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January ¨
February
¨ March
¨ April
¨ May
¨ June
July
¨ August
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September ¨
October
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November ¨
December
January
|
Poverty Awareness Month
|
In addition to the general material on the
Poverty USA
website from Catholic Campaign for Human Development, there are other
good resources:
Educational materials grouped K-5, grades 6-12 and for adult education.
There is also a Poverty USA Student Action
Project with
lesson plans for grades K-8.
There is also a resource for high school groups entitled
EPIC (Ending Poverty in
Community): A Toolkit for Young Advocates. |
|
January 1
World Day of
Peace |
Each year, the Pope publishes a message about peace.
Read the
2007 message from Pope Benedict.
World Peace Prayer
Has your parish or school ever thought about planting
a peace
pole? While the dead of winter might not be the best time to “plant” it, it
might be a good time to order one in time for a spring “planting.” The U.N.
celebrates the International Day of Peace on Sept. 21.
There is an online story for children entitled
“One Day in Peace.”
There is also a short play available.
|
|
First Week of January
National Migration Week |
The website for the Office of Migration and Refugees Services of the Catholic
Bishops’ Conference has materials for
National Migration
and Refugee Week. They also have some
educational materials especially for younger students.
NOTE: In the Diocese of Richmond,
National Migration Week is observed in March. |
|
January 22
Anniversary of
Roe v Wade Supreme Court Decision |
The
website from the United States Catholic Bishops’ Conference
Pro-Life
Office has many good education and prayer resources for the anniversary
of the Roe v Wade decision.
Also visit the
abortion resource page on the Diocese of Richmond's Catholic Social
Teaching web site. |
|
Third Monday
Martin Luther
King Day |
Visit the
Racism resource page on the
Diocese of Richmond's Catholic
Social Teaching web site.
For adults and older children, the website from
the King Center
has a wealth of information as well as recordings of King's speeches.
There is also a good website
about Martin Luther King, Jr. for school children at
Better World
Heroes.
It contains the extensive quotes from Martin Luther King, Jr. as well as other
information and links.
A Prayer of Faith and Hope in Time of Fear
I Have a Dream
Letter from a Birmingham Jail
You can find the video of
Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech at
http://www.holidays.net/mlk/index.htm.
|
With the commemoration of
Martin Luther King and the anniversary of Gandhi's death so close to each other,
it is a good time to focus on non-violent conflict resolution. Visit the
Diocese of Richmond's Catholic Social Teaching web page on
peace and non-violence for activities
for every age group.
A Force More Powerful has a listing of 198 methods of non-violent conflict
resolution.
|
|
January 30
Anniversary of
Gandhi’s Death |
"Nonviolence
is
not to be used ever as the shield of the coward. It is the weapon of the brave."
"[He] alone
is truly nonviolent who remains nonviolent even though he has the ability to
strike."
"I object
to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the
evil it does is permanent."
"An eye for
an eye leaves the whole world blind."
"I contend
that non-violent acts exert pressure far more effective than violent acts, for
the pressure comes from goodwill and gentleness."
"Things
undreamt of are daily being seen, the impossible is ever becoming possible. We
are constantly being astonished these days at the amazing discoveries in the
field of violence. But I maintain that far more undreamt of and seemingly
impossible discoveries will be made in the field of nonviolence."
To learn
more about Gandhi with some resources for children and more quotes by him, visit
Better
World Heroes.
|
|
January 30- April 4
A Season of Nonviolence
|
This national 64 day educational grassroots campaign
seeks to demonstrate that nonviolence is a powerful way to heal, transform and
empower our lives and communities. Inspired by the anniversaries of the
assassinations of Mahatma Gandhi (January 30) and Martin Luther King, Jr. (April
4), this international event honors their vision for a non-violent world.
One resource for marking these 64 days is a
booklet which contains quotes, reflections and actions for each day of
the Season of Non-Violence. |
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February
|
African-American History Month |
A good
website for an initial overview of African American History is
Info
Please.
The website
for the
History
Channel has video clips as well as other resources including a history
of the Civil Rights movement in the U.S.
Teaching Tolerance has an essay
on the
ABC's of Black History Month which would be useful for those doing
anything to commemorate this month.
There is a portal to six
different websites about
African-American History Month at AT&T's Knowledge Network. |
|
February 14
Valentine’s Day
|
Fair Trade Chocolate
Global
Exchange has information about the movement behind Fair Trade chocolate as well
as many mouth-watering types for sale.
Want to sell Fair Trade
Chocolate and learn more about it? Visit the website of Catholic Relief
Services for some
educational resources on Fair Trade.
Want to order some fair trade chocolate from CRS?
Click here.
The Center for Concern’s
Education for Justice website
has some excellent lessons and handouts on Fair Trade products with specific
lessons for Valentine’s Day.
This is a subscription service, but well worth the investment. You can sign up
for a free thirty day trial.
