Here are some suggestions for your parish to help families embrace the ideas from 52 Sundays. Some ideas for each week are provided to continually connect with families about the book. Since it is lectionary-based, many of these suggestions are applicable, even if families do not have the physical book. You may reproduce everything from the book for your parish or school needs. These suggestions were written in advance, so please note that some may need to be adapted due to gathering restrictions at the time.
ONGOING
Let families know how they can get the book’s weekly content at 52Sundays.com. Encourage people to post what they are doing that week using the hashtag #52Sundays on your church’s social media channels and website. Utilizing your parish communication methods (bulletin, website, social media, Remind, Flocknote, newsletter, etc.), provide links to the Archdiocese of Detroit social media channels as a way for people to connect with other #52Sundays posts. Send messages to families in the parish about 52 Sundays, with a question from the book, reminders about the activity, etc.
JANUARY
For the week of January 2, 2022: In the bulletin, have a staff member reveal a time God led them in a special way, just as he did with the Magi in the Gospel. Create bags with pieces of chalk and a simple house blessing to pass out after Mass for families to bless their homes this year. In a creative way, acknowledge at Mass or gatherings throughout the week the distance people travel seeking Jesus (ex/ who traveled the farthest to get to Mass, who lives the closest, who can guess how far the parish is from Bethlehem, etc.). Invite families to post pictures of their Butterscotch Travelers on your social media channels. Ask for the intercession of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton at all gatherings this week.
For the week of January 9, 2022: Post a video on your website with reflective music and someone reading the prayer meditation for families to utilize. In the bulletin, have key volunteers share what language they would like to learn to be more effective evangelizers, like St. Francis Xavier. Have a gathering of families that includes some of the Crab Sports. Encourage families to post on your social media channels pictures of their baptismal candles on display. Ask for the intercession of St. Francis Xavier at all gatherings this week.
For the week of January 16, 2022: Invite families to post pictures from their pretend and/or real family weddings on your social media channels. Pray the prayer for marriage over all married couples at masses this weekend. Consider having a way for families to share the names of married couples they would like to pray for this week; share those names with your parish intercessory prayer team. In the bulletin, have a staff member share what they imagine it would have been like to witness Jesus changing the water into wine. Make a video for your website showing off the details of the cruets you use at your parish; explain any fun facts about them (how they came to your parish, etc.). Ask for the intercession of Sts. Anne and Joachim at all gatherings this week.
For the week of January 23, 2022: Create bookmarks that families can personalize for their family Bible in honor of Word of God Sunday; consider including suggested readings for each day this week. Invite key parish volunteers to share via the bulletin how they think the good news of Jesus spread throughout the whole region without technology. Invite families to post pictures of their haikus on your social media channels; have the staff share theirs too! Make a recording of the reading for Lectio Divina that you can post on your website for families to access for their Family Prayer this week. Ask for the intercession of Venerable Satoko Kitahara at all your gatherings this week.
For the week of January 30, 2022: Supply families with a simple worksheet of the ACTS prayer that they can utilize throughout the week. Create a video for your website showing the statue of St. Joseph at your parish; share any interesting facts about the statue or how it became part of your parish. Provide simple ideas for families to have their homes be a place of welcoming others. Invite families to post pictures of their completed puzzles on your social media channels. Ask for the intercession of Blessed Ladislao Batthyány-Strattmann at your gatherings this week.
FEBRUARY
For the week of February 6, 2022: In the bulletin, invite a staff member to recall a time someone helped them grow closer to Jesus. Post a video on your social media channels of a staff member making Banana Boats. Provide the materials for families to make the prayer fishing poles at home this week. Make a video for your website about the journey of a purificator, showing families where it is stored, when it is used at Mass, and how it is cleaned because it has the Precious Blood on it. Ask for the intercession of Sts. Cosmas and Damian at all your parish events this week.
