Saint Bernadette of Lourdes, original name Marie-Bernarde Saubirous, a miller’s daughter, was the eldest of nine children. Her visions led to the founding of the shrine at Lourdes which today has 5 million visitors and tourists every season. I have included some brief information about Saint Bernadette and the shrine at Lourdes found on wikipedia and britannica websites.

I have included a definition/history of Mothering Sunday, a vocabulary and a Mothering Sunday card outline, a picture and recipe for Simnel cake which I found, plus a word search with answers. These sheets I hope will be useful.

This is the day that Jesus ascends back up to Heaven having defeated death at the crucifixion with his resurrection… Pictures show him disappearing in a cloud with his disciples looking on. He leaves them having promised that the Holy Ghost will come. The Holy Ghost, who will be their comforter and guide, will appear at Pentecost in the form of a wind and tongues of fire. Acts ch 2 . I have created a brief information sheet about Ascension day. There are FREE b/w pictures to download and colour. The task is to find how many words they can find in either Ascension or Ascension Day. Once they have created a list they can create a simple crossword with answers. I have included my original list for Ascension Day and the full list for Ascension found in Word Maker. There are also some examples for the simple crossword.

Saint Frances of Rome was an Italian saint who was a wife, mother (six children), organizer of charitable services and a Benedictine oblate (a person dedicated to a monastic or religious life). As an 11 year old she had wanted to be a nun but within a year she was forced to marry Lorenzo Ponziani, a commander of the papal troops in Rome. They were happily married for 40 years- he was frequently at war, she spent her time visiting the poor and taking care of the sick. Twice she turn her home/castle into a hospital. She lost two children because of the plague. With Lorenzo’s approval she founded on August 15th, 1425 the Oblates of Mary. In March 1433 she founded a monastery at Tor de’ Specchi in Campidoglio. For a number of years she looked after Lorenzo after he had been seriously wounded. After his death in 1436 she moved into the monastery and she became the superior. She died in 1440 and was buried in Santa Maria Nova. On May 9th, 1608 she was canonised by Pope Paul V in recognition of her life’s work. In 1925 Pope Pius XI declared her the patron saint of automobile drivers because of a legend that an angel used to light the road before her with a lantern when she traveled keeping her safe from hazards.

She was born Francecesca Cabrini in a village near Milan in Italy. She was a sickly child and had frail health for the rest of her life. She found disappointment and difficulties with every step. She wished to join the Daughters of the Sacred Heart but was told she was too frail for their life style. But this did not deter her from founding 67 institutions ( orphanages/schools/hospitals) all over the world over a period of 35 years. In 1877 she went to Rome to seek permission to work in China instead Pope Leo XIII sent her to America. In 1909 she became a naturalized American citizen As a child she was frightened of drowning but she crossed the Atlantic 30 times. There is a great deal of information on the wikipedia web site. I have chosen to include work from Historica’s Women, Church Pop and 8 interesting facts plus franciscanmedia.

Harvest Festival is celebrated all over the world. The very first sheet can used to introduce a lesson on Harvest Festival, or even part of an assembly. The next sheet, a ‘comic’ clip, will work well with younger children. There is a diary and poetry aid with a ‘blank sheet’ for best copy. There is a simple word search with two anagram sheets. There is a also a sheet looking at the word’ harvest’ three different ways and an answer sheet. Children are often asked to see how many words they can find in a word. This I have done separately for both Harvest and Festival - there are so many words! Children can either look for the words and create their own crossword (many answers included) or instead, using the word list answer the crossword sheets.

On 11th of October 1998 Pope John Paul II canonized Teresa Benedicta of the cross. She is canonized as both a martyr and saint of the Catholic church Edith Stein took this name when she became a novice nun in 1933/4 when she entered the Discalaced Carmel of Cologne. Edith was the youngest of 11 children .She was brought up in a Jewish family Her father died when she was only 2. She became an atheist ( other sources say agnostic) in her teenage years. In1915 she took lessons to become a nursing assistant. She completed her doctoral thesis at the University of Gottengen in 1916 and obtained an assistantship at the University of Freiburg. She was drawn in 1921 towards the Catholic faith after reading the autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila. The next year, 1922, she was baptised a Catholic In 1938 Edith, and her sister Rosa, were sent to the Carmelite monastery in Echt, Netherlands, for their safety, from the Nazi invasion. On August 2nd 1942 the two sisters, along with many others, were arrested and sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp. On the 9th of August they died in the gas chamber. A woman of singular intelligence and learning she left behind a body of writing notable for its richness and profound spirituality. www.carmelitedcj.org I have included the letter she sent to Pope Pius XI. I have used information from wikipedia, carmelite and Historica’s Women

