The Season of Lent

In the center of our classroom stands a special table. It is our prayer table. As the liturgical year changes, the table changes. 

This was our prayer table earlier this week:

This is our prayer table now:

Why the change? Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season. Lent is a time when we look at ourselves and try and see what can change and improve so that we can be more like Jesus. We take more time to pray, to ask forgiveness of our sins, and to share with others. For forty days we prepare for the new life of Easter. 

Our Lenten wreath is brown and bare, symbolizing the desert where Jesus prayed for 40 days and also the crown of thorns. Can your child explain the symbols pictured on our wreath (purple ribbon, burlap cloth with a cross)? As we journey through Lent, we will add more symbols to help us better understand this liturgical season. 

Today we participated in Ash Wednesday mass, along with several other schools, at OLPH Church with Father Sathia. We all received ashed on our foreheads to remind us that we are sinners.

Lent is a time of change; a change of mind and heart. May the 40 days of Lent help us prepare for the joy of Easter. 

Fun & Feasting on Shrove Tuesday

Today is Shrove Tuesday. It is the last day before Lent. It is a day of feasting and fun!

Boy, did we feast today! Our energetic and generous Parent Council served a hot, delicious pancake & sausage lunch for everyone in the school. 

Sometimes Shrove Tuesday is called Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday. On this day, people would traditionally use up the rich foods in their fridge that was often not allowed to be eaten during Lent, such as milk, eggs and butter. Add a little flour, and you have pancakes!

Can you tell we loved it?

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. It marks the first day of Lent. We will gather as a school community at OLPH Church for mass at 1:00 pm. We will all receive ashes on our foreheads. If your schedule allows, please consider joining us! 

Ash Wednesday: Lent Has Begun

In the center of our classroom stands a special table. It is our prayer table. As the liturgical year changes, the table changes. 

This was our prayer table last week:

This is our prayer table now:

Why the change? Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the Lenten season. Lent is a time when we look at ourselves and try and see what can change and improve so that we can be more like Jesus. We take more time to pray, to ask forgiveness of our sins, and to share with others. For forty days we prepare for the new life of Easter. 

Our Lenten wreath is brown and bare, symbolizing the desert where Jesus prayed for 40 days and also the crown of thorns. Can your child explain the symbols pictured on our wreath (purple ribbon, burlap cloth with a cross)? As we journey through Lent, we will add more symbols to help us better understand this liturgical season. 

Today we participated in Ash Wednesday mass, along with several other schools, at OLPH Church with Father Sathia. We all received ashed on our foreheads to remind us that we are sinners.

This week we were introduced to our school-wide Lenten initiative, gathering healthy breakfast cereal to fill hungry tummies at a local elementary school in Edmonton. Our students can understand the discomfort that comes with being hungry and hopefully are able to connect to this simple way of sharing with others. Please be generous.

Lent is a time of change; a change of mind and heart. May the 40 days of Lent help us prepare for the joy of Easter. 

That's MY church!

"That's MY church!"

As we pulled up to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church today, one little sweetheart was so excited that we had arrived at HER church! What a wonderful feeling for a child to have! She felt this was a place she could call her own and where she belongs. 

That's OUR church! 

The boys and girls prayed, sang, and participated in our celebration led by Fr. Jack. It was a lovely gathering. Many thanks to the parents and younger siblings who shared in our mass with us. 

We were very fortunate to remain after mass for a tour with our delightful Grade 5 buddies! Care to join us?

This is the foyer of the church. It is the entrance to God's house. 

Then we enter our church. We were reminded it is our home. 

As we enter the church, we see the baptismal font where babies, children and adults are baptized. It is made of marble. Both of Mrs. Beliveau's kids were baptized here!

When we enter, we bless ourselves by dipping our fingertips into the holy water.

"In the name of the Father, and the Son,
and the Holy Spirit, Amen"

The narrow shelf behind the baptismal font (between the foyer doors) holds holy oils used at baptisms, confirmations, and for anointing the sick. 

This is the Paschal Candle. It represents Christ, our light. Each Easter, we get a new candle. This candle reminds us of our baptism, because when we are baptized our baptismal candle is lit from the Paschal Candle. 

