St. Romanus and the Gargoyle for Kids
St. Romanus and the Gargoyle for Kids: A Campfire Legend
Something is stirring in the woods, and Fr. Tim has a good idea what it is! Join Fr. Tim and the Juice Box kids around the campfire for the legend of St. Romanus, a bishop who lived in Rouen, France, and a dragon named La Gargouille who was tearing the town apart.
A legend is a story people have told for a very long time. Some parts may have grown in the retelling, so this one is not a history lesson. It still teaches us something true about courage and about God, who is stronger than any evil.
St. Romanus was a real bishop, and the Church honors him as a saint. A saint is a friend of God who is now with him in heaven. Watch to the end to find out what happened to the dragon, and why you might spot stone gargoyles on old churches.
Who Was St. Romanus?
St. Romanus was a bishop of Rouen, a city in France, long ago. A bishop is a leader in the Church who looks after the Catholic people in one area. In the story, Romanus also loved to visit people in prison.
The Legend of the Dragon of Rouen
The legend says a dragon named La Gargouille stomped through Rouen, knocking down buildings and wrecking the farmers’ crops. Bishop Romanus had had enough. He asked the men of the town to come with him, but they were too scared. So he invited a prisoner to go with him instead, and the two of them walked to the dragon’s lair. There, Romanus made the Sign of the Cross, and the dragon calmed down. Romanus took off his stole, a long strip of cloth worn by a bishop or priest during certain Church services, and tied it around the dragon’s neck. Then he and the prisoner led the dragon back into town, and the people cheered.
How the Legend Explains Gargoyles
In the story, the townspeople defeated the dragon and burned its body, but its head would not burn. Romanus put it up outside the cathedral so the people of Rouen would remember that God is stronger than evil. The legend says that when it rained, water ran through the head and out of its mouth.
That is how the story explains gargoyles. A gargoyle is a carved stone spout that sends rainwater away from a building, and many old churches have them.
Is the Story True?
Not exactly. St. Romanus was a real bishop, but the dragon is part of a legend. Fr. Tim says St. Romanus “may not have really fought a dragon,” and he adds that the story still teaches us about “his courage, his faith, and about the truth of God’s triumph over evil.”
Key Takeaways
In this episode, kids will:
- Meet St. Romanus, a bishop of Rouen, France, who is remembered in a famous legend about a dragon called La Gargouille.
- Learn what a legend is: a story told for a very long time that may have grown in the retelling.
- Discover the Sign of the Cross in the story, a prayer that calls on the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
- See how Romanus did not go alone. He asked the town for help, and a prisoner went with him.
- Find out how the legend explains the stone gargoyles on old churches.
- Hear Fr. Tim’s reminder that “evil is a very real thing, but something that God has power over.”
- Remember that when we feel scared, we can pray, ask for help and talk to a trusted grown-up.
Episode Summary
What would you do if a dragon were wrecking your town?
Fr. Tim and two of the Juice Box kids come back from a hike with stones in their hands. Then they hear footsteps and cracking sticks in the woods. Fr. Tim wonders if it could be a creature made of stone, which leads him to gargoyles. The kids say gargoyles are not real, so Fr. Tim tells them there is a real-life legend behind them, with a saint and a dragon in it.
The story takes place in Rouen, France, where a dragon named La Gargouille is tearing down buildings and ruining crops. The men of the town are asked to help Bishop Romanus, and they answer, “Nope.” So Romanus goes with a prisoner to the dragon’s lair, makes the Sign of the Cross and ties his stole around the dragon’s neck. The dragon’s head will not burn, so Romanus plants it outside the cathedral as a reminder that God is stronger than evil.
The kids ask the big question: is the story true? Fr. Tim says it is a legend, and he explains what it still teaches about courage, faith and God’s triumph over evil. Back at the campfire, the woods have one more surprise, and Ms. Julia gets the last laugh.
Episode Highlights
- [__:__] Fr. Tim and the kids come back from a hike and hear something in the woods
[__:__] Fr. Tim brings up gargoyles and a real-life legend
[__:__] The dragon La Gargouille attacks the town of Rouen
[__:__] Bishop Romanus asks for help and a prisoner goes with him
[__:__] The dragon’s lair and the Sign of the Cross
[__:__] The dragon’s head and the gargoyle tradition
[__:__] Is the story true?
