No new “Ask Emily” episodes this month. If you have a question for Emily, call 1-855-879-2246 Ext. 1 and leave a voice message for Emily!
Click the “Archives” button above to access previous months’ content!
If you have a question for Emily, the author of the Very Young Catholic series, leave your question at 1-855-879-2246 Ext. 1.
Emily’s Corner
Crafts & Activities
Enjoy the worksheets for this month! There are some hands-on crafts as well: a volcano science experiment to try because there are volcanoes in Ecuador; a paper llama craft that you can take to your own llama races (see the animals videos below), and how to make a miniature Shrine to Our Lady, just like the Shrines in Ecuador. Happy crafting!
Recipes
Click the images for a video version of these recipes. For a printable PDF recipe, click the text buttons below.
Ecuador’s cuisine is highly influenced by other cultures: mainly Amazonian, Andean, and Spanish cuisines. Most regions in Ecuador have a three-course meal for the main meal during the day: soup, main dish, and dessert with coffee. We have included a starter soup, as well as a dessert, a drink, and a couple of snacks for you to try. Happy cooking!
Animals in Ecuador
Ecuador is a unique country because part of it is a mainland and part of the country is a cluster of islands. You can find different animals on the mainland than on the islands!
Emily says: “Ecuador is the best place in the world for people who love hummingbirds. There are at least 130 different kinds of hummingbirds there. They are tiny, fast-moving, and often beautifully colored. They have different curious features, like very long beaks, or funny white feathers on their legs that look like fuzzy white socks. . . . They are everwhere [in Ecuador] except in the Galapagos Islands.” —Very Young Catholics in Ecuador, pages 82-3
Many different kinds of owls can be found in Ecuador. Check out the fun fact video above on owls!
Dolphins
Brown Pelicans live in the Galápagos Islands especially. Click on the picture above to learn fun facts about pelicans in general.
Hermit crabs are so resourceful! Watch this video of the crabs cooperating with each other in order to trade shells!
Fun Facts
The name “Ecuador” comes from the word “Equator” in Spanish. This is because the Equator–the middle of the earth–runs right through mainland Ecuador. Here is a video talking about myths and facts about the equator line:
People in Ecuador mostly speak Spanish. Some of the older indigenous tribal peoples also speak Quechua. See the video below to learn how to say hello and goodbye in Quechua!
The Cathedral of the Jesuits in Ecuador
It is common to find big Shrines to Our Lady in Ecuador, under many titles! Some of them are: Our Lady of Good Success, Our Lady of the Swan, and Our Lady of Quito. One of the Shrines was built for a statue called Our Lady of Quinche. She is patroness of Ecuador. Read about Our Lady of Quinche at the link below: (external link)
https://www.marypages.com/our-lady-of-quinche-en.html
The Holy Father recently had an image of Our Lady of Quinche added to the Vatican Gardens (watch by clicking the external link below):
If you want to see all the other images of Our Lady in the Gardens, look at this photo essay from the National Catholic Register (external link):
https://www.ncregister.com/features/vatican-gardens-marian-shrines-photo-essay
Library
Looking for Something by Ann Clark
Out of print book about a little burro exploring Ecuador. Ages 4-8.
Tomas and the Galapagos Adventure
by Carolyn Lunn. Travel with Tomas as he goes on a dream journey to explore the ocean and beach of one of the Galapagos Islands. Ages 5-8.
Waverly Braves the Breeze
A story about bravery told through the eyes of a young albatross. Ages 5-8.
Chico of the Andes
A story about a boy in the Andes and his journey to discover where he is truly from. Ages 9-12.
Ecuador was the first country to be Consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Ecuador renewed its Consecration to the Sacred Heart this year.
Extras
Did you know...?
Who was Ecuador’s first Saint? St. Mariana de Jesus de Paredes, or St. Mary Ann of Jesus, was born in Quito, Ecuador. She was the youngest of eight children. When she had grown, she decided to follow God’s special call to dedicate her life completely to God. Similar to Saint Rose of Lima, Mary Ann stayed at her parents’ home, living a life of penance & charity. She eventually joined the 3rd order Franciscans, and added the title “of Jesus” to her Baptismal name. She fasted a lot, and many people said she ate very little besides the Eucharist. She helped establish hospitals and schools for the poor people around her. One year, when the earthquakes were very bad in Ecuador, Mary Ann again offered her life to God, begging for the earthquakes to end. She fell very sick shortly thereafter and died at the age of 31. Many witnesses report that the day Mary Ann died, the earthquakes also stopped. Along with Our Lady of Quito, St. Mary Ann is also a patroness of Ecuador! Her feast day is May 28th. St. Mary Ann of Jesus, pray for us!
Helping You Bring the Joy of the Faith to Your Family
© Copyright 2023 Holy Heroes. All Rights Reserved.