For the week of February 13, 2022: Ask a staff member to share a time they relied on God in a video on the website. Encourage families to post pictures of their Valentine’s Day Luminaries on your social media channels. Create a list of ways for families to show support for those from your parish who are discerning a vocation either to marriage, priesthood, or religious life. Invite all the families in your parish to pray the Family Prayer every day this week at the same time. Ask for the intercession of Venerable Augustus Tolton at all your parish events this week.
For the week of February 20, 2022: Ask key volunteers from your parish to reveal who their favorite saint is and why in a compilation video on your website. Provide prayer cards and possibly materials for families to use when making their saint artwork for the Family Fun activity. Invite families to post pictures of their saint artwork on your social media channels; have staff members post their own saint creations as well. Throughout the week, share information on your social media channels about different Third Order religious orders and invite families to pray for them. Ask for the intercession of Blessed Lucian Botovasoa, O.S.F., at your parish events this week.
For the week of February 27, 2022: Create a video for your website showing the different vestments at your parish, describing when they are worn and any facts about how they came to your parish. Encourage families to post pictures of their grape caterpillars on your social media channels.
Provide families with a list of ideas they can participate in during the Lenten season and any details they may need (ex/ location, time, etc.). Create a list of people in religious life or discerning this vocation; ask each family to pick one name from the list and be their prayer partner, offering prayers for them throughout the season of Lent. Ask for the intercession of St. Rafqa Pietra Choboq Ar-Rayés at your parish events this week.
MARCH
For the week of March 6, 2022: In the bulletin, ask staff members to share three items they would take with them if they were in the desert for 40 days. Have families submit videos of them reading the prayer in the Family Prayer section; combine the videos so that different families read different words of the prayer in one compilation video and post it on the website. Invite a priest at your parish to share what the Eucharist means to him; connect it to the Liturgy Link by having him share about his experience at the Consecration. Encourage families to post pictures of their lasagna on your social media channels. Ask for the intercession of St. Ephrem at your parish events this week.
For the week of March 13, 2022: Invite a staff member to tell a personal story about how they shared/revealed their faith to their friends; also ask them to provide tips for families to share their faith with others. Have an event at the parish where there is a virtual tour of Mt. Tabor; invite someone who has visited the Holy Land to share their experience for families to envision the location of the Transfiguration. Have some activities for children to do (i.e., coloring pages, climbing games, etc.), provide a pretzel snack, and close your time together with a Lectio Divina prayer on the Sunday Gospel. Host online events throughout the week where families can join your priest, deacon, or another staff member in a decade of the rosary; have them at a variety of times so that families can join when they are best able. Consider making a downloadable rosary worksheet that families can utilize during the prayer. Create a video for your website about the altar at your parish that explains what happens at the table and why it is essential; be sure to describe any fun or unique facts about the altar as well. Ask for the intercession of Blessed Francisco de Paula Victor at your gatherings this week.
For the week of March 20, 2022: In the bulletin, invite a staff member to share/offer an experience of spiritual healing they experienced in the sacrament of Reconciliation. Also, have them share upcoming times for reconciliation in the Lenten season; be sure to offer at least one opportunity that is at a time that is convenient for families. Post a video on your website about how to go to Confession at your parish; this can help families feel at ease about bringing children who are still newer to the sacrament or act as an invitation to families who may have been away from the sacrament for a while. Create a family-friendly examination of conscience for download that parents can walk through with their children. Invite families to post pictures of their shadow art on your social media channels. If possible, invite families to make cookies to bring to the parish to be donated to local medical professionals or others in need. Ask for the intercession of Blessed Niels Steensen at your gatherings this week. On your social media channels, consider posting throughout the week examples of how saints still impact the greater world today (ex/Bl. Niels Steensen’s discovery of a salivary duct is still referred to as the Steno’s Gland today).
