In the Catholic Church, a saint is someone who has lived a life of "heroic virtue" and is recognized by the pope as such. This includes people who were martyred for their faith, offered their lives for others, or are worthy of imitation. Everyday we try to be like the saints and model the virtues.
The saints had great faith, which carried them through times of trial and persecution. Like the saints, we need to put God first in our lives and ask him for strength to sustain us. We look to the saints as examples of living a life for God. When children pray, they are giving their hearts to God. Jesus tells us that we must be like the little children to reach eternal life in Heaven.
Here are some interesting facts about the Saints from our fourth grade students:
St. Helen found the True Cross of Jesus and built many churches for God.—Harper
St. Rose of Lima cut off her hair so her beauty would not attract attention.—Sophia
St. Joan of Arc led an army of soldiers at the age of 17 and had to dress as a man.—Moxie
St Clare of Assisi left her rich castle at the age of 18 and became a nun.—Madison
St. Mary Magdalene washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and asked for forgiveness.--Sklyar
St. Katherine Drexel had a fortune from her family that she used to start a Catholic university.—Aliany
St. Paul the Apostle started new communities of followers wherever he traveled preaching about Jesus.—Nathan
St. Lucy had her eyes removed but God restored her sight and she became a nun at a young age.—Sabrina
St. Francis of Assisi went to war and contracted a disease that caused him to go blind.—Anderson
St. Elizabeth of Portugal built a hospital, an orphanage and a shelter for poor travelers.—Wynter
St. Michael the Archangel is called the Warrior of God because he wants to defeat the devil.—Wyatt
St. Francis Xavier Cabrini was the youngest of 13 children.—Molly
St. Ignatius of Loyola had both of his legs broken in war and this led him to become a priest.—Odin
St Leo the Great studied theology and became a powerful church leader.—Liev
St. Agnes means lamb, which is a symbol of innocence and purity.—Courtney
St. Patrick converted the people of Ireland to Christianity for 40 years.—Joseph
St. John Bosco was the patron saint of young boys and he instructed them to be like Jesus.—Chase
St. Louise de Marillac was friends with St. Vincent de Paul and co founded the Daughters of Charity.—Carleigh
St. Thomas More was beheaded because he would not deny his faith and follow King Henry VII as the head of the Church.—Alarick
St. Teresa of Avila was made a Doctor of the church because of her writings and teachings about prayer.—Olivia
St. Margaret Mary Alacoque saw Jesus many times between 1673 and 1675.—Alice
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