[__:__] Back at the campfire
Transcript
Fr. Tim: Man, what a good day of hiking!
Kid 1: Yeah! I even found this cool stone!
Kid 2: Not as cool as mine!
Kid 1: Nuh uh!
Kid 2: Mine is waaay cooler!
Kid 1: No it's not!
Fr. Tim: Guys, guys! They're both cool stones! But definitely not as cool as mine.
Kid 1: Can't argue there.
Kid 2: Yeah, that one is way cooler.
Fr. Tim: I always like collecting rocks to see…
Kid 1: Ummm…what was that?
Kid 2: You heard it too??
Fr. Tim: There appears to be something stirring in the woods tonight.
Kid 2: What do you mean…stirring?
Fr. Tim: It must be some kind of…creature.
Kid 1: I'll throw my STONE at it!
Fr. Tim: But, what if it's…made of stone?
Kid 2: What the heck are you talking about, Fr. Tim?
Fr. Tim: Have you never heard of a gargoyle??
Kid 1: Oh yeah, isn't that like the creepy guy with wings.
Fr. Tim: Yeah! Like on the outside of churches and stuff.
Kid 2: Yeah, yeah, I've seen those. But those aren't real.
Fr. Tim: Well…did you know that there's a real-life legend behind the gargoyle??
Kid 1: Like it's a true story??
Kid 2: I need a drink…
Fr. Tim: Well…it involves a real-life saint!
Kid 1: …Whaaaat?
Fr. Tim: And a dragon!
Kid 2: SAY WHAT??
Fr. Tim: Hey, that kind of reminds me of the story!
Kid 1: How??
Fr. Tim: You'll have to listen to find out!
Kid 2: Here we go.
Fr. Tim: This is the legend of St. Romanus and the gargoyle!
Fr. Tim: Once upon a time, in the far, far away land of France…
Kid 1: Bonjour!
Kid 2: Oui oui
Fr. Tim: …there was a town called Rouen.
Kid 1: Kind of sounds like it was…RUINED!
Kid 1: Sorry…continue.
Fr. Tim: Well, actually, you're right! It was being ruined…by a big, gigantic, evil…DRAGON!
Kid 2: ROAR!
Fr. Tim: The dragon's name was La Gargouille. He stomped through the town, tearing down buildings. He would flap his big, terrible wings and destroy all the farmers' crops.
Kid 1: Woah, that's not cool!
Fr. Tim: Way not cool!
Fr. Tim: Now, during that time, a man named Romanus was bishop. And he had ENOUGH.
Kid 1: That's ENOUGH!
Kid 2: BE GONE, BEAST!
Fr. Tim: St. Romanus decided to go and take care of this dragon once and for all.
Kid 1: How did he do it??
Fr. Tim: Well he didn't want to do it alone, that's for sure.
Kid 2: The buddy system…wise move.
Fr. Tim: So, he asked all the men in town to be brave and accompany him.
Kid 1: An ARMY!
Fr. Tim: But, guess what they said?
Kid 2: They said “LET'S GET THAT DRAGON! LET'S BLAST HIM INTO OUTER SPACE AND WATCH WHILE HE EXPLODES INTO A MILLION PIECES!”
Fr. Tim: Close…they said…“Nope.”
Kid 1: What??
Kid 2: Laaaaaaaaaame.
Fr. Tim: They were too scared!
Kid 2: I wouldn't be too scared.
Kid 1: Yeah right!
Fr. Tim: Well, the good news was that St. Romanus loved to minister to people in prison. So, he invited a prisoner to go in exchange for his life…assuming the dragon didn't take it. So, off they went, just St. Romanus and a prisoner. They journeyed through the town, falling apart, on fire…the effects of the dragon's wrath could be seen everywhere.
Kid 2: This is a disaster!
Fr. Tim: At last, they came to the dragon's lair.
Kid 1: Welcome to my lair…muahahahaha
Fr. Tim: The dragon was NOT happy to see St. Romanus…or the prisoner. He stomped his big, filthy feet into the ground, his claws digging into the earth. He flapped his huge, scaly wings. He extended his neck and touched noses with St. Romanus.