Saint Nicodemus is mentioned 3 times in St. John’s Gospel. He is not mentioned in the synoptic gospels of Matthew. Mark or Luke. He visits Jesus one night to discuss Jesus’ teaching. Here he is referred to as being a prominent leader among the Jews John ch 3 v 1-21 Nicodemus makes a statement v2 Rabbi, we know that thou are a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. V3 Jesus replies, Verily , verily, I say unto thee. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God. v4 Nicodemus asks, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb? v5 Jesus replies, *Except a man be born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. v6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit v7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again * The importance ofBeing born again is often mentioned in the epistles. He is mentioned when Jesus faced the Sanhedrin. Here he is referred to as being a ruler and Pharisee. John ch 7 v 50-53 After Jesus’ crucifixion he provided the customary spices for anointing the dead when he assists Joseph of Arimathaea in preparing the body of Jesus for burial - John ch.19 v 39-42 He was a Pharisee , a ruler and a member of the Sanhedrin. Although there is no explicit mention of him as a follower or disciple of Jesus in the New Testament he is considered to be a secret disciple of Jesus by both the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches based on the narrative of John ch 19. The name Nicodemus means ‘victory of the people’

C. S. Lewis, Clive Staple Lewis, Jack to his friends wrote more than 30 books. He is most famous for his The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of seven books written for children. The children visit the magical land of Narnia where Aslan, the Lion reigns. He takes the Pevensie children on a series of adventures where good eventually always over comes evil. To go with the series I have created seven sets of crosswords and word searches, answers included. HarperCollinspublishers have produced an excellent pop-up book to go with the series of seven books - Narnia Chronology -from the Archives of the Last King. ISBN 9780061240058 Wlkiepedia has a great deal of information about C.S. Lewis - biography notes and detailed book summaries (2 levels) about each of the books.

Martin Luther on 31st October, 1517 - 500 years ago - posted his 95 Thesis - the beginning of the Protestant Reformation. Just some notes I found on Google. For the full explanation of the 95 Theses you need to go to the web site mentioned on the last sheet. On Easter Eve, 4th April 1523, aided by Leonhard Koppe, he helped his future wife Katherine von Bora, a nun, escape from a convent where she and other nuns were dissatisfied. They married about 2 years later. They had 6 children and raised 4 orphans including Katharina’s nephew, Fabian. Katherina managed the monastery and operated the hospital on site. Luther called her 'boss of Zulsdorf. ‘morning star’ for getting up at 4 am,and ‘My Lord Katie’. She respected him as a higher vessel and formally called him ‘Sir Doctor’ throughout her life The marriage was extremely important to the development of the Protestant Church specifically in regards to its stance on marriage and the role of each spouse.

Mary, the mother of Jesus, has been venerated since early Christianity. According to Christian theology, Mary conceived Jesus through the Holy Spirit whilst still a virgin. Both the gospels of Matthew and Luke in the New Testament, and the Quran, describe Mary as a virgin, and as being betrothed to Joseph. Over the centuries she is said to have appeared to many believers. 6 Fascinating facts found in ‘Beliefnet’ Her life was foreshadowed in the Old Testament Virgin Mother of Emmanuel Isaiah ch14 v7 2.She was a woman of great Courage and Character When the angel Gabriel came and told she was to be the mother of God’s son she showed great courage and character Luke ch 1 v38 3.Believed by many to be the greatest of all saints She was chosen and prepared by God to be the mother of his son. 4.She was Instrumental in Jesus’ Life She was there throughout his lifetime -birth to Ascension 5.The true meaning of the Immaculate Conception The Immaculate Conception deals with the conception of Mary herself, not that of her son. A Life of Witness Her life was to witness to the glory of her Son and we can’t help but admire her for that. I have included Bible references, 2 copies of the Magnificat - traditional and modern, information about Jewish betrothal and marriage plus Catholic Mariology I hope these sheets prove useful. Note Mary is mentioned by name on more occasions in the Quran than in the Bible.

