The Light Wins: A Campfire Saints Halloween Special for Kids
The Light Wins: A Halloween Campfire Special for Kids
It’s the spookiest, creepiest, marshmallow-iest Campfire Saints night of the whole year! Join Ms. Julia and Dilly around the campfire for a special Halloween, All Saints Day and All Souls Day episode.
Wait, Halloween has saints in it? It sure does! Halloween is also called All Hallows’ Eve, the night before All Saints Day, when we celebrate all the saints in heaven. After that comes All Souls Day, when we pray for people who have died.
Along the way you will hear six saint stories, say a few short prayers, and find out why Ms. Julia says Jesus is stronger than fear, stronger than darkness, and even stronger than death. It might get a little spooky, but never in a way that makes us forget that God wins.Meet the Saints in This Special
St. George and the Dragon
Dragons are officially scary! Ms. Julia says St. George reminds us that being brave does not mean you never feel afraid. It means you trust God anyway. Try saying it with Ms. Julia and Dilly: “Jesus, help me be brave.”
St. Francis and the Wolf
The town had good reason to be afraid of the wolf. Ms. Julia says St. Francis trusted God and chose peace instead of fear. She says we can choose peace too, by praying, asking for help, and trying to understand someone instead of assuming the worst.
St. Denis
This is one of the strangest saint stories Ms. Julia and Dilly have ever told. Ms. Julia says it reminds us that nothing could stop St. Denis from loving Jesus and sharing the Gospel.
St. Christina the Astonishing
St. Christina’s story is full of extraordinary things. Ms. Julia says the most important part is that she prayed for souls, because she loved people enough to pray and make sacrifices for them.
St. Macarius and the Talking Skull
This story reminds us again that prayer for the dead is never wasted.
St. Padre Pio and the Soul in Purgatory
For the last story of the night, Ms. Julia tells about a mysterious visitor asking St. Padre Pio for a prayer.
A Quiet Moment for People Who Have Died
Between the stories, Ms. Julia and Dilly talk about heaven, purgatory and praying for people who have died. Ms. Julia says death is not the end of the story, because Jesus opened heaven for us. She says purgatory is not a scary haunted place. It is where God lovingly prepares souls for heaven, and we can keep loving people through our prayers.
Key Takeaways
In this episode, kids will:
- Learn why Halloween is also called All Hallows’ Eve, the night before All Saints Day.
- Remember that All Saints Day celebrates the saints in heaven, and All Souls Day is when we pray for people who have died.
- Meet six saints: St. George, St. Francis, St. Denis, St. Christina the Astonishing, St. Macarius and St. Padre Pio.
- Say a short prayer with Ms. Julia and Dilly: “Jesus, help me be brave.”
- See how St. Francis chose peace instead of fear, and how we can pray, ask for help and try to understand others.
- Pray for people who have died. Ms. Julia says death is not the end of the story, and that purgatory is where God lovingly prepares souls for heaven.
- Hold on to the big idea: Jesus is stronger than fear, stronger than darkness, and even stronger than death, so we do not have to be afraid.
Episode Summary
What if the spookiest night of the year turned out to be full of saints?
Ms. Julia and Dilly settle in by the campfire for a very special night. Dilly has brought emergency supplies: a flashlight, a blanket, a fake cobweb, six marshmallows, twelve backup marshmallows and a monster detector that keeps beeping. Ms. Julia explains that Halloween is also called All Hallows’ Eve, the night before All Saints Day, and that All Souls Day comes after. Costumes and candy can be fun, she says, but this time of year reminds us that “Jesus is stronger than fear, stronger than darkness, and even stronger than death.”
Then the stories begin. St. George faces a dragon, and the friends say, “Jesus, help me be brave.” St. Francis meets a wolf and chooses peace, and a mysterious growl turns out to be Dilly’s stomach. St. Denis brings one of the strangest stories yet, and then Ms. Julia leads a quiet moment to think of someone who has died. St. Christina and St. Macarius remind us that prayer for the dead is never wasted.