Kid 1: Boop.
Fr. Tim: The dragon let out a big, evil, piercing…ROAR! So, what do you think St. Romanus did?
Kid 1: Ran away?
Kid 2: Called animal control?
Fr. Tim: He made the Sign of the Cross. The dragon was subdued.
Kid 1: It worked??
Fr. Tim: He removed his stole from around his neck and tied it around the dragon's neck. Romanus and the prisoner dragged the dragon back into town, triumphantly displaying God's victory over evil. The people of the town were all amazed and filled with gratitude.
Kid 2: RO-MAN-US! RO-MAN-US!
Kid 1: RO-MAN-US! RO-MAN-US!
Fr. Tim: The townspeople defeated the dragon and burned its body, removing the threat from their town once and for all.
Kid 1: They burned it? That's scary.
Fr. Tim: Well, almost. See, the dragon's head wouldn't burn. The whole body was gone, but the head was still intact.
Kid 1: Oh. That's…creepy.
Fr. Tim: What do you think St. Romanus did with the head?
Kid 2: Covered it up and got rid of it so nobody had to see it?
Fr. Tim: Nope…he kept it and planted it right outside the cathedral.
Kid 2: Oh…that was my second guess.
Fr. Tim: He wanted the people of Rouen to have a constant reminder that God is stronger than evil. Legend has it that when it would rain, water would go through the top of the dragon's head and come out of its mouth.
Kid 1: Oh, I get it…
Fr. Tim: And so, the legend says, the gargoyle became a tradition. Now, when you see beautiful cathedrals, you'll see gargoyles all over the outside. These statues can remind us that evil is a very real thing, but something that God has power over!
Kid 2: So, is the story true?
Fr. Tim: This story is a legend, and while St. Romanus may not have really fought a dragon, it teaches us about his courage, his faith, and about the truth of God's triumph over evil.
Kid 1: So, what about the dragon in the woods right now?
Fr. Tim: Oh yeah…I forgot about that.
Kid 2: [GULP]Fr. Tim: Okay, let's get out of here…on 3.
Kid 1: 1
Kid 2: 2
Fr. Tim: 3!
Ms. Julia: Hehehe…
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who was St. Romanus?
St. Romanus was a bishop of Rouen, a city in France, long ago, and the Church honors him as a saint. A bishop is a leader in the Church who looks after the Catholic people in one area. In the story Fr. Tim tells, Romanus also loved to visit people in prison.
Is the story of St. Romanus and the dragon true?
The dragon story is a legend, so we cannot say it happened exactly this way. St. Romanus was a real bishop, but the dragon part is a legend that historians cannot confirm. Fr. Tim says the story still teaches about courage, faith and God's triumph over evil.
Why do churches have gargoyles?
Gargoyles are carved stone spouts that carry rainwater away from a building, and many old churches have them. The legend of St. Romanus is one story people tell to explain them. Gargoyles are part of church art and building design, not part of what the Church teaches, but many people see them as a reminder that evil is real and God is stronger.
Is the Sign of the Cross magic?
No. The Sign of the Cross is a prayer that calls on the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and many Catholics begin their prayers or their day with it. It does not work like a magic spell. The Church teaches that holy signs like this one prepare us to receive God's grace and help us cooperate with it.
Is evil real, and is God stronger than it?
Yes, evil is real, and so is the devil. The Church teaches that the devil is a creature, not God, and that his power is limited. God's victory over evil is sure, even when we do not see it happen right away.
What can I do when I feel scared?
Talk to God in prayer, make the Sign of the Cross and ask for help. The Church teaches that beside each believer stands a guardian angel, a protector and shepherd. You can also tell a parent, teacher or another trusted grown-up how you feel.
Can I ask St. Romanus to pray for me?
Yes. Catholics can ask St. Romanus to intercede for them, just as they might ask a fellow Christian to pray for them. We honor the saints, but we worship God alone.
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Free St. Romanus Activity Worksheet for Kids
Keep the fun going after the video with a free St. Romanus activity worksheet for kids.
What's Inside:
Printable Gargoyle Base
Mix-and-Match Cutout Pieces
Silly Naming & Faith Prompt
Perfect to use while watching the companion Juice Box video
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