To the side of the church is a small chapel. When just a few gather for mass, they celebrate here in this cozy area. 

This is the altar. It is like our dining room table. It is here where the priest stands to prepare the body and blood of Christ. 

The ciborium holds the body of Christ.

The chalice holds the blood of Christ. 

We use only our fanciest serving dishes at this special meal!

This is the ambo. 

The Word of God is proclaimed from here. 

This is the view from the ambo. Look at all the pews! The pews take up the most room in our church, and it is where we sit. We are important! God is present in us. 

We went behind the altar to a small room called the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. 

Here we saw a beautiful gold box called the tabernacle. The body of Christ is placed inside. A little red light shines up high, letting us know the body of Christ is present. 

The priest's clothing are called vestments. He chooses the colour of his vestments based upon the liturgical calendar, or what time of year it is in the church. 

Priests wear green during Ordinary Time, purple during Advent and Lent, white throughout Christmas and Easter, and red during feast days. 

In the church basement is the Clothing Nook where people can shop for free. Wouldn't this be a wonderful place to drop of our clothes when we outgrow them or don't need them anymore?

Today we learned so much about our church, the mass, and our faith! We are so very proud to call OLPH our home! Thank you to the kind and knowledgeable staff who led our tour, to the parent helpers who generously joined us, and to the students for participating respectfully and enthusiastically. We can't wait to come back!

A Visit to God`s House

Our morning was lovely. The sun was shining, it was a beautifully crisp Fall day, and we were headed to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church to celebrate mass as a school community. The boys and girls were attentive, they participated in the mass, and their wonderful behaviour should be applauded!

We were so lucky to remain after mass with our Grade 5 buddies for a tour! Care to join us?

Here is the foyer of the church. We left our coats here and entered God`s house. 

Then we entered our church. We were reminded that our church is our home. We are always welcome here. 

Just past the foyer is the baptismal font. We bless ourselves here when we enter. Babies are baptized in the smaller area and kids and adults in the larger, lower area. Both of Mrs. Beliveau`s kids were baptized here!

Mounted behind the baptismal font, between the foyer doors, is a narrow shelf. It holds three holy oils. They are for anointing the sick, for baptisms and for confirmations. These oils help us feel the presence of God. 

Beneath the oils is the Paschal Candle. We get a new candle each Easter. It helps us remember our baptism, because when we are baptized our baptismal candle is lit from this Paschal Candle. 

Then we saw these beautiful pictures at the back of the church. They are the stations of the cross, and depict Jesus' last days on earth. They were painted by Father Kenneth Kearns, the first parish priest at OLPH. Wasn't he talented? They are a one of a kind!

To the side of the church is a small chapel. When just a few gather for mass, they celebrate here. 

We gathered at the altar. It is the special table where the priest stands to say mass. Today Fr. Joachim said mass for us. 

This is the ambo. The Word of God is proclaimed from here. 

This is the view form the ambo, if ever you are proclaiming. Both Mrs. Lemire and Mrs. Beliveau are active proclaimers. Can you see all the pews? They take up the most room in our church, and that's where we sit. We are so important! God is present in us!

This is where the priest sits. Want to hear a secret? We discovered a special compartment in the arm rest! Not only are the song books stored here, but the fire drill procedures are here, too!

Behind the altar is a small, peaceful room called the Sacristy. The little red light you see high up lets us know that the Body of Christ is present. 

Here we saw the tabernacle, an ornate box that holds the Body of Christ. 

Here is the cupboard that holds the chalices the ciboriums. During mass, the chalice holds the Blood of Christ and the ciborium hold the Body of Christ. 

In the basement of the church is the Clothing Nook. Those who are less fortunate may visit and choose clothing, free of charge. Please consider dropping off your used clothing, but remember that they do not accept other items aside from clothing. 

We made a quick stop at the church offices! The very kind ladies showed us that all of our church records are tied in to the church where we were baptized. 

Back at the foyer of the church is the room where the priests put on their vestments before mass. They wear green for Ordinary Time, purple for Advent and Lent, and red for feast days. However, priests like Fr. Joachim wear brown vestments because they are Franciscan. 

