Celebrating Lent at St. John Vianney Catholic School is wonderful. Students learn about Christ's miracles and sacrifices in a loving and spiritual environment. Each grade is doing a different Lenten project that they work on throughout the season. In Pre-K 3, Mrs. Parks is having her students bring in their favorite food items that they will donate to St. Vincent de Paul Society at the end of Lent.

When I asked one of the students, Mackenzie, what she brought in, her immediate response was, “I want to show you.” She brought green beans and mandarin oranges. When she showed me these items, I asked her how it makes her feel that someone doesn't have as much food as she does. She thought about it for a moment and answered, “It makes me feel bad.” It is amazing that 3-year-olds are able to grow in their faith and that they are able to understand what they are doing at such a young age. Ms. Tracey Ternent, the assistant teacher, told me, “We are going to have to turn in our donations today, March 10, because our table is overflowing with the kid's food!”

One of the kindergarten classes has a jellybean prayer jar. Different color jellybeans are earned for doing different things. For example, red is for the blood Christ gave. Each morning they choose something to sacrifice for the day to be able to earn the red jellybean. On Easter morning, the children will get to eat the jellybeans they earned and then they will earn their white jellybean.

One of the 1st grade classes is making cards for the troops every Friday during Lent and collecting money for the poor. Second graders are “Religion Buddies” with the sixth graders. Third grade is participating in a number of projects during Lent. They are praying the Stations of the Cross every week, and they are also sponsoring a bake sale. All the proceeds from the bake sale will go to an area that is “in need.”

Fourth graders are creating Stations of the Cross booklets. Fifth and sixth graders are raising money from doing chores for family members, friends, and neighbors. On April 16 they will go on a field trip to purchase food to donate to the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry.

The middle school students are volunteering at our weekly Fish Fry. Tommy has volunteered at the Fish Fry and I asked him how it helped him grow in his faith. He replied, “It helps me act like Jesus by serving others.” From Pre-k 3 to middle school, Lent at St. John Vianney Catholic School is a wonderful experience.