I originally received this list years ago from a homeschooling mom in Santa Cruz, CA. I thought I’d share the ideas with you. 🙂
MARY, MOTHER OF GOD
Blessed Mother – Wear a white dress and a blue shawl over head and shoulders.
Our Lady of Guadalupe – She appeared looking like an Aztec princess. Wear a white flowery dress, a black sash(sign of pregnancy) & a blue veil with stars on it. She could carry the miraculous roses.
APOSTLES/FRIARS/MONK
For any saint that was an apostle or a friar or monk, get a man’s T-shirt, put a rope around the waist, maybe sandals, and there is your costume! Or buy brown, gray, or black material, cut a hole in the top & tie a rope or strip of material around the waist. Use face paint for a beard.
St. Peter – He could have keys hanging at his waist. (Because Jesus gave him the keys to heaven, Mt. 16:19) He could also have a net.
St. Francis – You can cut out a bird and pin it on his shoulder, or bring some stuffed animals.
St.’s Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John – For one of the gospel writers you can bring a bible.
St. Constantine and St. Benedict and St. Anthony the Abbot (from Egypt) were monks (a rosary in belt).
Great St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus. He was a carpenter by trade, so have him carry a tool or hang on his belt.
St. John the Baptist – Wear fake fur or leather & sandals. Perhaps tie a strip of cloth around the forehead. Could carry a shell for baptizing or some locusts (grasshoppers) & honey.(This is what he ate.)
KING/QUEEN/PRINCESS
For any saint that was a king or queen, you can buy a crown for a boy, or a princess outfit for a girl. Crowns can be bought online at Oriental Trading Company, or a local craft/toy store. Princess outfits are everywhere!
GIRLS:
St. Queen Elizabeth of Hungary – She can carry a basket of bread or flowers. She took bread to the poor. She built a hospital and cared for the sick.
St. Margaret – Queen of Scotland, would actually have Scottish plaid clothing.
St. Bathildis – Queen of France
St. Adelaide – Queen of Germany and Italy
Queen Ester – Old Testament
St. Helena – Married Constantius Chlorus, co-regent of the western Roman empire. At the age of 80 she led a group to the Holy Land to search for the True Cross. (326AD) She built a church on the spot where the cross was found, the feast of the Holy Cross on Sept.14 celebrates the event.
St.Helena – First Christian queen of Ukraine (relics found to be incorrupt)- lived 879-969
St.Yolanda – Princess. Daughter of Bela IV King of Hungary (13th century)
BOYS:
King Casimir of Poland – 15th century, add a lily.
Good King Wenceslas of Bohemia – He could also wear armor along with his crown.
King Solomon and King David – Old Testament
King Louis IX of France (13th century was crowned at age 12.) Representation: crown of thorns; king holding a cross or crown of thorns; nails.
Henry II (Good King Henry)-king of Pavia in year 1004. He was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1014 by Pope Benedict VIII; he was the last of the Saxon dynasty of emperors.
Humbert III- Count of Savoy from age 13. Eventually assumed a Cistercian habit. (12th century)
INDIAN
For Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha (Lily of the Mohawks), a little girl can dress as an Indian. Maybe add a cross around her neck, carrying a lily or cross.
KNIGHT/ARMOR
For St. Joan of Arc, St. George and the Dragon, St. Gengulphus, or St. Michael the Archangel, they can wear plastic “Armor of God” from Catholic Child. For St. Michael you can buy *feather wings online at Oriental Trading Company or make some with cardboard with tin foil over them, staple elastic to put them over the shoulders.
SOLDIERS
St.Sebastian was officer of the Imperial Roman army, and captain of the guard.
Acacius was centurion in the imperial Roman army.
Adrian was an officer at the court of Nicomedia.
Martin joined the Roman imperial army at age 15. Encountering a beggar he cut his heavy officer’s cloak in half, and gave it to him. Later he had a vision of Christ wearing the cloak.
Maurice- (3rd century) Officer in a legion of Christian soldiers from Upper Egypt
Theodore- Roman general and covert Christian during a time of persecution
Eustachius- Pagan Roman general in the army of the emperor Trajan. Converted to Christianity following a hunting trip during which he saw a glowing cross between the antlers of a stag.
ANGEL
For an angel costume wear a man’s T-shirt. For wings see above. *Often you can find angel costumes at party stores or in catalogs such as Lillian Vernon. (The archangel Gabriel with a horn. Cherubim or Seraphim carrying instruments)
SPANISH FARMER
St. Isidore the Farmer from Spain, a boy can dress up like a farmer with a hoe, maybe a plastic sand shovel or rake.
