Next Little Disciples |
Little Disciple Registration at the bottom of the page 2025-2026
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First Reconciliation & First Communion
If you have a child ready to receive their Sacraments, contact Jen Golka
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Little Disciples
- Catechesis in the Catholic Church is the “echoing down” of our faith.
- Parents have shared the gift of human life with their children; through Baptism they have enriched them with a share in God’s own life.
- Parents are catechist, echoing down our faith, precisely because they are parents.
- It is the duty and honor of St. Leo’s Parish Community to empower and enable parents to naturally and simply share the love of God and the faith with their children.
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A Three Week Model
Week 1 - Gathering of Families Week 2 - At home mission activity Families participate in at home activity to help bring the faith and tradition into their homes. Week 3 - Gathering of children Faith Fun Nights - Abide Adoration, Parish Advent Night, Parish Lent Night, Station of the Cross, Tenebre, etc.. |
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We as parents are charged with the responsibility from God to know, love and serve Him in order to get them to heaven.
We have to be the primary influence in our children's lives. If we are not the primary influence in our child's life something else will be. |
September
GOD’S SAVING LOVE FOR US: LITURGY AND THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS
Family at-Home mission activity
Step 1: As a family, together, watch one or more of the videos below:
The Seven Sacraments |
Catholic Sacraments Explained |
Covenants Bible Project |
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Step 2: Reach out to a grandparent(s) or senior adult(s) in your family/ community.Step 3: Take notes and be prepared to share about what your grandparent or senior adult said at the Week 3 gathering. |
Ask: Which sacrament do you remember the best and why?
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Step 4: Your family is called to be the Domestic Church and to be holy! Enjoy making Holy Halo Treats together!Step 5: Place your blessed, votive candle on your home altar/prayer space, and as a family, pray a decade of the Rosary in honor of Mary’s birthday during the month of September. |
Holy Halo TreatsMATERIALS: • 1 CUP OF WHITE CHOCOLATE MORSELS • ROUND CIRCLE PRETZELS • WAX PAPER • SPATULA • FORK • 3 BOWLS |
October
THE SACRAMENTS OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION: Baptism
Family at-Home mission activity
Step 1: As a family, together, watch one or more of the videos below
For tweens & teens & parents:
Are You a “Child of God”? |
Baptism | Catholic Central |
For younger children:
Baptism of Jesus |
What is the Sacrament of Baptism? TheoMatters |
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Step 2: Find baptism items or sacramental(s) that were received by each family member at his/her Baptism. These could be baptismal candles, or other sacramentals, such as a prayer book, rosary, or crucifix/cross, or even the baptismal clothing and photos.Step 4: On November 1st, All Saints Day, Say a prayer to the saint with whose name you were baptized, asking him/her to pray for you. |
Step 3: This is the month of the Rosary (October), so place your family rosary on your home altar next to your family bible. Step 5: On November 2nd, All Souls Day
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Step 6: Gather in your prayer space/around your home altar as a family & end by praying a decade of the Rosary together while meditating on the First Luminous Mystery, The Baptism of Jesus
November
Registration for Little Disciples 2025-2026
Little Disciples 2024-2025
At-home Mission Activity
September
The Life of Christ
The Joyful Mysteries
Families Read Luke 1:39-55-The Visitation
Pray a decade together & make Full of Grace
ice cream floats (directions in the video below-vanilla ice cream, blue food color& lemon lime soda)
The four Gospels
For younger kids |
For older kids |
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The Witness Trilogy: God with us movie
October
The life of Christ: The Joyful Mysteries
OCTOBER IS THE MONTH OF THE ROSARY
THIS MONTH WE ARE LEARNING ABOUT THE FOURTH AND FIFTH JOYFUL MYSTERIES OF THE ROSARY •
THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE
AND
THE FINDING IN THE TEMPLE
The Presentation in the temple |
Jesus teaches in the temple |
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November 1st - All Saints Day We celebrate and show God that we are grateful for the saints who are in Heaven and for all the help they give us. |
November 2nd - All Souls DayLife after life: The catholic view of Heaven and HellWe pray for our loved ones who have died as well as for all those who are in Purgatory, so they too can go to Heaven and finally be with God forever! Find a picture of a family member or friend who has died and pray for them. |
November
At home mission activity
1. talk with grandparent or special senior aks about their faith, pray or read bible story with them.
*Do they have any wisdom they would like to share about living their faith?
2. pray a decade of Luminous mystery
Luminous Mysteries of Rosary
(the Mysteries of Light)
"While I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
(John 9:5)
Saint John Paul II
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Pope John Paul II
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The Baptism of Jesus
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The Wedding at Cana
(2nd Luminous Mystery)
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St. Nicholas
Thanksgiving cards to homebound.
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St. Nicholas feast day December 6th. |
December
The Proclamation of the kingdom of God
(3rd Luminous Mystery)
The Beatitudes |
God's Kingdom
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At home mission1. Choose an act of service that you will do as part of your family’s plan to proclaim the Kingdom of God. (Create a Christmas card for homebound.)
2. Pray a decade of the Rosary meditating on the Third Luminous Mystery, The Proclamation of the Kingdom of God.
3. Read or watch Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-12) and the Kingdom of God (Matthew 3:1-3)
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The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these:
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4. Reflect on the list of characteristics (in the left column) of those to whom the Kingdom of Heaven belongs:
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January
The Life of Christ: The Luminous Mystery
The Transfiguration and the Epiphany
Read Matthew 17:1-9
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Read Matthew 2:1-12
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Family Epiphany Blessing |
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How to bless your home...