Fun facts:
Legends about the Origin of Valentine's Day
You can find out more about
fair trade on the Globalization
web page on the OJP Education and Formation website.
|
|
Ash Wednesday |
Check out the website from
Catholic Relief Services for their
Operation Rice Bowl
project. The educational materials focus on Mexico, Pakistan, Angola,
Cambodia and Niger.
Looking for some justice centered materials for the
traditional way of the cross? Then check out these resources from the
Education for
Justice website. This is a subscription service, but you can request a 30
day free trial. Directions for the free trial offer are on the home page. After
logging in, use their search with the keyword stations to find all their
resources for Stations of the Cross.
-
AIDS Way of the Cross
- The
Way of the Cross for the people of Chiapas
- The
Child’s Way of the Cross
-
Stations of the Cross- Migrants
- Peace
Stations of the Cross
-
Stations of the Cross- Debt
-
Stations of the Cross with Oscar Romero
-
Stations of the Cross from Duran, Ecuador (this one comes with pictures)
-
Walking with Jesus for Peace- Iraq Stations of the Cross
-
Justice Stations of the Cross
How about making
Lenten justice crosses? Check out this activity from St. Mary's
Press. |
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March
|
Women’s
History Month |
Visit
the Women’s page on the OJP
website for Education and Formation.
|
|
March
1
International Day for the Abolition of the Death Penalty |
-
Consider signing a
Declaration of Life which states that if you are a victim
of violent crime, you do not wish to see the offender sentenced to death.
- Some
alternative days for remembering: Amnesty International sponsors a National
Weekend of Faith in Action on the Death Penalty in October. They have
excellent
resources available.
Another possible day for remembering is Good Friday. Please note that as
Catholics, our stance against the death penalty is founded on the
cornerstone of the dignity of the human person and flows from a consistent
pro-life ethic. It is good to understand all the reasons as set forth in
the Amnesty International materials though. We obviously object to Amnesty
International's recent move in support of abortion as a right and are
saddened by this move from a consistent ethic of life.
- See
also the October resources listed for the weekend of Faith in Action against
the Death Penalty on this calendar.
|
|
March 8
International
Women’s Rights Day |
- Visit
the
Better
World website to find out about some of the heroes of this day. They have
downloadable pictures with bio’s. There are pictures which can be colored by
young children.
|
|
March 21
International Day
for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
|
- Visit
the
Better World website to find out
more about this day, to find quotes about ending racial discrimination and
promoting diversity as well as heroes in this struggle. There are also
links to other sites which may be helpful.
- Visit
the OJP Education and Formation website page on Racism.
|
|
March 22
World Water Day |
- There
is a good overview on the worldwide water crisis on the international
BBC
website. There is
an
interactive map
which explains the water crisis in some areas.
- There
are lesson plans and activities for all age groups on the Water UK website.
- There
are also quotes, links and portraits of heroes at
Better World.
|
|
March 24
Anniversary of the
Assassination of Oscar Romero |
The Claretians' online
justice magazine Salt has a good page with background and other resources
on Archbishop Romero.
|
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April
|
Child Abuse Prevention Month
|
To learn more about child abuse and its prevention,
visit
http://www.preventchildabuse.org/index.shtml.
|
|
April
7
World Health Day |
This is a huge topic
with a great deal of work which needs to be done both domestically and globally
with access to health care. Because domestic health care is covered under
“Cover the Uninsured Week” later in April, the focus here is on global health
issues. This is a good time to highlight several of the Millennium Development
Goals that relate to health:
-
Reduce the under five infant mortality
-
Improve maternal health
-
Combat HIV, AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Visit the OJP Education and Formation in Catholic Social Teaching page on
the Millennium
Development Goals. There are lesson plans available for every age and for
these health related topics.
You
can also obtain general information about this day by visiting
Better World.
Prayer
for Children of the World |
|
April 15
Income Tax Day |
Want to know where some of your
tax money goes?
The War Resisters League
has a pie chart on government spending.
For a more dynamic presentation on military
spending, visit True Majority and view the
Oreo cookie
demonstration. |
|
April 22
Earth Day or
Creation Sunday |
Note: Earth Day is celebrated every year on April 22. Creation
Sunday is usually celebrated on the Sunday closest to Earth Day. In 2007 they
are both on the same day.
Resources for Creation Sunday.
In addition to having
the materials for this year’s celebration, this website also has
the materials from past years which include themes such as climate,
creatures and oceans.
We also suggest that you
visit the page on
environmental
justice on the OJP website for Education and Formation where you will find activities and lesson plans for any age group. There
are also prayers for the environment available at the website for
Earth Ministry.
|
|
April 23-29
Cover the
Uninsured Week |
This week seeks to raise
awareness and inspire activism around domestic access to health care
Visit the website for the
organization which
sponsors this awareness-raising week.
Prayer
for Mothers without Access to Health Care
|
|
April 24
Death of Cesar
Chavez |
"If you
give yourself totally to the nonviolent struggle for peace and justice you also
find that people give you their hearts and you will never go hungry and never be
alone."