NUNS
Buy black material, cut a hole at the top for the neck or use a man’s black T-shirt. Where a white turtleneck underneath, use a square of black material over the head as a veil, and wear a crucifix or cross.
St Brigid of Ireland- often pictured holding a lamp or candle – She began life as a slave & heard St. Patrick preach)
Gertrude the Great-raised in a Cistercian abbey in Germany from the age of 5. Often pictured with a crown or lily.
St. Scholastica- The twin sister of St. Benedict often pictured with a crosier.(like a shepherd’s crook) If your girl is still little she can use a wooden walking cane.
St.Therese of Lisieux, France- (the little flower/ of the child Jesus) A Carmelite at age 15. At age 8, she was healed from an illness when a statue of the Virgin Mary smiled at her. She could hand out roses to people. She promised to shower the earth with roses from heaven. Her habit would be brown.
St.Colette-A Poor Clare from France, that restored the rules of St.Clare. Pictured with a crucifix and a hook. She was named after St. Nicholas.
PRIESTS
St. John Bosco- He wore a black cassock. Perhaps use a large black T-shirt, with a white turtleneck underneath. He entertained boys with slight of hand and juggling etc., and would then repeat the homily he heard at church. He founded the Salesians to work with and educate boys. (We have a relic of him in our altar in the church.)
St. John Mary Vianney (or Cure of Ars)- A known confessor and preacher from France. He’s pictured in white with 2 black strips below his neck and a red stole. Please see his incorrupt body and other images on the web site I list below. It’s amazing!
St Philip Neri: Born in France, founded the Oratorians (like Fr. Peter Sanders) wear a black T-shirt or sweater with a white collared shirt underneath. (make sure the collar sticks out) He wore a 3(?) pointed black hat you could make out of black paper.
MEXICAN INDIAN
Saint Juan Diego saw our Lady of Guadalupe, wore a tilma. Buy rough material such as canvas or burlap and tie it around his neck. Perhaps attach a picture of Our Lady on it.
ASIAN MONK
St. Theophylact- 8th century- He established hospices and was imprisoned the last 35 yrs. of his life.
PRISONER
St. Maximillian Kolbe wearing a blue striped prison uniform and glasses. (A priest that died at Auschwitz during WWII.)
PEASANTS
The little children of Fatima, Portugal, who saw the Blessed Mother, could carry rosaries.
Blessed Francisco (9 yrs. old) He wears trousers, white shirt, cap, and perhaps a jacket.
Blessed Jacinta (7 yrs. old) and Blessed Lucia (10 yrs. old) The girls wore dark skirts, usually with aprons over them, white blouses and veils over their hair.
St. Bernadette of Lourdes, France, who saw Our Lady, would also be dressed the same way.
SHEPHARDESS
Germaine’s right hand was deformed. Once in winter her stepmother, Hortense, accused her of stealing bread, and threatened to beat her with a stick. Germaine opened her apron, and summer flowers tumbled out. Her body was found incorrupt in 1644. (skirt, shawl, head kerchief, crook, carrying a lamb) FRANCE
HOLY MEN & WOMEN
SAINT MARTIN de PORRES was born in Peru, his father was a Spanish Knight and his mother was a black freed-woman from Panama. He was a Dominican brother who helped the sick and poor and is the patron saint of interracial justice. He wore a white robe with black on top, like a T. You can see his and many other saints at the web site below. Seen with a rosary, crucifix, and a dog.
ST. DOMINIC SAVIO: Born in Italy. Died at age 15. He was studying to be a priest. He is the patron saint of boys, altar boys, and choirboys. He was a protégé of St. John Bosco. He is pictured in a white dress shirt, bow tie, vest, and jacket or as an altar boy.
ST.VERONICA: (Who wiped the face of Jesus.) Wear a dress or man’s T-shirt tied at the waist, sandals, and carrying her veil. ( Attach, perhaps with glue, a picture of Jesus.)
ST. HELENA was Caesar’s wife. You can dress up in toga.
ST. GALL was a fisherman from Ireland. Use a fishing pole.
CRAFT IDEAS:
HALO: Use gold pipe cleaners to bend into halos to put on any saint! Or gold, star, bendable wrapping ribbon wire. These are available from craft stores. Party and toy stores sometimes carry halos too.
HOLY CARDS: Buy holy cards of your child’s saint for him/her to pass out to others. The kids can be trading holy cards!
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