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Running the Race with St. Paul


Join in, team up, get strong, keep on, celebrate! This was the rally cry of over 30 children who participated in this year’s 26th annual summer program held near Villa Ridge, MO. Presented by our novices, the theme was Victory in Christ: Running the race with St. Paul.

In preparation for the year of St. Paul promulgate by Pope Benedict XVI, the students were introduced to St. Paul through prayer and Scripture. As they studied the letters written by St. Paul and the stories of his life from the Acts of the Apostles, they came to a deeper understanding of what it means to be a member of God’s team and how to persevere when the going gets tough. Each day the students attended Mass, met “St. Paul” (one of the novices), sang songs, played games, and made crafts to help them prepare for this Pauline year. During class-time each day, the novices not only taught the children about St. Paul, but also incorporated the seven sacraments with the daily themes. As the two-week program came to a close, the children took with them valuable lessons that will help them to be more open to the graces of this year dedicated to St. Paul, an all-star of God’s team.

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