Open-and-go lesson plan for St. John Paul II’s feast day

Ready to share the story of St. John Paul II with kids? 

Whether you’re a homeschool parent, a school parent, a catechist, or a Catholic school teacher, you can use this plan to give a quick and memorable lesson about this amazing modern-day saint.

Before beginning, I recommend getting a copy of The Story of Saint John Paul II: A Boy Who Became Pope. It’s the best kid-friendly biography out there, beautifully written and capturing the essence of his life and mission.

For hands-on learners, print a coloring page about the life of St. John Paul II or assemble drawing supplies for this wonderful “how to draw St. John Paul II” video:

If you are in a time crunch or just want to put this lesson on autopilot, just use that drawing video above. The narrator shares facts about his life and it’s a perfect school-day “brain break” with a little learning.

For a longer lesson, here are a few more resources.

1
Share who St. John Paul II was

Read A Boy Who Became Pope, or watch this video about his life for kids from EWTN below:

Or skip the video and read aloud this biography:

Pope St. John Paul II was born Karol Wojtyla (voy-TIH-wah) in the small Polish town of Wadowice. His mother and brother died when he was a child, and his father died when he was 19.

He loved acting in plays and wanted to become an actor, but felt God calling him to be a priest instead, even though it was a dangerous thing to be at the time. He lived during World War II, when the Nazis invaded Poland, so he had to study for the priesthood secretly in an “underground” seminary established by the archbishop of Krakow. 

He was ordained to the priesthood in 1946. At the time, it was still not very safe to be a Catholic in Poland, so Father Karol would often celebrate Mass up in the mountains for his friends. He loved being outdoors, camping, hiking, and kayaking.

In 1964, Father Karol was appointed archbishop of Krakow; just three years later he was made a cardinal. In 1978, Cardinal Wojtyla was elected Pope. He took the name John Paul II. He began his papacy on Oct. 22 by telling the world, “Be not afraid”; his life showed everyone that to change the world, we must “cast into the deep for a great catch.”

Since St. John Paul II died less than 20 years ago, many Catholic parents and teachers might have our own memories of him, and these would be wonderful to share with our students.

2
Talk about what you heard

After reading about him or watching a video, briefly talk about his life together. You might ask the following questions:

• What did you hear?
• Parts of his story were really sad, but that’s what really happened to him. What do you think helped him get through those sad things?
• What are some of your favorite things about St. John Paul II and his story?
• Do you have any questions about St. John Paul II?

You can also spend some time looking through this list of 20 Images that prove St. John Paul II was the coolest saint ever. These images really help kids (and all of us!) to see and understand this extraordinary saint. 

3
End with a time of prayer together

Finally, close with prayer. You might light a candle at this point to set aside this prayer time as something special and sacred. Together, you can pray, “Jesus, thank you for giving the Church the gift of St. John Paul II to lead us and love us for so many years. St. John Paul II, pray for us!”

Finally, ask the kids if they want to add their own prayer or song to Jesus before your time of prayer ends.

Read more:How the world of theater formed St. John Paul II (Photos)

Read more:What does St. John Paul II’s motto, “Totus Tuus,” mean?