Saints & Sports Bulletin Board

Our Catholic Schools Week activities are themed around the Olympics and the Saints- each class is representing a country around the world and a Saint from that country.

I love a good theme, so switched up my bulletin board to feature Saints living well- playing sports and enjoying the outdoors. I plan to share their stories with my students, and will be reading some excerpts from Pope St. John Paul II's speeches to athletes. (There is a great list here, and you can check the full text on the Vatican website)

I want to share with my students that we can celebrate the gift of athletics and sports– as well as challenge them to see how we can use those talents while also serving the Lord and growing in holiness.

Saints included are:

• Pope Saint John Paul II (hiking, skiing, camping)

• Blessed Chiara Luce Badano (pictured playing in the snow, also a tennis player)

• Saint John Bosco (encouraged students to play sports)

• Blessed Carlo Acutis (soccer)

• Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (mountain climbing, skiing)

• Blessed Gianna Molla (hiking)

• Blessed Benedict Daswa (played soccer)

• Servant of God Michelle Duppong (grew up on a farm)

• Venerable Carla Ronci (riding a Vespa)

• Saint Dulce Pontes (played soccer)

• Venerable Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan (pictured riding a bike)

• Venerable Guido Schäffer (surfing)

Saints & Sports images here:

 

Sports & Virtue Quotes from JP2 here:

"Be Saints" letter outlines here:

During class that week, we talked about Saints who were athletic. Each grade level chose a particular Saint, so I also specifically taught about St. Sebastian, Ven. Teresita Quevedo, and Pope St. John Paul II. This slide show includes a favorite Fr. Mike Schmitz video using some great sports analogies, a video for the three Saints chosen for our junior high classes, as well as photos of the Saints and the sports/activities they did. Click here for the presentation:

Then I had the students pick one Saint they were interested in and do a little research. I included some great wisdom from JP2 to athletes on the back, hoping that they might take it home and hang it up as a reminder!

Click here for a printable version of the activity:

And click here for a digital version you could assign in Google Classroom, etc.:

If you are looking for more bulletin board ideas, check out this post: