End-of-the-School Year Prayers and Saints

Tiffany Walsh shares her five favorite spring and summer devotions.

Every year when the last day of school looms, I start to feel emotional and nostalgic. Where we live in the Northeastern United States, my kids finish their school year in June, but I know that in many other areas school wraps up in May. Thus, each year throughout the late spring and early summer, I imagine mothers the world over harboring a myriad of feelings in their hearts as their children reach new milestones look ahead to new opportunities in the next academic year. As the grade levels tick by, the milestones become increasingly momentous, which while exciting, instigate the complex swirl of parental emotions as we watch our babies unfathomably approach young adulthood.

This year, my son is finishing up his junior year in high school, and my daughter is completing 5th grade. Having a senior and a middle schooler next school year has made this particular incarnation of my June emotions more tissue-inducing than usual. I am finding myself turning to prayer more than ever, specifically relating to protection and guidance for my children. I have found solace in five devotions that are tied to this time of year and thought that I would share them with you. I would also ask you to share your favorite spring and summer devotions with me!

The Rosary

May is Mary’s month, and she always makes me think of the Rosary, although the Rosary also has its own set-aside month in October. Lately when I wake in the night or early morning before rising and start to worry about the future, I immediately begin a Rosary right then and there, using my fingers under my pillow to count. It always helps to bring me peace, even if that means that I drift back to sleep!

Pentecost, and the Novena to the Holy Spirit

This feast bounces around date-wise from year to year depending on the date of Easter, but it always falls right within our end-of-school-year range. This year, I prayed on Pentecost for discernment for my children, especially my son as he nears the end of his high-school journey and considers college. The Holy Spirit novena is traditionally prayed leading up to the feast day, but of course can be prayed anytime we wish to pray for guidance in discernment!

St. Anthony of Padua

Traditional novena dates: June 4 – 12. I just wrapped up praying with our good friend St. Anthony, but he can be called upon anytime we wish to ask him to help our children find God in their journey or uncover some nugget of wisdom that we’re hoping to impart on them.

Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary

Perfect timing this week to begin praying these beautiful traditionally June novenas! The novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus begins 9 days before the feast, which is always the Friday after Corpus Christi; for 2022, the dates are June 15 – June 23. The novena to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (the day after the feast of the Sacred Heart) runs June 16– June 24 in 2022. Thinking of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary makes me feel enfolded in their arms, which is exactly what this mama needs at this time of year!

Our Lady of Perpetual Help

Traditional novena dates: June 18 – June 26. This image is one of my very favorites of Our Lady, and I purchased an icon of it to hang in our home prayer corner so that I could gaze on it frequently. It always reminds me that Our Lady understands all of my motherly concerns and is there to intercede for me.

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5 devotions for moms praying for their children at the end of the school year. #catholicmom

Do you have certain devotions that you favor when praying for your children? Are any of them devotions specifically tied to the spring or summer? I would love to hear about them in the comments!

Copyright 2022 Tiffany Walsh
Images: Canva; Immaculate Heart/Sacred Heart window: Nheyob, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; St. Anthony of Padua: Ideefixe, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons