Catholic Stations of the Cross prayer garden: Stepping stone path prayer garden

 Praying the Stations of the Cross is an essential Catholic spiritual exercise during Lent. Churches display the 12 to 15 stations representing Jesus's via dolorosa (way of sorrows) to Golgotha. Each station is a grotto, depicting Biblical passages of Christ's journey to Calvary. Stations may be mosaics, bas-relief, paintings, plaster dioramas, carvings or sculptures. Some are outdoor statuary. Here's a Stations of the Cross prayer garden tutorial for your home. Design an outdoor grotto of cement stepping stones each representing a different station. Catholic Stations of the Cross prayer garden: Stepping stone path prayer garden

Saint Patrick printables, free printable Catholic St. Patrick's Day crafts

St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17. Many people think the holiday is about green beer, shamrocks and leprechauns. But that 's just commercial hype. And the feasting and partying is verboten in a Catholic Lenten fast. The real Saint Patrick was a Catholic Roman Britain taken as a slave by Irish raiders. Patrick later returned as a missionary to convert Druidic Ireland. Here are St. Patrick's Day lesson plans, crafts and activities to explore the saint behind the legend and the religious beyond the secular, perfect for Lent lesson plans. Saint Patrick printables, free printable Catholic St. Patrick's Day crafts

Free printable Lenten calendars, Catholic liturgical calendars, Lent activities and printables

 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 Lenten calendars, Catholic liturgical calendars, Lent printables

Pancake Day recipes, Shrove Tuesday pancakes, waffles for Mardi Gras

Happy Pancake Day! Also called Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday, it's the day Catholics celebrate in preparation for Ash Wednesday and the sacrificial Lenten season. Catholics give up things for Lent. Traditionally that meant abstaining from meat, dairy, eggs, fat and sugar for 40 days till Easter. So they would use up or "shrive" the house of those foods and make them into pancakes. A house shriven (purged) of temptation symbolizes a soul purged of sin (Catholics also to confession before Lent to ready themselves for the penitential season). Here are delicious pancake and waffle recipes for Pancake Day. You can cheat and use pancake mix--the best is Krusteaz Honey Wheat. Krusteaz uses unbleached and whole grain flour. Pancake Day recipes, Shrove Tuesday pancakes, waffles for Mardi Gras feast

Free printable Catholic St. Valentine activities, Valentine's Day lesson plans

The story of St. Valentine has nothing to do with Valentine's Day as we celebrate it on Feb. 14. Except in one way (we'll get to that). It has nothing in common with romance as we know it. But Valentine's story is spiritually romantic. Valentinius was a Roman Christian priest. In those days, this was not popular. In fact, it was downright illegal.  So here are Free printable Catholic St. Valentine lesson plans, Valentine's Day worksheets so you know the real story.

Free printable Jesse Tree ornaments and Christmas Bible coloring pages for Advent

Advent is the Catholic Christmas liturgical season leading up to Christmas. It's a minor penitential season like Lent. For four weeks, we pray, fast, read Bible passages on the gospel Christmas story and give alms to the poor. The theme of Advent is to prepare our hearts for the coming of Jesus. One way is to pray an Advent calendar. Another, related to the Advent calendar is to follow a Jesse Tree.  Free printable Jesse Tree ornaments and Bible coloring pages for Advent 

Free Printable First Holy Communion Cards and Invitations

If you're like me, you get invited to a lot of celebrations.  There are secular ones--graduation, retirement, birthdays--and religious ones--holidays, first communion, baptism, weddings. I love giving gifts, but costs add up. So I use free printable greeting cards to save money. Going to a Catholic or Christian special event? Here are printable cards. Throwing a party? Here are invitations. You'll find printable holiday, wedding, bridal and baby shower and birthday cards, too.  Free Printable First Holy Communion Cards and Invitations