All Saints Day is one of those solemnities on the Catholic Liturgical Calendar where our children can experience their faith in a unique way. This past Sunday, parishioners of St. Dunstan’s Basilica Parish were able to meet their favorite Saints during the All Saints Family Celebration after Mass!
Many children in our catechetics program dressed up as their favorite Saint, some of them Saints from their land of birth. Our Patron Saint of Canada, Saint Joseph, was well represented!
Two year old Maurice joined in the fun and was delighted to dress up as Saint Luke. He is pictured with his parents, June-Marie and Travis!
Included in the celebration was a beautiful Litany of Saints, a Parade of Saints, and a scavenger hunt where children (and many adults!) could learn about St. Dunstan, St. Joseph, St. Patrick, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Lorenzo Ruiz, St. Nicholas, St. Joan of Arc, St. Thérѐse of Lisieux, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, and Blessed Carlo Acutis.
Bishop Joseph had the opportunity to meet a very young Saint Louis – Forbes is a Kindergarten student and is pictured with his father, Chris, and his sister, Elizabeth.
Such events allow our children to learn about the virtues and goodness of the Saints with our faith community and they become curious about how they may live these virtues in their own life. The morning was filled with laughter, learning and great conversations!
We would like to thank Mrs. Mary Beaulac, our Kindergarten/Grade 1 catechist, for taking the lead with this event and the many other volunteers who assisted to help make this event so meaningful. We are grateful for the assistance of the St. Dunstan’s Basilica Knights of Columbus #824 for setting up the area and overseeing the lunch buffet. We are also very appreciative of the support of parents in providing the food and taking the time to be so creative with their child’s costume!
During his Angelus address on the Solemnity of All Saints, Pope Francis shares,”With His grace, [the Lord] heals us and frees us from all that prevents us from loving as He loves us, so that in us, as Blessed Carlo Acutis used to say, there may always be ‘less of me to make room for God.’”
