Posts by Francine Pirola
St Nicholas Candy Cane Blessing
This little family prayer ritual is a perfect way to celebrate St Nicholas’ feast day on the 6th of December. For more information on St Nicholas and the many traditions of his feast day, see this article. This prayer compliments the CathFamily St Nic Candy Cane Holder Activity. Materials: St Nic’s Candy Cane Holder(Click Here)…
Read MoreMaking Your Own Jesse Tree
Beginning a new Advent Tradition in your family could not be simpler. A Jesse Tree is a simple ritual that comes with a prayer (see this article) that takes a few minutes. Prepare your family for the joy of Christmas whilst introducing them to the many extraordinary men and women of the Hebrew Scriptures. For…
Read MoreSt Nic Candy Cane Holder
St Nicolas is usually depicted in crimson or deep purple bishop robes (not the bright red of commercial Santas). The European tradition of hanging stockings by the fire and serving oranges comes from the story of the three sisters which is sometimes told with gold balls (represented as oranges) instead of bags of gold. Common…
Read MoreThe Jesse Tree Prayer
Preparation: Jesse Tree branches or banner. One (or more) Jesse Tree symbols ready. Scripture story ready. Download Scripture Stories Jesse Tree Prayer Lord God, Our hearts long for your coming. We wait to joyfully welcome you. Amen. Response: Lord Hear our Prayer Father in Heaven, soon the glory of your son, Jesus will make the…
Read MoreSaintly Trifecta
At the end of October begins three days of saintly celebrations. Here are some tips to make the most of them. Oct 31: Halloween – Night of Light Halloween has become increasingly popular outside its traditional American home, including here in Australia. Unfortunately, it’s largely a movement of the consumer markets to sell grotesque costumes,…
Read MoreA Mackillop Feast!
Australians are always looking for an excuse to roll out the festive foods that our Northern hemisphere brethren enjoy in their Winter season. Instead of ‘Christmas in July’, how about celebrating a MacKillop Thanksgiving? The Solemnity of St Mary of the Cross is the perfect opportunity to gather family and friends to give thanks for…
Read MoreThe Rosary With Children
Get your kids involved in the Rosary with this simple craft activity. There is no better time than now to start something beautiful in your family’s prayer life. Why pray the Rosary? At heart, the Rosary is a Christ-centered prayer, in which we sit with Mary and contemplate Jesus. Through the rhythmic meditation of the…
Read MoreMini Footy and Hole-in-one Savoury Bites
In this recipe, the humble sausage roll has been transformed into themed food to give Dad a tasty treat! Featured in the September 2011 edition of CathFamily E-Magazine. Ingredients: 500g thin sausages 1 egg 2-3 ready-made puff pastry sheet. Tooth picks or small skewers Sticky labels Method: Preheat oven to 180 Celsius/375 Fahrenheit. Lie a…
Read MoreCorpus Christi Bleach Banner
Celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi with this simple craft project. It is a fantastic way to teach kids about the Eucharist and makes a lovely addition to your family prayer space. Kids and chemicals don’t mix, so this is definitely a supervised craft project. Bleach and clothing don’t mix either so make sure everyone…
Read MoreCorpus Christi Stained ‘Glass’ Window
Celebrate the feast of Corpus Christi with this simple craft activity. Younger kids might need help with the cutting part but are free to go nuts with colour and materials in the taping part. Place it on a north-facing window for maximum amount of light during the day. Materials: A4 Black Cardboard. Cellophane or tissue…
Read MoreSacred Heart Muffins Recipe
 Try this simple muffin recipe to celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart with taste. Ingredients: 2 1/2 cups self-raising flour 1/2 cup caster sugar 1 1/4 cups milk 1 egg, lightly beaten 90g butter, melted 1 tablespoon instant espresso coffee powder Punnet of Strawberries Method: Preheat oven to 180°C. Lightly grease a 6-hole, 3/4-cup…
Read MoreSt Mary’s Sweet Treats
St Mary of the Cross MacKillop is known for her habit of carrying sweets in her pocket to reward good effort in her students. Try this recipe for some traditional style sweets typical of those eaten in Mary’s time. Toffee Ingredients: 1 cup (220g) caster sugar 2 tbsp boiling water 2 tbsp vinegar sprinkes to…
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