-- Cesar Chavez
Better
World Heroes has a biography of Cesar Chavez as well as quotes from him and
links to other helpful websites. This is a good time to look at the Rights
of Workers. Other days for examining this issue are the feast of St.
Joseph the Worker, May 1, and Labor Day, the first Monday in September. |
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May
|
May 5 Cinco de Mayo |
The website of the History Channel has a study guide
on the history of
Cinco de Mayo. |
|
Second Sunday
Mother’s Day |
You can
find some resources for Women’s Spirituality on the website of the
Diocesan
Women’s Commission. Click on the spirituality
and prayer link.
Prayer
for Mothers
|
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June
|
June
12
World Day Against Child Labor |
To
find out how widespread a problem this issue is in our world today visit the
website of Human Rights Watch.
The Child Labor Coalition also has
facts about child labor in the United States.
|
|
June 19
Juneteenth |
Juneteenth is the
oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the
United States. You can learn more about this commemoration at
http://www.juneteenth.com/ and
http://www.elecvillage.com/juneteen.htm.
|
|
Third Sunday
Father’s Day |
"I cannot
think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection."
-- Sigmund Freud
"One
father is more than a hundred schoolmasters." -- English Proverb
Prayer for Father's Day
Want to find out
about the history of Father’s Day? There are also activities for children to
do for their fathers.
|
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July
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August
|
August
6, 9
Anniversaries
of the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
|
There are
resources
available from various faith traditions. The resources
include fact sheets and prayer services. |
|
August
14
Feast of
Maximilian Kolbe, priest and martyr
|
No one in the world can change Truth. What we can do
and should do is to seek truth and to serve it when we have found it. The real
conflict is the inner conflict. Beyond armies of occupation and the hecatombs of
extermination camps, there are two irreconcilable enemies in the depth of every
soul: good and evil, sin and love. And what use are the victories on the
battlefield if we ourselves are defeated in our innermost personal selves?
To find out more about this saint, visit
http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/saintm01.htm.
|
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September
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October
|
October 1
International Day
of Older Persons
|
This might be a good time to have your classes write
some notes to older persons in your parish, especially those who have no one to
visit them or to do an intergenerational activity. |
|
Oct.
16
World Food Day
|
Visit the OJP web page for formation and education
on Hunger to find activities
for all age groups around hunger. |
|
Oct.
17
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty
|
Visit the OJP web page for formation and education
on Poverty to find
activities and resources for all age groups around the issue of poverty, both in
the U.S. and in the world. |
|
Third weekend in October
National Weekend of Faith in Action Against the
Death Penalty |
Although this weekend is sponsored by
Amnesty
International, The U.S. Catholic Bishops launched a
campaign against the use of the death penalty. Among other
materials, they have issued a statement on the death penalty entitled
"The Culture of Life and the Penalty of Death."
Disclaimer: We are very sorry about the stance
that Amnesty International has taken on abortion. We offer this link to
their materials about the death penalty because they present many valuable
arguments about the death penalty. Our basic stance in our Catholic faith
is that we are against the death penalty because we are consistently pro-life
and the death penalty is a violation of the dignity of the person.
|
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November
|
November 16
International Day for Tolerance
|
Teaching Tolerance has a searchable database for lessons according to
grade level and subject for teaching about tolerance. |
|
November 20
Universal Children’s Day |
Visit the
Better World Calendar which includes
background, links to other resources and quotes about the state of children and
children’s rights. There are also downloadable pictures of heroes of children’s
rights which can be used as a coloring activity for younger children. |
Day after Thanksgiving
Buy Nothing Day
|
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December
|
December 1
World AIDS Day
|
CRS
has some resources for World AIDS Day which Includes some lesson plans and
other activities.
Prayers for
World AIDS Day
Visit
the OJP Education and Formation webpage on
AIDS for lessons and other
resources. |
|
Dec. 2
International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
|
For background on modern day slavery, visit
Free
the Slaves which has a 4 page background piece.
Heal Us Into Freedom
(prayer)
|
|
Dec. 2
Anniversary of the deaths of the four churchwomen in El Salvador: Ita Ford,
Maura Clark, Dorothy Kazel and Jean Donovan |
Click here for biographies of the four women. |
|
Dec. 3
International Day of Disabled Persons
|
Visit the OJP Education and Formation website on
Disability Awareness for
background and activities for any age group. The Pathways Foundation has
lesson plans for ages 8-18
suitable for religious education. For an
abbreviated lesson/reflection, there are the
Beatitudes of
Acceptance. A short, but good lesson might be on the use of
People First Language. |
|
Dec.
10
Human Rights Day
|
Visit the OJP Education and Formation website page
on Human Rights for background
and activities. |
|
Dec.
12
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
|
Sancta has the background of this feast as well as prayers, devotions
and downloadable images. The site is also available in Spanish, French and
Portuguese. |
|
Dec.
25
Christmas
|
The Canadian Mennonites have developed a
three session Bible study for youth groups on the true meaning of
Christmas. They advise that leaders do not wait until Advent for this
Bible study since economic decisions are already being made by that time. |
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