St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, nine other countries, plus a number of different groups- from fishermen to farmworkers. He was one of Christ's original disciples so I have included Biblical references to him. There is a brief biography with a two gap sheets to fill in. There is also a crossword, a word search and 'How many words can you find in Andrew? ' There is a sheet about the history of the St. Andrew flag and the Union Jack plus some ideas for a Diary- this comes with a clipart sheet for final copy. I hope children find the work interesting

William Tyndale is often forgotten about unfortunately. It was William who was responsible for the translation of the Bible into every day English. He used Greek to translate the New Testament; he used Hebrew to translate the Old Testament. He lived at the time of the Reformation. The Roman Catholic Church did not want their Latin version of the Bible translated into English. He wanted everyone to be able to read it vernacular English. He died at the stake accused of being a heretic. A few years later his translations formed the basis for our present Bible. John Wycliffe translated the Bible into English from Latin

St David is the patron saint of Wales. I have included a page from Wikipedia. There is an information sheet about St. David followed by two large font sheets containing basic information .There are two pieces of gap work (differentiated), a crossword which needs a picture answer, a word search, information about the Welsh flag and the Union Jack, plus diary ideas with a blank for their diary. These sheets should keep the children interested on St. David’s day - a mixture of different things to do. The extra two pages are the b/w front and back cover for the whole series Four Wise Men. for them to colour.

St. Mungo is the patron saint of Glasgow. His proper name is Saint Kentigern but he is is better known by his nickname. Saint Serf, who became his foster father, is responsible for the name of Mungo. Mungo means ‘my dear one’. His mother was a princess: his father became a king!

Mary Slessor was a Christian missionary in Nigeria. She started life, at 11, as a 'half timer' - school for six hours/ working for six hours for the Baxter Brother's Mill with her mother and father to become the 'white queen of Okoyong' in Nigeria. When she died in 1915 she was given a state funeral in Nigeria in recognition of her life time given to helping others. She is an inspiration for any girl, or boy, who is thinking becoming a missionary. We celebrated the centenary of her death two years ago and there is a lot of material to find on the internet about her.

St. Stephen is the forgotten saint! In the UK we think of it as Boxing Day - a National Bank Holiday. St.Stephen was the first Christian martyr. The twelve disciples of Jesus asked the believers in Jesus Christ to select seven deacons. The seven were given the task of caring for the poor.Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, who probably a Hellenistic Jew - born in Greece, was one of the chosen seven. Stephen, brimming with God’s grace and energy, was doing wonderful things until, out of jealousy, he was falsely accused of blaspheme. Blaspheme is when a person shows contempt or disrespect for God. He was taken in front of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Council. He was given the opportunity to speak. He told them a few home truths - they had not listened to the prophets who they persecuted- they were responsible for the death of Jesus. They were outraged at what he said. He finished by saying," Oh! I see heaven wide open and the Son of Man standing at God’s side" To them that was blaspheme - hey took him outside and stoned him I have Scripture readings, Wikipedia, the Spruce -for Boxing day. There is also a word search with answers.

