In Jennifer Merisi’s fifth-grade STEM class, students Jacob Martinez, Margaret Rodriguez and Lillie Roseboro proudly showed off the educational and spiritual lessons they learned during the Lenten season at Saint Peter School.
At the touch of a button, their Google Slides presentation popped up on the screen in the front of the class, and a stop-motion Lego re-enactment of three of the 14 Stations of the Cross played: Simon helps Jesus carry the Cross, Veronica wipes Jesus’ face, and Jesus falls the second time.
The first time, it took two classes of 30 minutes each, once a week, to perfect building the Lego characters and scene, shooting an image, manipulating the characters and shooting again, Martinez said.
After these initial steps, the team could make each station’s animation in one class. After the trio fine-tuned their creations’ movements, they handed off their completed work to Marisi, who combined all the teams’ submissions into a complete stop-motion retelling of Jesus’ Passion.
“Students are learning the religious traditions of Lent, while also the technical aspects of stop-motion animation and Google Slides,” Marisi said.
Like Saint Peter’s, Catholic school teachers across the Diocese utilized engaging, fun and informative lesson plans to help students dive deeper into Lent.
Every Wednesday at Saint Mary School in Vineland, 20 students voluntarily participated in a Lenten prayer group led by Deacon Russell Davis, which helped them understand the meaning of Lent, prepare for the Triduum and better learn how to pray, said Alison Filion, the school’s coordinator of Catholic Identity.
Eighth-grader Isabel Quinlan was excited to learn from Deacon Davis, saying, “He taught us how to live closer to Jesus [and] what the Church does to celebrate the season.”
Deacon Davis praised the students genuine interest in learning more about their faith and Lent. “They’ve been respectful to me and to each other, listening and asking questions,” he said, adding that it was encouraging to see their engagement.
Prayer group attendee Delaney Davis, a sixth-grader and Deacon Davis’ granddaughter, said the time spent with her grandfather and fellow students “strengthened my faith and spiritual life, and helped me think more sincerely when I pray.”
She added that she was “growing closer to my friends and others, because [now] it is easier to talk about the faith and help [each other] understand.”
In the days leading up to Holy Week, Anthony Polidoro, an eighth-grader from Saint Margaret Regional School in Woodbury Heights, joined fellow students in preparing for the Living Stations of the Cross, where he was to portray Jesus.
“We’ve talked a lot more about the faith, and I’m realizing I have a deeper connection not only with [my classmates] now, but with God,” he said.
This school event, which has been taking place since 1999, had eighth-graders performing the pivotal players in Jesus’ Passion, seventh-graders providing the spoken narrative, and other grades portraying various witnesses.
“The Stations of the Cross allows students a visualization of the unending love that our faith is all about,” said Rachel Sole, school counselor.
Eighth-grader Julianna Brady, who was helping lead songs between the action and narrative, said that through the experience she now “understands more about Jesus’ sacrifice. Because of him, we can have a good life, and get to heaven.”
With these and other Lenten initiatives – including the FaithFULL Food Drive and Catholic Relief Services’ Rice Bowl – Catholic schools are educating the young Church on Lent, Holy Week and Easter.
“These programs bring further reinforcement of our values and ways for students to not only strengthen their bonds with each other, but with our faith,” said Amy Hollinger, Saint Peter School advancement director.
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