Thank you to those who led us on our tour, as well to our parent helper! We all learned so much and are proud to call OLPH our home!

Lent Begins: Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. The children noticed a big difference in our classroom when they arrived this morning. The cloth on our prayer table had changed from green to purple. Purple is the colour of Lent. 

Notice the bare wreath and orange egg carton?
As we journey through Lent, we will be using these items
to deepen our understanding of Lent and the Easter Story. 

We attended a very special Ash Wednesday mass at OLPH Church. We each received  ashes on our foreheads in the shape of a cross. The ashes are made from the blessed palms from Palm Sunday last year. The ashes are a sign to others that we are not perfect and that we make mistakes. Today we told God that we are sorry for our sins and that we will try to be better. 

Lent lasts 40 days. We use this time to remind ourselves of the promise we made to God at our baptism. While some people like to give things up for Lent, we are trying to make ourselves better by being kind, patient, and prayerful. 

As a school, our daily prayer is now the Jellybean Prayer. The colours help us focus on the meaning of Lent. 

We use the big plastic jelly beans to remind us
which colour comes next in the prayer.

On our prayer table is a Random Act of Kindness jar. Each day, as a class, one act of kindness will be drawn. Children are encouraged to carry out this act of kindness quietly, without looking for praise or recognition. 

Lent is a time of change; a change of mind and heart. May the 40 days of Lent help us prepare for the joy of Easter. 

A Visit to Our Church

What a wonderful end to our week!

Yesterday morning we were able to visit our church, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, for a guided tour. We learned so many interesting things, and even a few secrets, too! Here are a few highlights from our tour.

This is the foyer. Much like the foyer in our homes, it is where we come in and take off our coats. This is the entrance of God's house.

In a small room just off the foyer is where our priests, Father Wilf, Father Jack and Father Dan, keep their vestments. Their vestments are the special clothing they wear for mass. The church calendar tells them what colour of vestments to wear. They wear green for ordinary days, purple during Advent and Lent, and red to celebrate martyrs. Father Dan wears brown robes because he is a Franciscan.

Just beyond the foyer doors is the baptismal font. Babies, children and adults are baptized here. The font is made of beautiful white marble. When we enter the church, we dip the tips of our fingers into the holy water, and cross ourselves.

A narrow shelf, mounted between the foyer doors behind the baptismal font, holds three special oils. These oils are used for baptisms, confirmations, and annointing the sick. Have you ever noticed these oils when you enter the church?



This is the Paschal candle. It represents Christ, our light. It is lit for all baptism and funeral services, marking our beginning and our end.

These pictures are the Stations of the Cross. They tell the story of Jesus' death. They were painted by Father Kenneth Kearns, the first parish priest at OLPH Church. A school in our district is named after him, and a student in our class even attened FKK School in kindergarten! The pictures are amazing and Fr. Kenneth Kearns was a very talented artist.

This is the altar. It is the special table where the priest stands to say mass.

This is the lectern. This is where the readers and the priest read the Word of God from the bible. 



This is where the priest sits during mass. We discovered that there is a secret compartment in the arm of the chair. When we peeked inside, we saw a few song books and the fire drill procedures!

There is a small room behind the altar. We were quiet as church mice when we entered here because parishioners were praying. This is where the tabernacle is kept. The tabernacle is the gold box where the body of Christ is placed. A small red light, hanging up high near the ceiling, shines when the body of Christ is in the tabernacle.



We saw the cupboard where the chalices and ciboriums are stored. During mass, the ciborium is the dish that holds the body of Christ and the chalice is the cup that holds the blood of Christ. They are made of precious metals because we only use the best for a meal with Jesus.

Down in the basement of the church is the Clothing Nook. People who are less fortunate are able to come here and shop for clothing for free. We thought the Clothing Nook would be a wonderful place to drop off our clothes when we outgrow them or don't need them anymore.

The last stop on our tour were the offices. We were thrilled to see Father Dan here, and even more excited that he had his guitar with him too! We didn't stay long, though. After a little sing-a-long, we left because there were many people hard at work helping the church run smoothly.

THANK YOU to the wonderful individuals who led us on our tour. We learned so much about our church! OLPH truly is a special place where we are all welcome.