Family Educator News
Honouring Our Loved Ones: St Anthony's Remembrance Wall for Month oNovember
This Friday, your child will bring home a purple heart to help us prepare for our Remembrance Wall during the month of All Souls.
We invite you to write the names of loved ones who have passed away on the heart and return it to school. Hearts can be placed in the basket located next to the sign-in station at the school entrance. Throughout November, these hearts will be displayed on our Remembrance Wall as a tribute to those we hold dear. It’s a special way for our school community to remember, pray for, and honour the lives of those who have gone before us. Please take a quiet moment with your child to reflect, pray, and share stories of your loved ones as you prepare your heart together.
A Special Gift for the Month of the Rosary
This week, your child has received a small decade Rosary bead along with a pamphlet explaining how to pray the Rosary and why this prayer is especially meaningful during the month of October. The Rosary is a powerful way to reflect on the life of Jesus and Mary, and has been attributed to many incredible miracles throughout history. Beyond its spiritual strength, praying with beads also has calming effects on the body, helping to slow breathing, ease anxiety, and bring peace to the nervous system through gentle repetition and touch. We encourage you to take a quiet moment with your child to explore the Rosary together, whether through prayer, reflection, or simply holding the beads with intention. It’s a beautiful way to connect as a family and grow in faith.
🎃 Did You Know? Halloween Has Catholic Roots!
Halloween comes from “All Hallows’ Eve”, the night before All Saints’ Day, a special Catholic feast day that honours all the saints in heaven. It’s a time to remember those who lived holy lives and to reflect on the light that shines even in darkness. So while costumes and candy are fun, Halloween also reminds us of the deeper tradition of celebrating faith, hope, and the triumph of good over evil. Can you think of some cool Catholic costumes to celebrate Halloween? How about dressing as your favourite saint, like St. Francis of Assisi, St. Joan of Arc, or even St. Michael the Archangel with a cardboard sword and shield!
Seven New Saints to be Canonised Sunday.
This Sunday, Pope Leo XIV will canonise seven new saints in a special ceremony at the Vatican, celebrating lives of deep faith, courage, and service. Among them are Bartolo Longo, a former Satanist who became a devoted Catholic and “apostle of the Rosary”; Ignatius Maloyan, an Armenian archbishop martyred for his faith; Peter To Rot, a lay catechist from Papua New Guinea; José Gregorio Hernández, a Venezuelan doctor known as the “doctor of the poor”; and three religious sisters who dedicated their lives to the sick and vulnerable. These new saints remind us that holiness can be found in every walk of life and that saying “yes” to God can transform the world. Watch the video to learn about these wonderful new saints in waiting.