Religious Education

The Church Triumphant!

On Saturday the 1st of November we mark the solemnity of All Saints Day. 

We sometimes laugh with our students because the details are sort of in the name, on this day we celebrate all of the Saints of the Catholic Church! 

We understand in a basic sense that to become a Saint, you have to live a pretty well behaved life! That is how the term has evolved to describe someone who is nice and follows the rules! However there is actually a very strict criteria to be canonised as a Saint in the Catholic Church. 

• 5 Years: Normally the process to become a Saint can only start once you have been deceased for five years. 

• Heroic Virtue: As mentioned, the life and deeds of this individual are unpacked pretty thoroughly! To be considered for Sainthood your life needs to have been spent dedicated to others, helping those in need and at all times emphasising the teachings of the Lord. 

• Miracles: Generally to become a Saint, an individual must have performed or been witness to two verified miracles in their life time.  This may include things such as seeing visions of the Lord, or prayer that leads to miraculous things taking place. The only exception to this are Saints who were Martyrs, who died for their Faith. 

• Ticking it off! After these steps are met and the current Pope and his council have approved of everything a Saint is normally canonised at a Mass attended by thousands of people. It is always a valuable process to reflect on the lives of these individuals, and hopefully be inspired! 

A Patron Saint!

A number of Saints are said to be Patron Saints. This means that they are Saints that are said to be heavenly protectors or advocates of specific groups, places or causes. 

Becoming a Patron Saint of something is normally heavily dictated by the lives of Saints, and the unpacking of what they did when they were alive. Over time prayer and reflection has involved their life stories, leading to them becoming Patron Saints. 

As we all know with our dear Saint Anthony, he became the Patron Saint of Lost Items. This evolved from the story of his sacred Journal being stolen. Anthony prayed for its return and it made its way back to him. Hence we can think of him when we can't find our car keys! 

A Range of Saints

There is said to be over 10,000 registered Saints in the Catholic Church...which is a lot! 

You will of course see many schools and parishes named after Catholic Saints, and it is lovely to think about the students at these schools being experts on their Saint like our students are for St Anthony! 

The Sacrament of Confirmation also heavily involves Catholic Saints, with candidates choosing to take the name of a Saint and hopefully emulate some of their deeds. 

We would recommend having a Google search if you are ever curious about Catholic Saint names you come across. Indeed, their lives are very often incredibly interesting and inspiring. A quick snapshot of some of these Saints can be found below: 

St Peter the Rock

Saint Peter was Jesus' best friend and closest ally. He didn't even seem to mind when Jesus met him and changed his name from Simon to Peter! Once Jesus was crucified Peter took charge of the disciples, and in many ways is viewed as the First Pope. Jesus referred to him as a Rock upon which he would build his church. 

St Francis of Assisisi

Saint Francis was born into a wealthy family in Italy in 1181. Instead of taking advantage of this he chose to deliberately live in poverty and help those in need. He founded the Franciscan Order, (which later on our St Anthony joined!), and inspired others to live simple with love at the forefront of their hearts. He had a deep love of animals and as such is their Patron Saint. 

St Augustine of Hippo

Born over 1600 years ago in Algeria, St Augustine is a super interesting Saint, because early on in his life he was actually a bit of a Rebel! He spent much of his young years running away to different cities and partying! His mother was deeply religious and prayed he would change a little bit!  One day he heard a sermon by a Bishop and was deeply moved. He gave up striving for personal gain and instead began caring for his community and others. He realised that the happiness he was seeking could actually be found in helping others! 

St Catherine of Sienna 

St Catherine was born one of about 25 children, talk about a full house! Living about 700 years ago, St Catherine had a natural instinct for helping the sick and inflicted. She cared for victims of the plague and put herself in harm's way often without modern medicine. Although Catherine had little education, she wrote countless letters to Popes, Kings and City Leaders imploring them to think of the sick and those who needed help. After her death she was titled a Doctor of the Church because of these letters. 

We could go on and on to be honest! (although we would never reach the 10,000 figure haha) 

Living life exactly the same as Saints may not be achievable, but their stories are so interesting to unpack and think about. 

When we hear about such strong examples of people putting others first, ignoring their own desires and leading with love, we can't help but feel inspired.  

May this All Saints Day remind us what is achievable, and what being selfless looks like in a modern context. May we make the lives of others just that little bit warmer. May we hopefully make their problems seem a little bit smaller.  

God Bless! 

Tim O'Mahoney 

Education in Faith Leader  

tomahoney@santglen.catholic.edu.au