This course follows the liturgical year. It begins with Advent. There are a total of forty-four projects. Each one has an explanation.

***EXAMPLE OF LESSON*** For example the next one we are going to do is "The Grotto at Lourdes" on pg 12. It begins with "Celebrate - February 11, OUR LADY OF LOURDES. February 11 is the anniversary day of the first apparition of Our Day at Lourdes, France. The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to a 14 yr old girl named Bernadette Soubirous eighteen times between Feb 11 and July 16, 1858. On March 25, 1858, Bernadette asked the beautiful lady to identify herself. Mary answered, "I am the Immaculate Conception." Mary also asked for penance and prayer. Bernadette was told by Our Lady to have a chapel built there and to have people come in precessions. A miraculous spring of fresh wat4er came forth from the ground and to this day, many people have been cured by the healing waters that come from the spring.

The lesson then has suggestions for the parent to find more info on the topic. Then the project is listed. In this case we need Pattern # 10, glue, scissors, green and red tissue paper, brown, green and yellow construction paper, crayons or markers and gold glitter. The instructions are giving in steps. 1. Color the picture of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Drape glue on the halo and roses at Mary's feet. Sprinkle with glitter. 2. Cut out patterns for the grotto, oval and vine. 3. Place grotto pattern on brown paper, trace and cut one. 4. Place oval pattern on yellow paper, trace and cut one. 5. Place vine pattern on green paper, trace and cut two. 6. Set grotto pieces aside. Glue oval in the center and glue the two vines along the sides. 7. Cut layers of green and read tissue paper into 1 1/2" X 1 1/2" squares. You will need more green than red. 8. Take each individual red square and roll into a loose ball. Glue them here and there on the vines to look like roses. 9. Take each individual green squares and slightly crumble it. Glue them to vine around roses to look like leaves. 10. Cut out figure of Mary and glue it in center of the oval. 11. Using a pen, carefully print OUR LADY OF LOURDES across the top of the grotto. Display your artwork. *************

We are excited about this lesson because we just set up a table to use as a home altar and so far only have a few votive candles. We want to save for a nice stature of the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Hearts. So until then the Grotto the kids make will grace our little table.

The other lessons cover all twelve months. There are projects for Lent, Easter, St Pat's Day, Pentecost, Ascension Thursday, Trinity Sunday, Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Feast of All Saints and more. We have really enjoyed it. I have no artistic ability and this helps me to give my children art that looks like art ;-). I have also learned alot about the liturgical year from it. Also Cari and David have been able to do it together. I plan on using it again next year for projects for liturgical feasts. It really is a wonderful book.