By Jessica Gordon
“Christian perfection consists in three things: praying heroically, working heroically, and suffering heroically.”
— St. Anthony Mary Claret
A patron is a saint who is venerated as a special intercessor before God. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a “patron saint provides a model of charity and the assurance of his prayer” (CCC, 2156, 2165).
These Patron of Students Back-to-School Treats provide a perfect opportunity to introduce your students to some of our heavenly intercessors. What a great way to begin the school year!
Here are some saints who are patrons of students:
St. Thomas Aquinas
St. Catherine of Alexandria
St. Nicholas of Myra
St. Philomena
St. Gemma Galgani
St. Ursula
St. John Bosco
St. Jerome
St. Joseph of Cupertino
St. Isidore
St. Ambrose
St. Gregory the Great
Find additional patrons here: CatholicSaints.info/patrons-of-students/
Patron saints of students, pray for us!
MATERIALS NEEDED
- 3 1/2 ” x 4 1/2 ” yellow cardstock
- pinking shears
- 3 1/2 ” x 1/2 ” pink cardstock
- 1″ circle pink cardstock
- 3 1/2 ” x 3/8 ” aluminum foil
- ROLO® and Hershey’s Kisses
- adhesive
- ribbon
- Patron of Students tag
WITH THE CLASS
- Trim one short end of the yellow cardstock with pinking sheers (zigzag-edged scissors), and score every 1/4 ” lengthwise. Wrap around a ROLO and adhere.
- Next, wrap the pink cardstock at the opposite end, adding the pink circle to cover the exposed end of the ROLO.
- Cover the seam between the yellow and pink paper with the strip of aluminum foil.
- Adhere one Hershey’s Kiss.
to the top. - Attach the Patron of Students tag with some ribbon.
Note: For a quick and easy alternative to the cardstock and foil, download a free printable version of the wrapper here.
LET US PRAY
Creator of all things, true source of light and wisdom, origin of all being, graciously let a ray of your light penetrate the darkness of my understanding. Take from me the double darkness in which I have been born, an obscurity of sin and ignorance. Give me a keen understanding, a retentive memory, and the ability to grasp things correctly and fundamentally. Grant me the talent of being exact in my explanations and the ability to express myself with thoroughness and charm. Point out the beginning, direct the progress, and help in the completion. I ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
—A Prayer for Students by St. Thomas Aquinas
Jessica Gordon blogs at ShowerOfRoses.blogspot.com and CatholicCuisine.blogspot.com.
Image credit: Photos courtesy of Jessica Gordon.
This article was originally published in Catechist magazine, September 2016, and has been modified for this format.
Find a downloadable PDF of this article by clinking this link: CAT_Sept2016_CraftCat