Dilly shares a letter he wrote to someone he loves who has died, and Ms. Julia says he can use it as a prayer to God. Something rustles in the woods, and the last story begins, about St. Padre Pio and a mysterious visitor asking for a prayer. The night ends with a reminder: even when stories feel spooky or strange, “we do not have to be afraid,” because “God’s light wins.”
Episode Highlights
- ⦁ [__:__] Welcome to the spookiest Campfire Saints night, and Dilly’s emergency supplies
⦁ [__:__] Why Halloween has saints in it
⦁ [__:__] St. George and the Dragon
⦁ [__:__] St. Francis and the Wolf
⦁ [__:__] Wolf or woof?
⦁ [__:__] St. Denis
⦁ [__:__] Heaven, purgatory and praying for people who have died
⦁ [__:__] St. Christina the Astonishing
⦁ [__:__] St. Macarius and the Talking Skull
⦁ [__:__] Dilly’s letter and the sounds in the woods
⦁ [__:__] St. Padre Pio and the Soul in Purgatory
⦁ [__:__] Closing: God’s light wins
Transcript
Ms. Julia: Hi, friends! Welcome to a very special Campfire Saints night.
Dilly: It is the spookiest, creepiest, marshmallow-iest Campfire Saints night of the whole year!
Ms. Julia: Well, hopefully it's not too creepy.
Dilly: I brought emergency supplies.
Ms. Julia: What kind of emergency supplies?
Dilly: Flashlight. Blanket. Fake cobweb. Six marshmallows. Twelve backup marshmallows. And a monster detector.
Ms. Julia: Does it work?
Dilly: I do not know. It keeps beeping every time I walk past it.
Ms. Julia: Well, friends, tonight is a special Halloween, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day Campfire Saints episode.
Dilly: Wait. Halloween has saints in it?
Ms. Julia: It sure does. Halloween is also called All Hallows' Eve. “Hallow” means holy, and “All Hallows” refers to all the saints.
Dilly: So Halloween is... Saint Eve?
Ms. Julia: Exactly. It comes right before All Saints Day, when we celebrate all the saints in heaven. And after that comes All Souls Day, when we pray for people who have died.
Dilly: So it is not just about costumes and candy?
Ms. Julia: Costumes and candy can be fun. But this time of year reminds us of something even bigger: Jesus is stronger than fear, stronger than darkness, and even stronger than death.
Dilly: Okay. But can it still be a little spooky?
Ms. Julia: A little spooky. But never scary in a way that makes us forget that God wins. So let's begin with a saint who faced one of the most famous monsters of all.
[Story plays here: St. George and the Dragon]Dilly: Okay. Dragons are officially scary.
Ms. Julia: They can be. But St. George reminds us that being brave does not mean you never feel afraid. It means you trust God anyway.
Dilly: Friends, say it with us: “Jesus, help me be brave.”
Ms. Julia and Dilly: Jesus, help me be brave.
Ms. Julia: Our next saint met a scary animal too.
Dilly: Please tell me it is not another dragon.
Ms. Julia: No. This one is a wolf.
[Story plays here: St. Francis and the Wolf]Dilly: Did you hear that?!
Ms. Julia: It sounded like a growl.
Dilly: A wolf growl?
Ms. Julia: Dilly, I think that growl is coming from your stomach.
Dilly: Oh. That is embarrassing.
Ms. Julia: I loved that story because St. Francis did not pretend the wolf was not dangerous. The town had good reason to be afraid.
Dilly: But St. Francis trusted God.
Ms. Julia: He did. And he chose peace instead of fear.
Dilly: How do you choose peace when something feels scary?
Ms. Julia: Sometimes we pray. Sometimes we ask for help. Sometimes we try to understand someone instead of assuming the worst about them.
Dilly: Like when I look scary because I'm grumpy, but really I just need a snack?
Ms. Julia: Exactly. God can bring peace to places where there is fear. And he can help us become peacemakers too.
Dilly: What is next?