1. Take a stick of chalk that’s been blessed by a priest or deacon, and write above your home’s front entrance (inside or outside), 20 + C + M + B + 25. 2. A family member reads this explanation: “The letters C, M, and B have two meanings. They are the initials of the traditional names of the three magi who brought gifts to Jesus sometime after his birth: Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. They also abbreviate the Latin words Christus Mansionem Benedicat, which translates to “May Christ bless this house.” The ‘+’ signs represent the cross and the numbers, the year.”
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3. The head of the house leads the prayer:
Dear God, we ask Your blessings on our home and family and anyone who visits here. We invite Your Son, Jesus, to be a part of our family and to always be with us in our home, in our comings and goings, our conversations, our work and play, our joys and sorrows. We thank You and we love You. We make the following words of Joshua our own: “As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). Hail Mary… We ask all this in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen |
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and
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January is a month filled with important feast and memorial days of saints, including
St. Thomas Aquinas (January 28), St. Agnes (January 21), St. Francis de Sales (January 24), St. John Bosco (January 31), the Conversion of St. Paul (January 25), and more. In particular, two of the saints lived and worked in the United States: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (January 4) and St. John Neumann (January 5). They were both passionate about introducing people to Jesus and His Church and energetically spread Catholic education. |
February
Week 1 video: PassoverWeek 2: At-home Mission
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As Christians who are trying to bring others to Jesus, we are called to love and serve one another. When we do that, it is easy to see God’s love alive within us!
• Ask each family member to name something they can do to show love and to serve his/her family this week. 
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Your Family At-Home Mission
Read Bible and/or watch the videos and accomplish your plans to serve one another that you discussed after reading the story of Jesus Washing the Disciples Feet.
Step 1: Watch the videos and/or read Luke 22.
Step 2: Share about your family Serving one another experience
or what you plan to do to help others.
(help a neighbor, fold clothes at Orphan Grain Train, Volunteer at Parish Thrift store or Mary's cradle, make a meal, pick up trash at local park, play with animals at humane Society, donate gently used toys and kids clothes, etc...)
Read Bible and/or watch the videos and accomplish your plans to serve one another that you discussed after reading the story of Jesus Washing the Disciples Feet.
Step 1: Watch the videos and/or read Luke 22.
Step 2: Share about your family Serving one another experience
or what you plan to do to help others.
(help a neighbor, fold clothes at Orphan Grain Train, Volunteer at Parish Thrift store or Mary's cradle, make a meal, pick up trash at local park, play with animals at humane Society, donate gently used toys and kids clothes, etc...)
MARCH
The Life of Christ: The Sorrowful Mysteries: Preparing for Lent |
How is God calling you to grow closer to Him this Lent? What sacrifices are you going to make to show God’s love to others? |
At-Home Mission 1. Watch together as a family the Lent videos. 2.Read the Holy Week activities & 40 ways for 40 days. 3. After reviewing the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy pray and then plan together. Make your Family Lenten Plan that corresponds to the three Lenten pillars of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. What will your family do to practice each of these? 4. Attend Reconciliation, this is a great opportunity to rely on the Lord’s mercy and grace and be renewed by the Lord’s forgiveness. 5. Pray together! Gather around your family’s home altar to pray and meditate on one of the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary or the Stations of the Cross. Sorry, no lucky charms or snakes here.St. Patrick pray for us! |
Why LENT!
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April
The Life of Christ: The Glorious Mysteries
The Resurrection of our Lord & The Ascension
At home Family Mission
Step 1: Watch, together as a family, the video(s) that are appropriate for your children’s age level.
Step 1: Watch, together as a family, the video(s) that are appropriate for your children’s age level.
Holy Week Reflection
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The Resurrection of Jesus (teens & tweens) |
Ascension Don't just stand there
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The Easter story
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Empty Tomb
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The Ascension Legos
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Step 2: Read 50 Ways to Celebrate the 50 Days of Easter with Your Children and create your Family’s Plan for Living the Easter Season! |
Click the picture above to view 50 ways to celebrate Easter with your children
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Divine Mercy Sunday April 27, 2025
How to Make a Divine Mercy Sundae:
Scoop ice cream into a bowl, and create the rays with 2 long squirts of whipped cream. Embellish them with red and blue toppings of your choice. I sprinkled the whipped cream with red and blue Kool-Aid powder, but you could also use strawberries and blueberries, or make some red and blue sugar. Also, you could just buy red white, and blue sprinkles. Don’t forget the cherry on top. |
Divine Mercy Sunday is always the Sunday after Easter, and was instituted by Pope John Paul II in the Jubilee year (2000) at the mass for the canonization of St. Faustina. This day is extra special because Pope John Paul II was beatified on May 1, 2011- Divine Mercy Sunday
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Celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday with a sundae!
Little Disciple Pictures
Advent Night
An Advent of Love
All Saints Day
All Saints Day celebration
January
Transfiguration & Jubilee
Lent Night
Families enjoyed prayer & a meal together then entered the desert in preparation for Lent!
Family Exposition
Mock-Clave
The Catholic Parent
Click on the Catholic parent to watch the following episodes.
Little Disciples
Little Disciples