8 Ways to Celebrate the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter

The Feast of the Chair of St. Peter is February 22nd and celebrates how the line of popes from St. Peter has guided the church for centuries (with the help of the Holy Spirit)!

These activities are adapted from our St. Peter Glory Story Education Guide. Did you know that we are making study guides to accompany every single Glory Story? Each education guide features:

• Suggested discussion questions
• Vocabulary
• Activity ideas
• Supplementary resource lists
• and so much more!

With these Education Guides, incorporating Glory Stories into your curriculum is easier than ever! You can find them in the product description of each Glory Story.

Download the guide for Glory Story Vol 16: St Peter for FREE today!

Now, here are 8 EASY ways to celebrate the Chair of St. Peter with your family this year:

• First, listen to Glory Story Volume 16: St. Peter

The exciting story about the first Pope is here! Peter was elected by the Father in Heaven and taught by Jesus; Our Lord gave Peter powers and favors greater than He gave any other Apostle.

You’ll learn about this close relationship between Our Lord and Saint Peter which prepared this future Pope to play a unique role in the Kingdom of Heaven!

Children will also learn:

• The expectations of the Messiah as revealed by the prophets–and how Jesus fulfilled them
• What language Jesus spoke–and what that reveals
• The difference between “Disciples” and “Apostles”
• What made many disciples leave Jesus–and why Judas chose to stay
• Why Jesus gave Peter the “keys to the kingdom” 
• Similarities between the feeding of the 5,000 and the Last Supper
• Proof of Jesus’ Resurrection in the Bible
• Peter’s role in the Church after the Ascension
• And so much more!

Order the CD or click here to get it as an INSTANT MP3 DOWNLOAD!

For adults, check out this amazing true-life story of the discovery of the bones of Saint Peter after thousands of years–including all the false leads and brilliant deductions of those working on it for decades! You’ll learn so much about the growth of the Catholic Church through the centuries of persecution and the building (and rebuilding!) of magnificent structures over the tomb of the first Pope. Find out more HERE.

• Download FREE coloring pages!

To accompany the Glory Story Vol. 16: St. Peter CD, we also are launching coloring pages for the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter!

For a limited time, you can download the St. Peter coloring pages below for FREE to celebrate at home!

• Go swimming

Peter and his brother were fishermen so they spent a lot of time in and around the water. They would have known how to swim, how to read the tides, and more.

If your kids have never gone fishing or kayaking before, or if they’ve never visited a lake or the ocean, be inspired to go on an adventure! Depending on where you live, it’s probably still very cold in February so check weather forecasts and bundle up before you head out!

For a feast day inspired treat, pack some goldfish crackers!

For young kids or families who don’t want to brave the winter elements, set up a home “sensory station” inspired by water. It could look like a backyard bucket or sink filled with water (and water-safe items that sink or float). Or perhaps, make some homemade “slime,” color it blue, and add safe sensory items like pom poms. It’s a good fidget tool while they listen to St. Peter’s Glory Story, too!

• Play Simon (Peter) Says

This idea comes from Jennifer at Catholic Inspired! See more of her amazing ideas here!

Make a paper or felt “miter,” or bishop’s hat, and add ribbon and other decorations if you desire–kids love this part! If you wanted to be really fancy, Jennifer suggests adding a white robe and a crosier/staff to complete the outfit!

Then play “Simon Says” with a twist. Whoever is playing Simon Peter wears the miter and can tell players to “make a sign of the Cross,” “say a Hail Mary,” “say Alleluia!,” and more!

• Pray for the Pope as a family

The Pope is the head of the universal Catholic Church and always needs our prayers! Here are the Pope’s prayer intentions for 2021. 

As a family, perhaps introduce the centuries-old tradition of praying an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and a Glory Be for the Pope’s intentions after Mass. Another good prayer for the Holy Father comes from the Knights of Columbus!

(Also…did you know that we can earn a special plenary indulgence during the Year of St. Joseph? Like any indulgence, it involves praying for the Pope. Learn more about the plenary indulgence here!)

Another cool option: consider introducing your kids to this beautiful prayer (written by a Pope!). Pope Saint John XXIII said this prayer every morning, and it is perfect for the laity as well! Resolve, with his and Saint Peter’s intercession, to serve Christ in all things “only for today.” It comes in packs of 5, so every kid can have their own (or give one to their friends!)

• Serve the suffering in your community like St. Peter did

St. Peter and the apostles went out and preached the Gospel to all nations, just as Jesus commanded them to do! They healed the sick, took care of widows and orphans, and baptized thousands of people! 

Take this opportunity to learn about the Works of Mercy, and talk as a family about how St. Peter and the apostles practiced these Corporal and Spiritual works. Discuss how you can imitate the early Apostles by practicing these works. Practically, there are so many ways that kids can get involved in serving others, whether through prayer or action (psst–they can start, as Mother Teresa says, with loving their family)!

As kids mature, they should start reaching out to their local community. This article from Blessed Is She has some great ideas! Your family can make gift bags for the homeless, kids can set up a lemonade stand and donate the proceeds to charity, or everyone can place flowers on graves at a cemetary and pray for the souls in Purgatory. 

If you are looking for a fun and easy way to teach the Corporal and Spiritual Works for Mercy, a good starting point is this Works of Mercy Card Game. It’s 4 games in one, and each Work of Mercy has two illustrations…one for how Jesus and his apostles might have practiced it, and one for how kids can practice it today! It engages their imaginations and competitive spirit; most importantly, it’s fun!

• Use a paper chain to learn the Our Father

Here’s a fun craft idea! 

Make a paper chain using strips of grey construction paper. Have kids write one line or phrase of the Our Father on every strip (you will need about 12). 

Remind them about when an angel broke Peter’s chains and helped him escape! Read Acts 12:3-19 or listen to that section of his Glory Story.

Hang the chain on the wall of your schoolroom. Every day, break off one of the strips of paper and talk about that section of the Our Father prayer. For example, “hallowed be thy name.” How can we keep God’s name holy in our house and through our everyday actions? 

For older children, have them meditate on this part of the Lord’s Prayer for 30 minutes (they can write down their thoughts in their Spiritual Journal). For the Year of St. Joseph in 2021, they can earn a plenary indulgence for this! 

This is a perfect craft if you have a range of ages! Little ones can focus on memorizing the prayer in manageable pieces and older kids can focus more on discussion and meditation! 

• Go on a Virtual Pilgrimage to the Vatican

Is your family cooped up with nowhere to go? Use this time to take a virtual pilgrimage!

The Vatican website offers an online tour of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Italy. It’s 100% free, and you can zoom in to get a closer look! 

Engage your kids by asking them to describe what they see. What kinds of colors are used in the tile? Do they see Latin written anywhere (and can your older kids translate it)? Did they know that Michelangelo’s Pieta is inside the Vatican too? Did they also know that the basilica was built over the tomb of St. Peter, the first Pope?

Let us know how you’ve used the St. Peter Glory Story by tagging us on Instagram and Facebook (@holyheroes)!