A favorite All Saints Day tradition for our family is the selection of a saint to watch over each of us for the next twelve months (All Saints Day to the next Halloween.) Actually, you don't "select" a saint. A saint picks you or is assigned to you by means of random drawing after a prayer.
Before every breakfast during the year, we each take turns saying the names of our adopting saints, followed by the group response "Pray for us." (You can also include the calendar saint of the day.) It is fun to find connections with your saint and try to figure out why that particular saint chose you or was assigned to you by GOD. We also have a rule that on your saint's feast day you get an extra cookie or other treat. :)
In the past I have done All Saints Day saint adoptions with small groups at church using various methods.
Several years I have used this free Saint Name Generator. My main complaint about it is that it includes some pretty obscure saints. The little old ladies in my parish altar society weren't too keen on having to google someone they had never heard of.
This year our priest gave permission for saint adoption for the whole parish! I made two lists of more commonly known saints. I find, especially when doing this with boys, it is nice to let them select a specifically male saint. They just seem to prefer that.
I printed the instruction page on the back of the saints bios below. They line up perfectly and make 10 saint cards per page. I cut them apart then double folded each one to prevent peeking. They were put into big baskets for parishioners to take after All Saints Day Masses.
Of all the little spiritual projects I have thrust upon my fellow parishioners, this is probably the best received and most appreciated.
Basic Female Saints
Basic Male Saints
Instructions, ends November 1, 2019
Instructions, ends November 1, 2020
Instructions, ends November 1, 2021
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