This week is Holy Week! I encourage you to find simple ways to honor and remember Christs' Passion before His Resurrection on Easter Sunday. For example: reflect on a crucifix in your home. read a child-friendly version of Jesus' Passion, watch the Stations of the Cross video by Brother Francis on FORMED (the link was in my April newsletter), pray the Stations of the Cross as a family. Many of the children were introduced to the Stations during their faith formation classes. Let them tell you what they learned. Here are a few ideas for praying the Stations as a family.

I invite you to walk one of our Stations of the Cross with your children. Have your children look at each Station and try and tell you what they notice. I have attached a quick family-friendly option to reflect upon each station below or you can tell the story in your own words.

We have three sets of Stations of the Cross on our campus:

1. in the Church - starts with the pillar to the left of the baptism font and follows clockwise around the perimeter of the Church. Every pillar has a station built in to it.

2. in the Day Chapel - Station one is located to the left of the altar on the wall. These Stations were a gift from our Haitian brothers and sisters.

3. outside - located just past the Ten Commandments tablet by the lake. There is a family friendly reflection attached below and printed copies will be located in the box at the first Station. 

Here are some more suggestions about praying the Stations as a family and some information about the history and types of stations here.

Can't get to Church - Children love candles! Use this simple prayer format to engage the family in the Passion of Jesus. Beginning with 12 lit candles, read each station and extinguish a candle until all is dark. See the plan here.