On October 21 we celebrated, together with our children, the day of our patron St. John Paul II. He is the Patron Saint of our Oratory for children.
For this occasion, we organized Bingo. Even though the oratory is dedicated children, to the spiritual and human formation of children; this feast day turned into an oratory for the whole family. Several parents of the children came and joined us.
We began our feast with a visit to the church, where Fr. Horacio, IVE, explained to the children the reason for the celebration (keep in mind that some of the children who attend the oratory are not Catholic, so they don’t know much about the saints and why they are examples for us). Then we prayed for various intentions that the children offered: for peace in the world, for those who have no home or parents, for the poor and for the sick people. We ended with a song the Blessed Virgin Mary.
After that, we went to the Parish Hall where everything was prepared for the Bingo. The children won several prizes. We took a break during Bingo and held competitions. Then we continued playing.
When Bingo ended, we enjoyed together some delicious pizzas, hot dogs, and a large cake we received for the occasion. And at the end, they all returned to their homes, happy and contented.
The children noticed: it was a special day. May John Paul II help us to transmit to these children the love God has for each of them.
“People cannot live without love. They are called to love God and their neighbor, but in order to love properly they must be certain that God loves them. (…)What joy is greater than the joy brought by love? What joy is greater than the joy which you, O Jesus, bring at Christmas to people’s hearts, and especially to the hearts of children?” ( Letter of Pope John Paul II to Children, 13 December 1994)
Sisters from the community St. Bridget of Sweden, Iceland
