congrats all

Christmas at the Vatican was successful in 2007. Another Successful year for the roman catholic church.

Saints

There are over 10,000 Saints established in the Catholic religion starting from 100 A.D. Today, the Pope and Vatican choose Saints. However, before 1983, saints were chosen by public acclaim, proving worthiness through a true democracy. Now, candidates are brought before a board and their life long achievements are evaluated. If he or she is deemed worth by the board, the Pope proclaims the candidate venerable.
S

Rosary-
The Rosary is a traditional popular devotion in the roman catholoic church. The term denotes both a set of prayer beads used in the devotion and the devotional prayer itself, which combines vocal (or silent) prayer and meditation centered around sequences of reciting the Lord's Prayer followed by ten recitations of the "hail mary" prayer and a single recitation of "Glory be to the father"; each of these sequences is known as a decade.
The Rosary can be prayed in 4 parts, one part for each day, with the "Mysteries" (which are contemplated on during the prayers) being rotated daily.
What distinguishes the Rosary from other forms of prayer is thatit includes a series of meditations. Each decade of the Rosary is said while meditating on one of the "Mysteries" of redemption.

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday-

Palm Sunday is the Catholic celebration that occurs one week before Easter. The historical significance is when Jesus rode into Jerusalem, a city where he knew many people, they laid down their cloaks and small tree branches to make the ride in more comfortable. Many Churches use the palms given out in mass to be burned for the next year’s palm Sunday.

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday-
Ash Wednesday is the holy day that starts of the Catholic season of lent and occurs 46 days before Easter. Depending on when Easter falls, Ash Wednesday can be anywhere from February 4, to March 10. During masses on Ash Wednesday ashes are put on the foreheads of the people in attendance. Many times the ashes are the from the burned palm leaves from the previous year’s Palm Sunday. In the Roman Catholic Church the ashes can be given to anyone who has been baptized. Also, Ash Wednesday is much of the time observed by fasting and abstinence from meat.

Lives of Catholics

• Catholics grow in the grace of god through prayer, the following of the seven sacraments and the Ten Commandments, and following the teachings of Jesus. Worshipers can be forgiven of their sins through confession.
• The Catholic social teachings include being kind and loving towards one another, helping those in need, and being forgiving of other people’s sins.
• The church teaches that it is God’s will to provide each person with eternal salvation. Both Christians and non-Christians may be saved by God, if they respond to and believe in his grace and truth.

Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic#Beliefs

Important Holidays

Christmas- Jesus’s day of birth, and is celebrated by giving gifts and being together with family
Easter- Jesus rises from the dead, and is celebrated with the easter bunnie and being together with family.
Lent- Time of fasting and repentance in the spring beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending on Easter. The idea is to give up a pleasure to show devotion and self-discipline
Source: Hirch, E.D. Dictionary of Cultural Literacy.Houghton Mifflin Company, New York. 1988.