Our Lady Queen of Peace Celebrates World Day of Prayer and Action for Children
House Springs may be just a tiny part of a big world, but youth at Our Lady Queen of Peace School have real big hearts. They reached out to join people all around the globe in a common effort for the love of children on the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children.
Celebrated on Universal Children’s Day, November 20 of each year, the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children connects people and organizations to protect children. As the name implies the day is focused on two activities, the act of prayer, meditation or worship and some hands on activity that helps a child or children that may be living in poverty, without education, suffering abuse or dealing with some other hardship.
This year students at Our Lady Queen of Peace chose as their action a fundraising effort to benefit people in the Northeast who have been affected by Hurricane Sandy.
“We raised money for people in Hurricane Sandy,” said Kim Queen, 13, an eighth grade student at Our Lady Queen of Peace. “I liked it because we helped them out and reached other children, so they don’t feel like they are left out.”
“I was impressed by the fact that everyone came together as one for a cause,” said Cassidy Love, 13, another eighth grader at OLQP
Terry Ostlund, the religion teacher at the school and Youth Director for OLQP, said students participated in several activities in preparation for the event and throughout the day. They made posters and stickers. They fashioned bracelets that would help students remember to continue to pray for children all around the world. They also created origami collection bowls to collect their loose change which will be donated to Catholic Charities to help the children and their families affected by Hurricane Sandy.
“We were studying about people around the world and how not everyone has the same opportunities that we have here, and it’s their responsibility to connect to others whether it is by raising money or raising awareness,” Ostlund said.
During the World Day of Prayer and Action for Children, students in each grade level wore clothing of a different color of the rainbow, and Our Lady Queen of Peace became "a living rainbow on that day." Three times throughout the school day, the student body gathered for prayer.
Ostlund said the event was successful.
“I liked that the kids felt like they could really make a difference in the world by reaching out to kids they’ve never met and helping them,”Ostlund said. “And what they really liked is that when they went to the global map, they were one of the few schools that were participating. This year’s 7th graders have set a goal to make this an even bigger event next year."
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another —and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25