Teaching Religion in October: 7 Engaging Lessons to Inspire Your Students!
Teaching Religion in October: Check out #7!
October is a beautiful month for Catholic educators, as it offers a wealth of religious themes, feast days, and traditions to explore with students. With autumn in full swing, this is the perfect time to incorporate seasonal elements and deep reflections into your religion lessons.
But let’s be real—teaching religion in October can be a bit of a challenge. Between Halloween excitement and random mid-semester slumps, it’s like herding cats…holy cats, but still cats.
Here are 7 ideas for what to teach in your religion class during October. Number 7 is the one your kids will REALLY want to know!
1. Catholic Kids Bulletins: Definitely Teach this in October!
- Of course, I have to mention Catholic Kids Bulletins! The Bulletins for October include the Archangels as well as Saint Therese the Little Flower, Saint Francis of Assisi, and Saint Jude. You can get the FREE download, or you could save yourself time and download all the bulletins you’ll need for the next year with this download!
2. The Rosary: October’s Spiritual Workout
- October is all about the Rosary, and it even gets its own feast day on October 7th (Our Lady of the Rosary). Break out the beads and walk your students through one of the Mysteries: Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, or Luminous. Bonus points if you can keep them focused for all five decades without someone asking, “How many Hail Marys are left?”
- This post has tons of ideas for teaching the Rosary, or you can go right to this bundle of activities to download everything you need to dig in to the Rosary this month.
- My favorite new Rosary activity is this Skit that teaches the history of the Rosary. This Readers Theater takes students on a journey through the Mysteries of the Rosary and its key moments, with 8 scenes detailing events in the development of the Rosary. From Early Prayer Traditions to Pope John Paul II and the addition of the Luminous Mysteries, students will learn about the devotion of the Rosary.
3. Respect Life Month
- October is Respect Life Month, and it’s a perfect opportunity to teach about the dignity of every human being. Just don’t be surprised if the conversation takes a detour into why their little sibling isn’t always worthy of respect. I put together a Reading Comprehension packet about Respect Life Month that would be a great introduction to the topic. There are three levels of passages that outline the meaning of the month and list a few ways to celebrate and understand the sanctity of life.
- Respect Life Month, observed every October, is a time when Catholics across the U.S. focus on the sanctity and dignity of every human life, from conception to natural death. The month emphasizes the Church’s teachings on the inherent value of each person, regardless of age, ability, race, or circumstance. It’s a time to reflect on the issues affecting human life—such as abortion, euthanasia, and the death penalty—and to promote a culture of life through prayer, education, and action.
4. St. Francis of Assisi (October 4th)
- Celebrate Saint Francis of Assisi’s feast day. You can recognize his love for animals and creation with a nature walk or an eco-friendly project. Encourage your students to say a prayer for their pet and thank God for his creative gifts of pets!
- This Saint Francis of Assisi Skit is a Reader’s Theater that will get kids excited to learn about his life and see him as a role model in their lives.
- If you teach younger kids, here’s a coloring page that they’ll love! Saint Francis surrounded by animals.
5. Saint Teresa of Avila (October 15th)
- A Doctor of the Church and mystic, St. Teresa of Ávila is known for her deep prayer life and reform of the Carmelite Order. Teach about her journey toward intimacy with God through prayer and how students can deepen their own prayer lives. Teach your students about this hardcore mystic who reformed an entire order of nuns and wrote about deep spiritual intimacy with God. If anyone asks, yes, being close to God can mean taking a break to nap, à la St. Teresa. This Reading Comprehension packet has one page of information about this great saint, along with multiple choice and discussion questions.
6. Missionary Work and World Mission Sunday
- World Mission Sunday is an opportunity to teach students about the Church’s missionary efforts around the world. Highlight modern-day missionaries or historical figures like St. Therese of Lisieux, the patroness of missions. Encourage students to pray for missions and support missionary work. You can connect this to their own lives by challenging them to think about how they can “be missionaries” in their school, home, or soccer team.
- Missionary work starts with small acts of kindness…like not hogging the last piece of pizza at lunch. This is a great time to thank those around them. These thank-you notes would be a great place to start, or you could use these hilarious Priest appreciation Mad-libs. Thank You Cards are always an important part of teaching religion.
7. Halloween!!! (And the Triduum of All Hallows)
- The final topic to cover when teaching religion in October is…Halloween! Kids will spend the whole month getting ready for Halloween. This is a great time to teach about the supernatural in Religion class. What do Catholics believe about ghosts? What does the Catholic Church teach about demons, spirits, and zombies?
- Do your students want to know the TRUTH about Ghosts, Zombies, Witches, Spirits, Demons, and Skeletons? This Readers Theater covers it ALL with Bible stories, quotes from the Catechism, and Catholic teachings on the Triduum of All Hallows. Halloween, All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day.
What are you teaching in October?
For a limited time, you can get the bulletins for the rest of this Liturgical Year AND the bulletins for 2025 (Year C) for a discounted price! Get it today and you’ll have everything you need to keep your kids focused at Mass for over a year.
This is also a great time to reach out to your parish and encourage them to buy the bulletins and print them for the whole church each weekend!
This page has detailed descriptions of the bulletins if they want more information.
October Catholic Kids Bulletin
Remember, for a limited time, you can get the bulletins for the rest of this Liturgical Year AND the bulletins for 2025 (Year C) for a discounted price! Get it today and you’ll have everything you need to keep your kids focused at Mass for over a year.
Enjoy our FREE Printable Catholic Kids Bulletin worksheets, aligning with weekly Mass readings. Immerse your children in the world of coloring pages. They correspond to the Gospel, monthly Mass activities, Psalm handwriting, and entertaining word searches. Navigate through the liturgy order provided in each bulletin to enhance your kids’ Mass experience. You can help them foster a deeper connection to worship. Uncover the intricacies of the Mass structure and delve into Catholic History with engaging coloring pages showcasing saints. Elevate your children’s Catholic education by incorporating our interactive and educational resources into their learning journey.
Have you used Catholic Kids Bulletins before? If you have questions, check here…
October Catholic Kids Bulletin
Octubre Boletín para Niños Católicos
Mass Bulletins include…
- Ordinary Time
- Saint Michael the Archangel, Saint Raphael the Archangel, Saint Gabriel the Archangel
- Saint Therese the Little Flower
- Ordinary Time
- Saint Francis of Assisi
- Saint Jude
These FREE Catholic Mass Bulletin Printables are offered each month in order to help young Catholics learn at Mass. For example, you are welcome to print and share with others. If you can afford it, click Support CKB on the left. You can donate to help pay for the time and effort put into these pages. Thanks!