For the week of March 27, 2022: In the bulletin, invite different staff members to share which character they most relate to from the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Provide cards and possibly a list of words for families to make their own Gospel Memory Match at home. Create a video tour of the different saint statues or images you have at your parish to post on your social media channels; share any special connection they have to your parish. On your website, have a video of the Litany of St. Monica, possibly with images to reflect on, that families can utilize for their family prayer. Ask for the intercession of St. Monica at your gatherings this week.
APRIL
For the week of April 3, 2022: Inspired by St. Laura Montoya y Upegui, let families know how your parish stands up for those looked down upon and ways families can join. Host a parish “chocolatada” where families can gather to chat, enjoy some snacks, and then end the time together in prayer. Make a video for your website showing families the Roman Missal and highlights of what it includes. Invite families to post pictures of their Pandebono on your social media channels. Ask for the intercession of St. Laura Montoya y Upegui at your gatherings this week.
For the week of April 10, 2022: Provide supplies or coloring pages for families to create their own Stations of the Cross to use this week; include a family-friendly prayer guide that families can use while praying the Stations of the Cross throughout the week. In the bulletin, ask staff members to share one thing that they find meaningful about Holy Week. Have families submit videos of them reading the Litany of the Way: Prayer for the Journey; combine the videos so that different families read different words of the prayer in one compilation video and post it on the website. Encourage families to post on your social media channels pictures of their palms at home. Ask for the intercession of Blessed James Miller at your gatherings this week.
For the day of April 14, 2022: Post a video on your social media channels with a priest from your parish sharing his call to the priesthood. Organize a way for families to give a decorated stepping stone to those who are homebound in your community or cannot make one for themselves. Post a link to a video with the lyrics to Tantum Ergo on your website for families to utilize in their family prayer.
For the day of April 15, 2022: Let families know of times that they can pray the Stations of the Cross at your parish; if possible, set up an outdoor path with the Stations so families can walk through with their children. Share a video on your website that briefly explains the differences in the parish’s arts and environment for each day of the Triduum. Invite families to share a picture of their crown of thorns on your social media channels.
For the day of April 16, 2022: Share a video on your website where staff members reveal their favorite part of the Easter Vigil. Invite families to post pictures of their Easter fire on your social media channels. Provide the names of all the elect from your parish and/or neighboring parishes so that families know whose names to include in the Baptism Prayer for Holy Saturday.
For the week of April 17, 2022: In the bulletin, ask staff members to share what Jesus’ resurrection means for them. Invite families to pray the Sequence for Easter at the same time each day this week. Post a video on your website about when and how incense is used. Encourage families to post pictures of their Empty Easter Egg Hunt on your social media channels. Ask for the intercession of St. Anatolius of Laodicea at your gatherings this week.
For the week of April 24, 2022: Provide simple craft kits for families to make rosaries at home or have a Divine Mercy Sunday event for families with rosary-making stations, opportunities for Confession, and time to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy together. In the bulletin, invite a staff member to reflect on Jesus’ appearance to the disciples in the Gospel and share how they would have reacted had they been there. Create a video for your website where a priest shares about the Sprinkling Rite and which aspergillum he likes to use. Let families know of opportunities through your parish or larger community where they can provide a Corporal Work of Mercy this week; schedule an opportunity for families to participate in one if needed. Ask for the intercession of St. John Paul II at your gatherings this week.
MAY
For the week of May 1, 2022: In the bulletin, ask a staff member to reflect on a time when they did not initially recognize Jesus working in their lives and how they felt after they realized how he was present. Provide journals for families to take after Mass this weekend to use in prayer; encourage them to personalize their journals and use them throughout the week. Invite families to post pictures on your social media channels of their time playing Vocation Dress-up; have the staff post pictures of themselves dressed as saints and have families guess which saint they are. Make a video for your website showing the different ciboria at your parish and any interesting facts about them. Ask for the intercession of St. María Guadalupe García Zavala at your gatherings this week.