Elizabeth Fry was a preacher and reformer. Her maiden name was Elizabeth Gurney and she was born in Norwich into a wealthy Quaker family. She became a member of Plain Friends - a strict religious group who dressed modestly and refrained from singing and dancing. William Savery inspired her to devote her life to helping the needy. Elizabeth Gurney met Joseph Fry in 1799 and married him in 1800. They went to live in his family home in Plashed - now East Ham. In 1811 Elizabeth was acknowledged as a Quaker minister. It was an unpaid post among Friends that nevertheless frequently entailed travelling to serve other meetings. her ministry, which was greatly appreciated on account of her musical voice. She delighted to preach on the theme of the availability of the grace of God for all. When Elizabeth visited Newgate prison in 1813 she found women and children crammed 30 to a cell. There they cooked, washed and slept. To help them she supplied clothes, established a school, chapel and matron. In 1817 Elizabeth, along with 11 other Quakers, established the Association for the Improvement of the Female Prisoners in Newgate. Her brother in law, MP Thomas Fowell-Buxton, raised the issue in Parliament… Elizabeth gave evidence to the Commons committee on prisons. She advocated treating prisoners like human beings. Some MPs saw her as a dangerous radical but the new Home Secretary, Sir Robert peel, was supportive. The 1823 Goals Act was the first step. In a book published in1827 she set down many of her conclusions on penal policy, stating foe example her opposition to capital punishment. Elizabeth became recognised as a well-known , respected figure, consulted by many important men for her professional opinion. In 1824 she founded the Brighton District Visiting Society. In 1840 she created a nursing school at Guy’s hospital. She did not win all the battles. She declared in 1948 the new Pentonville prison, with its dark cells, *should never exist in a Christian and civilized country. * Elizabeth Fry created a lasting improvements for Britain and changed the status of women in society. I found some Bite Size Key stage I pictures which might prove useful for primary work. Sources *Great Leaders of the Christian Church * edited by John D. Woodbridge contribution from David W. Bebbington wikipedia The great British Community BBc Bitesize

Desmond Mpilo Tutu is a South African Anglican cleric and theologian, known for his anti-apartheid and human rights activities. He was the Bishop of Johannesburg (1985-69 and then Archbishop of Cape Town (1986-96). In both cases he was the first black African to hold the position. Theologically he sought to fuse ideas from black theology with African theology. In 1986 he became the president of the All Africa Conference of Churches. In 1994 Nelson Mandela selected Desmond to chair the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. 1994 awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Desmond’s father, Zachariah Zelilo Tutu trained as a primary school teacher. His parents both spoke the Xhosa language. Desmond described his family *although we weren’t affluent, we were not destitute either . He was sickly from birth. He had polio which resulted in atrophy (lack of growth) of his right hand. On one occasion he was hospitalized with serious burns. The family was initially Methodist and he was baptized in June 1932. They then changed denominations, first to African Episcopal Church then to the Anglican church. He trained as a teacher and married Nomalizo Leah Shenxane in 1955. They had 4 children. In 1960 he was ordained as an Anglican priest. In 1962 he moved to the U.K. to study Theology at King’s College, London. He is now a fellow of the college. In 1966 he returned to southern Africa. He taught at the Federal Theological Seminary and then the University of Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland. In 1972 he became the Theological Education director; based in London but requiring regular visits to to the African continent. In 1975, back on southern Africa he became dean of st. Mary’s Cathedral in Johannesburg, then bishop of Lesotho. 1978-85 became general secretary of South African Council of Churches. He emerged as one of South Africa’s most prominent anti=apartheid activists Also In 1985 he became Bishop of Johannesburg. He over saw the introduction of women priests. 1986 became bishop of Cape Town and president of the All Africa Conference of Churches )AACC) which require more tours of Africa… ( See AACC for more information). In 1990 F.W. de Kerk released Nelson Mandela. Desmond and Nelson together negotiations to end Apartheid and introduce multi-racial democracy 1994 Mandela elected as first black president of South Africa. Desmond was asked to chair the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (T&RC) - it was a court like restorative body. It is generally thought to be successful . The Institute for Justice and Reconciliation in 2000 replaced T&RC. ( See T&RC for more information). Desmond was awarded the* Noble Peace Prize* award in 1984 in recognition of his efforts to resolving and ending apartheid. Since apartheid’s fall he has campaigned on gay rights and spoken out on a wide range of subjects. 2010 he retired from public life but continues to travel widely. Sources used Britannica King’s People Wikipedia Youth for Human Rights

Meera, better known as Mirabai and venerated as Sant Meerabai, was a 16th century Hindu mystic poet and devotee of Krishna. Aged 3 she was given a little Mira, a doll of Sri Krishna, by a wandering religious man. She decided then to follow Sri Krishna for the rest of her life. She has been the subject of numerous folk tales and hagiographic l.egends. It is widely acknowledged that Mirabai dedicated her life to Krishna, composing song of devotion and was one of the most important poet-saint of the Bhakti movement period. Some Hindu temples are dedicated to her memory. Sources Wikipedia Herstory by Katherine Halligan