adopt a bishop!
Some years ago, before you were even a twinkle in your mom's eye, there was a CVBS (Catholic Vacation Bible School) that took place one week during the summer in a parish in the United States. The name of this CVBS was: "I Am the Good Shepherd - the Story of Jesus and His Church."
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One of the things that the 225 students plus all the teenage and adult helpers did was pray quite a bit during this busy week of fun and learning. Can you guess what their special prayer intentions were? They offered all their prayers and little sacrifices that week for the bishops of the United States!
Catholic Dioceses (Ecclesiastical Provinces) of the United States
map courtesy of gavinr.com
Each person at this CVBS was given a lanyard that they wore around their neck. It had a tag attached to the bottom with their name written on it. When the kids and helpers turned that name tag over, they saw a name of one of the many bishops in the United States. This was their own particular bishop to pray especially for that week.
Bishop Steven Maekawa, OP
Fairbanks, Alaska
Recently, some "kids" who attended that CVBS (who are now all grown up and have babies and little kids of their own) were discussing happy memories. One of them mentioned attending that CVBS and how she never forgot "her bishop." This young mom still continues to pray for him.
That got us thinking here at Catholic Kids 101. We know how much kids like you love Jesus and His Church! We know how much Jesus loves you and hears to your prayers! We know that the bishops of the United States need all of us to pray for them, but that your prayers are especially powerful. So we decided to create this page as an invitation for you to "adopt a bishop" by praying for him each day.
At the bottom of this page there is a red button that will take you to a site that lists all the bishops in the United States and where they live. You can ask your dad and mom to help you look through the list. And if you are a kid who doesn't live in the United States, you can choose a bishop from the country where you live.
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There are not any set rules on how to "adopt a bishop." You might decide to choose one of the bishops from the diocese where you live. Or maybe you notice a bishop who has the same first or last name as you and decide to pick him. The most important thing, no matter who you choose, is that you try and pray for that bishop each day. We will give you a few ideas of how best to do that.
Praying before going to sleep and in the morning when you wake up
There are a lot of ways to pray for your bishop! For instance, you can remember him in your prayers before you go to sleep at night and again when you say your morning prayers. You can also offer your prayers through the intercession of a particular Saint. It's a really good idea to ask the Saints who were actually bishops to pray for your bishop since they understand that it is a big responsibility to be a bishop. A bishop who is in charge of a diocese is responsible for teaching, governing and sanctifying the faithful in his diocese. It is his task to help them become Saints! He shares this sacred duty with the priests and deacons who serve under him.
Praying your Rosary decades each day
You can also offer your Rosary decades for your bishop. This is a very powerful way to pray for him. You can pray along with the CK101 Rosary videos in our "Rosary 4 Kids" section. These videos can help you pray your Holy Rosary decades each day!
Offering little sacrifices
You can offer little sacrifices for your Bishop. For example, secretly give up a treat or dessert every Thursday for this intention. Jesus will certainly notice! Jesus gladly receives all our sacrifices that are offered to Him with love. He unites them to His big Sacrifice on the Cross! This is the how our little sacrifices become very powerful. It is because they are united to Jesus, our Savior!
Making visits with Jesus in the Church or the Eucharistic Adoration Chapel
One of the most wonderful ways to pray is by making your visits with Jesus at Church or in the Eucharistic Adoration Chapel. You can offer your visits with Jesus in particular for the bishop.
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Finally, you can pray for the bishop after receiving Jesus in Holy Communion when you attend Holy Mass. Ask Jesus to please give the bishop all the graces he needs to be a holy and courageous shepherd, leading and guiding his flock in the way that Jesus desires him to do.
