The Heart of Mary Cluster, inspired by the HolySpirit, provides a welcoming faith community in which we proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by the way we live, by our worship together and in serving others.
St. Faustina: Prophet of Mercy
In the year 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized Sister Faustina Kowalska. This humble and simple Polish nun became the first Saint of the New Millennium. Her life and witness have led millions to discover the power of God’s merciful love. (Parents, this video has some subtitles, so be prepared to read to younger children.)
July 26th is the Memorial of St. Anne and St. Joachim, the parents of Mary and the grandparents of Jesus. Pope Francis has written a special prayer for grandparents. If your grandparents are still living, wouldn't it be nice to share this prayer with them? If they no longer are alive, perhaps you could say a special prayer for them and then share some family memories about them.
You could also try one or more of the activities in this Connecting Generations Choice Board. It's a good way to connect with your grandparents or any elders who are important to you.
Every parent with young children needs to read the article called "The joy of having loud and messy kids at Mass" by Brian Doyle.
You're welcome (in many ways).
Many of us teach our children to pray by helping them to memorize traditional prayers. That's certainly one important part of our faith tradition. Another avenue to explore is imaginative prayer, also called Ignatian contemplation, which is a Jesuit practice.
In many ways, imaginative prayer is particularly suited to children, for whom the line between reality and fantasy is often blurred. Kids might naturally be inclined to catch on to imaginative prayer. Learn the basics and get some tips for kids of all ages in this article from Teaching Catholic Kids: Teach your kids imaginative prayer.
Parents, how much do you know about the history of African-American Catholics? You can read an interesting article by clicking on the picture.
As the article states, traditionally, most African Americans have been members of Protestant denominations, yet African-American Catholics have been a presence in this country since the earliest days of settlement by non-natives, and they have played a fascinating part in the story of America and of the Church in the United States.
In this short video, Fr. Brice Higginbotham explains what the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is all about. He doesn’t give a history lesson; he describes what the Sacred Heart means for us today. In having devotion to the Sacred Heart, we’re doing at least two things: we’re reverencing Jesus’ humanity, and we’re asking for our hearts to be like Jesus’ in compassion.
Coloring Page
Here’s a coloring page for this feast day.
If you want to try your hand at drawing your own picture, with some help, check out the video called How to Draw: The Eucharist.