Holy Days, Holidays and Special Remembrances
EASTER PRAYERS
Break Open the Tomb (CRS) / Abre la tumba (CRS)
Easter Prayer (Catholic Online)
Easter Sunday: A New Perspective (Renew International)
The Joy of Easter (Loyola)
Easter Hymn: Christ the Lord is Risen Today (Catholic Kids Media)
Easter Hymn: Alleluia! Sing to Jesus! (Catholic Kids Media)
Make All Things New (CRS)
Prayer for the Newly Baptized (Sadlier)
The Encounters with the Risen Jesus (Renew International)
ACTIVITIES
Celebrating Easter: A Handout for Busy Parents (Growing up Catholic) Celebrando Pascua
This handout is available to download free if you register with the Growing Up Catholic website. It is two pages chocked full of information for parents on the meaning of Easter and ideas on how to celebrate the holiday with family focused on the real meaning of the event.
Christian Easter Crafts for Kids (Catholic Icing)
Easter coloring pages and the jelly bean prayer plus a resurrection rolls and cookies and resurrection eggs.
Eleven Activities for Families to Celebrate the 50 Days of Easter (Sr. Janet Schaeffler - Faith Formation Learning Exchange)
Great ideas to help families make the Easter season come alive for 50 days courtesy of the Faith Formation Learning Exchange.
Easter Activities (The Religion Teacher)
Explore the following Easter activities for kids as a part of your Easter lesson plans this year.
Easter Activities for Kids (iMOM)
Help parents prep for Easter with an Easter Story Hunt or Easter Egg Hunt, and sharing some Easter Traditions!
NEW! Easter Traditions for Teens (Vibrant Faith at Home)
Helps families with teens to develop new ways to celebrate Easter.
NEW! Open-Egged Questions (Vibrant Faith at Home)
Open-ended questions are great conversation starters at Easter for families with teens.
NEW! Easter Cupcakes (Vibrant Faith at Home)
Young families read a story of Jesus' resurrection in the Gospel of Luke followed by a sweet treat reminding them that Jesus is the light of the world.
Easter Games (The Catholic Toolbox)
Games and activities to help families celebrate the Triduum and Easter in the home.
Arts and Faith: (Loyola Press)
- Arts & Faith: Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion, Cycle B
- Arts & Faith: Holy Thursday Cycle B
- Arts & Faith: Good Friday, Cycle B
- Arts & Faith: Holy Saturday, Cycle B
- Arts & Faith: Easter Sunday Cycle A
- Arts & Faith: Easter Sunday Cycle B
- Arts & Faith: Easter Sunday Cycle C
Easter Resources (Loyola Press)
A variety of prayers, activities and resources to enable families to bring the resurrection home.
Easter (USCCB)
Pascua (USCCB)
Printable Easter Cards in English and Spanish (Loyola)
The Best Thing About Easter (YouTube)
Easter Version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah (YouTube)
The Gift of the Resurrection is not only for the Future (Renew International Blog)
Catholic Feast Days (Catholic Apostolate Center)
This website features profiles of saints, special devotions in the church, including those who are blessed and Marian devotions, and other important events in the liturgical calendar. This ever-growing website can serve as a reference to learn about the lives of holiness of saints throughout the whole Catholic Church.
Divine Mercy Sunday-Second Sunday of Easter
Divine Mercy Lesson Plan and Activities (The Religion Teacher)
Divine Mercy Sunday (Loyola Press)
Litany of Mercy (Divine Mercy) (CRS)
EARTH DAY/CARE FOR CREATION - See more related articles and links at Care for God's Creation
Earth Day (April 22) is the perfect time to help Catholics in your area respond to Pope Francis' call to "be 'protectors' of creation"! (CRS)
Backyard Scavenger Hunt for Earth Day (Building Faith)
10 Care for God’s Creation Printables for Catholics to Use at Home (Sadlier)
NEW! Earth Day at Home (Earth Day)
Activities to do at home on Earth Day
Ten Ways to Help the World on Earth Day (CRS)
Get Catholic Climate Covenant's free, downloadable Earth Day Program Guide.
With family or friends, pray this Prayer to Care for Our Common Home
Watch the video on Care for God's Creation from the CST101 video series by CRS and USCCB.
Use these resources for liturgy and preaching on the Sunday before or after Earth Day to call attention to our role in caring for God's creation
Learn how local community organizations, including those funded by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, are addressing environmental issues. Join their efforts!
Gift Green Street Park or Drop by Drop to your parish's religious education program or school. Both of these children's books are about kids caring for creation.
Gather with a group of friends and reflect on Laudato Si' using USCCB's discussion guide in English and Spanish.
Share this Laudato Si' bullet insert, in English and Spanish, in your parish.
Get inspired by what others are doing to Act Together to care for creation. Advocate!
MONTH OF MAY
NEW! Mental Health Awareness Month (Ave Maria Press)
Catholic resources to give you spiritual guidance and encouragement as well as practical tips to help maintain your mental and emotional health.
St. Joseph the Worker (pdf created by resources from The Josephites) - May 1
National Day of Prayer - May 6, 2021
Mother's Day
Mother's Day(Loyola Press)
- If God were in charge of the Mother’s Day celebration, what would it be like?
- Mother's Day Inspiration
- My Mother's Eyes
A Prayer for Mothers (Catholic Prayers)
Blessing for Mother's Day (Archdiocese of New Orleans)
Mothers' Prayers - Prayers by and for Mothers (Creighton University)
Prayers for Motherhood and Mother's Day (Xavier University)
The Ascension of the Lord
Ascension of Jesus Prayer (Loyola)
Pentecost
Pentecost Activity: Tongue of Fire Hat (Building Faith)
Pentecost in a Box (Building Faith)
Pentecost Novena (Presentation Ministries)
Pentecost For All Generations (Lifelong Faith)
Celebrating Pentecost intergenerational event or stand alone activities for families, youth and children
Mary
Mary, Mother of the Church (Vatican News)
Pope Francis inserts the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, into the Roman Calendar on the Monday following Pentecost Sunday
Mary, Mother of the Church - video music reflection for young adults and adults
May Crowning Activities (The Religion Teacher)
A collection of activities ideas to prepare your students for a May crowning or to organize your own little ceremony in class.
Flowers for the Blessed Mother (Sadlier)
Many Faces of Mary (Youtube Meditation)
NEW! Free Printable Mary, Mother of God Activities & Prayers - Month of Mary (Sadlier)