For the week of May 8, 2022: In the bulletin, invite key volunteers to share how they listen for Jesus’ voice when they pray. To help families with the Liturgy Link, be sure to include prayers for vocations in the Prayers of the Faithful on this World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Have families submit videos of them reading the Family Prayer for the week; combine the videos so that different families read different words of the prayer in one compilation video and post it on the website. Link a simple video of the Angelus to your website that families can use every day this week. Ask for the intercession of Blessed Eurosia Fabris at your gatherings this week.
For the week of May 15, 2022: In the bulletin, ask a staff member to share what it means to them to be a disciple of Jesus and why they want others to be disciples as well. Provide sidewalk chalk for families to take home to write messages of love on the sidewalk by their home. Encourage them to post pictures of their designs on your social media channels. Consider inviting families to come to decorate the sidewalk of your parish at a specific time this week and close your time in prayer. Give families a list of ways that they can help those who experience homelessness. Ask for the intercession of St. Alberto Hurtado at your gatherings this week.
For the week of May 22, 2022: In the bulletin, encourage a staff member to share about how the Holy Spirit has impacted their faith journey. Invite families to an event with stations to write letters or draw pictures for those who are homebound in your parish community. At the event, have a cupcake station and one to make paper airplanes in honor of National Paper Airplane Day. End your time together praying a decade of the rosary. Post fun facts about the Holy Spirit on your social media channels throughout the week for parents to share with their children. Ask for the intercession of Servant of God Caroline Jones Chisholm at your gatherings this week.
For the week of May 29, 2022: In the bulletin, have a staff member share ways that families can be a witness of God’s love this week. Invite families to a local cemetery to help clean gravesites of veterans in remembrance of Memorial Day; let them know what supplies to bring and where to meet. Ask families to post pictures of their Haitian Stewed Chicken on your social media channels. Provide a link on your website to a video of the song What a Beautiful Name for families to easily access for prayer. Ask for the intercession of Venerable Pierre Toussaint at your gatherings this week.
JUNE
For the week of June 5, 2022: In a video on your website, have those who have recently received the Sacrament of Confirmation and their parents/guardians share who the Holy Spirit is and what Confirmation meant to them. Provide families with a list with descriptions of more-common charisms for them to look for in one another; consider hosting a family-friendly event that looks at charisms in more depth. Encourage families to post pictures of their Red Beans and Rice—Cajun Style on your social media channels. Link a video on your website to the Great Spirit Prayer for families to utilize. Ask for the intercession of Blessed Chiara Luce Badano at your gatherings this week.
For the week of June 12, 2022: In the bulletin, ask staff members to share what they would ask Jesus if they could ask him anything. In honor of Venerable Patrick Peyton, host a family rosary at your parish. Have families post pictures of their Shamrock Hunt on your social media channels. Create a meditation slideshow of the Reflection on the Trinity prayer for families to use. Ask for the intercession of Venerable Patrick Peyton at your gatherings this week.
For the week of June 19, 2022: Provide the supplies for families to decorate placemats at home; consider coordinating a way for families to turn in extra placemats to donate to organizations associated with your parish (Meals on Wheels, etc.). Make a video for your website with EMHCs from your parish sharing what the Eucharist means to them and how they started to serve in this role. Post the prayer for the World Meeting of Families on your website and invite families to pray that prayer at the same time each day this week. In the bulletin, ask staff members to share about a male saint who has inspired them. Ask for the intercession of Blessed Benedict Daswa at your gatherings this week.
For the week of June 26, 2022: In the bulletin, have a staff member reflect on what they would say if Jesus told them to “follow me.” Host a family event with supplies to make pillow covers and have pillow games to play; close your time together in prayer, including the prayer for the World Meeting of Families. Invite families to post pictures on your social media channels of their Chicken Pillows recipe. Create a video for your website explaining the role of the cantor at the parish and how one can join that ministry. Ask for the intercession of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini at your gatherings this week.
