Third Graders at St. John the Evangelist teach fellow students about saints

It isn't every day you get to learn about St. Therese of Lisieux from St. Therese herself, but I had the pleasure of chatting with her this morning, along with her newly-canonized parents, Louis and Zelie Martin (right). Well, sort of.

Every year, the third grade class at St. John the Evangelist Catholic School in Pensacola dresses up in costume and teaches their classmates about the saints.

Throughout the entire day, the third-graders lined the walls of the school auditorium, standing next to images they had colored of the saints they were representing. They waited for other students to approach them individually, at which point they launched into well-rehearsed monologues detailing the history of their particular saint.

The students traveled around the room from saint to saint, listening attentively to their peers. A variety of saints from across time and nations were represented, including St. Kateri Tekakwitha (left).

The students loved not only being able to dress up, but they also enjoyed having the opportunity to teach their peers what they had learned about the saints.

Ann Wlliams, the principal at St. John the Evangelist, said that this has been a school tradition for many years, and she looks forward to watching it continue for many more.

To learn more about St. John the Evangelist Catholic School, visit the school website at www.stjohnpensacola.com/school.