may desserts
Save room for dessert! Let's have some fun with our meal... choose as many activities as you like to round out your household's faith adventure this month.
Liturgical Year Connection
We Catholics celebrate Easter for 50 days, and the Easter season ends on Pentecost. This year, Pentecost is on June 5. Click below for a couple of videos about this great feast, the birthday of the Church! You can also find a wonderful resource for praying the Pentecost Novena starting the 9 days before Pentecost.
saints of the Month
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St. Damien de Veuster of Molokai- May 10
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St. Damien was born Joseph de Veuster in Belgium in 1840. When he joined a religious community to become a priest, he chose the name Damien. His older brother, who was already a priest, was supposed to become a missionary in Hawaii, but he got sick and couldn't go. Damien got permission to go in his place, even though he wasn't a priest yet.
Damien arrived in Hawaii in March of 1864, and two months later, he was ordained a priest. After he had been there a few years, he learned of a community of people who needed a priest. Hansen's Disease, also known as leprosy, is a bacterial infection that affects the skin and nerves. If it is not treated, it can cause sores that don't heal and severe nerve damage. We now know that it can be easily cured with antibiotics. During St. Damien's lifetime, scientists and doctors did not yet understand how bacteria work, and antibiotics had not been discovered. The only way the government could see to keep people safe from the disease was to send the people who had it to a deserted part of an island away from everybody else, for the rest of their lives. The place was called Kalaupapa, and it is on the Island of Molakai. They were cut off from their loved ones, and lived in poverty.
Fr. Damien's heart went out to these people, and without any worry about his own safety, he offered to go serve as their pastor. He spent 16 years on the Island of Molakai, helping everyone who needed it. He did not care where they were from or how sick they were or how they looked as the disease progressed. He loved everyone, and he taught them to love and care for each other too. After about 12 years, Fr. Damian also developed Hansen's Disease, and four years later, in 1889, he died at the age of 49.
In 2009, Fr. Damien was declared a saint. The Church holds him up as an example for us of a person who lived the message of the gospel and who brought the Good News of of the love of Jesus to some of the poorest people of his time. He is considered a hero to the Hawaiian people, and the national park in Kalaupapa tells his story.
When I look the past the outward appearance to see and love the person inside, I am like. St. Damien.
Damien arrived in Hawaii in March of 1864, and two months later, he was ordained a priest. After he had been there a few years, he learned of a community of people who needed a priest. Hansen's Disease, also known as leprosy, is a bacterial infection that affects the skin and nerves. If it is not treated, it can cause sores that don't heal and severe nerve damage. We now know that it can be easily cured with antibiotics. During St. Damien's lifetime, scientists and doctors did not yet understand how bacteria work, and antibiotics had not been discovered. The only way the government could see to keep people safe from the disease was to send the people who had it to a deserted part of an island away from everybody else, for the rest of their lives. The place was called Kalaupapa, and it is on the Island of Molakai. They were cut off from their loved ones, and lived in poverty.
Fr. Damien's heart went out to these people, and without any worry about his own safety, he offered to go serve as their pastor. He spent 16 years on the Island of Molakai, helping everyone who needed it. He did not care where they were from or how sick they were or how they looked as the disease progressed. He loved everyone, and he taught them to love and care for each other too. After about 12 years, Fr. Damian also developed Hansen's Disease, and four years later, in 1889, he died at the age of 49.
In 2009, Fr. Damien was declared a saint. The Church holds him up as an example for us of a person who lived the message of the gospel and who brought the Good News of of the love of Jesus to some of the poorest people of his time. He is considered a hero to the Hawaiian people, and the national park in Kalaupapa tells his story.
When I look the past the outward appearance to see and love the person inside, I am like. St. Damien.
Faith and fun
Recipe
Wacky Cake
With all the Spring activities around us, things can get a little wacky!
From: Stidfole Family & Van Schepen Family
Oven Temperature: 350* Cook Time: 35 min
Ingredients
3 cups of flour
6 Tbsp of cocoa
2 tsp of soda
2 cups of sugar
2 Tbsp of vinegar
12 Tbsp of melted butter
2 tsp of vanilla
2 cups of very cold water
Instructions
1: Pour flour, cocoa, baking soda, and sugar into a 9x13 pan. Mix ingredients with a spoon.
2: Make 3 wells in dry ingredients. In first well place 2 Tbsp of vinegar; in second well place 12 Tbsp of melted butter; in third well place 2 tsp of vanilla.
3: Pour 2 cups of very cold water over all ingredients and stir until mixed.
4: Bake in 350* oven for 35 minutes.
Note: This recipe is from our Mother, Eva Pranke, who passed away in 1966 at the age of 42. We don’t have many memories of her but we have her recipe and this is the cake that we make for family birthday cakes. Cheri Van Schepen & Becky Stidfole
With all the Spring activities around us, things can get a little wacky!
From: Stidfole Family & Van Schepen Family
Oven Temperature: 350* Cook Time: 35 min
Ingredients
3 cups of flour
6 Tbsp of cocoa
2 tsp of soda
2 cups of sugar
2 Tbsp of vinegar
12 Tbsp of melted butter
2 tsp of vanilla
2 cups of very cold water
Instructions
1: Pour flour, cocoa, baking soda, and sugar into a 9x13 pan. Mix ingredients with a spoon.
2: Make 3 wells in dry ingredients. In first well place 2 Tbsp of vinegar; in second well place 12 Tbsp of melted butter; in third well place 2 tsp of vanilla.
3: Pour 2 cups of very cold water over all ingredients and stir until mixed.
4: Bake in 350* oven for 35 minutes.
Note: This recipe is from our Mother, Eva Pranke, who passed away in 1966 at the age of 42. We don’t have many memories of her but we have her recipe and this is the cake that we make for family birthday cakes. Cheri Van Schepen & Becky Stidfole
