to carvings of the Sacred Heart and Nativity.



I only carved one pumpkin this year, helping my frustrated twelve year old finish carving the design he had chosen for St. George Patron of Knights, and we surprisingly won first place! 


We ended up with St. Joan of Arc, a Cathedral, Carmel, 
St. Elizabeth of Hungary and St. George Patron of Knights.


.: All Hallows' Eve Bonfire :. 



 

The evening ended with some music around a bonfire! 


"The saints have not all started well but they have all finished well."
- St. John Vianney

All Saints in Heaven, Ora Pro Nobis!