Ms. Julia: A saint with one of the strangest stories we have ever told.
Dilly: Stranger than a wolf?
Ms. Julia: Much stranger. Hang on... to your heads.
[Story plays here: St. Denis]Dilly: Okay. That was definitely one of the strangest saint stories yet.
Ms. Julia: It was. But St. Denis reminds us that nothing could stop him from loving Jesus and sharing the Gospel. This next story is a little quieter. It helps us remember something really important about this time of year. Heaven, purgatory, and praying for people who have died.
Dilly: Can we really help them by praying?
Ms. Julia: We can. Death is not the end of the story. Jesus opened heaven for us, and we can keep loving people through our prayers.
Dilly: Even people we never got to meet?
Ms. Julia: Even them. Purgatory is not a scary haunted place. It is where God lovingly prepares souls for heaven.
Dilly: So we pray that they can be close to God forever?
Ms. Julia: Exactly. Friends, take a quiet moment and think of someone you love who has died. You do not have to say their name out loud. Just hold them in your heart.
Ms. Julia: Now let's hear about St. Christina, whose extraordinary story reminds us how she prayed for people.
[Story plays here: St. Christina the Astonishing]Dilly: She could fly?
Ms. Julia: St. Christina's story is full of extraordinary things.
Dilly: I would like to fly.
Ms. Julia: The most important thing about St. Christina was not the unusual things she did. It was that she prayed for souls. She loved people enough to pray and make sacrifices for them.
Dilly: Can we say a little prayer for people who have died?
Ms. Julia: Let's do it. Jesus, have mercy on the souls who need you. Our next story reminds us again that prayer for the dead is never wasted.
[Story plays here: St. Macarius and the Talking Skull]Dilly: I wrote a letter for someone I love who has died. But I do not know where to send it.
Ms. Julia: You do not have to mail it anywhere. You can use it as a prayer to God. God hears your prayers.
Dilly: Julia... did you hear that?
Ms. Julia: I did.
Dilly: Was that the wind?
Ms. Julia: Maybe. Or maybe it was someone coming to ask for prayer. Our last story is about St. Padre Pio and a mysterious visitor asking for a prayer.
Dilly: Okay, friends. Pull your blankets close.
Ms. Julia: It is time for one last Campfire Saint Story.
[Story plays here: St. Padre Pio and the Soul in Purgatory]Ms. Julia: What a night.
Dilly: We met a dragon, a wolf, a saint with a head situation, a flying saint, a talking skull, and a soul who needed prayer.
Ms. Julia: And every story taught us something important.
Dilly: But even when stories feel spooky or strange...
Ms. Julia: We do not have to be afraid.
Dilly: Because God's light wins. Happy spooky saint night, friends.
Ms. Julia: Goodnight, friends. And don't forget to subscribe to Juice Box for more spooky saint stories.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why is Halloween also called All Hallows' Eve?
All Hallows' Eve means the evening before All Saints Day. “Hallow” means holy, and “All Hallows” refers to all the saints. All Saints Day falls on November 1.
What are All Saints Day and All Souls Day?
On All Saints Day, the Church celebrates all the saints in heaven, known and unknown. All Souls Day comes right after, on November 2, and it is a day when we pray for people who have died.
What is purgatory?
Purgatory is not a scary haunted place. The Church uses the name for the “final purification of the elect,” which is the cleansing of those who die in God's friendship but still need to be made ready for heaven. Ms. Julia puts it this way: it is where God lovingly prepares souls for heaven.
Can we really help people who have died by praying for them?
Yes. The Catechism says the Church has honored the memory of the dead and offered prayers for them from the beginning. Ms. Julia says death is not the end of the story, and that we can keep loving people through our prayers. Dilly's letter shows one way: you can write to someone you love who has died, then give it to God as a prayer.
Are the saint stories in this special all true?
The saints in this special are people the Church honors, and their stories are told because of what they teach about God. Some stories about the saints are traditional accounts passed down over many years, so not every detail can be confirmed. The Church does not ask us to treat every detail of a traditional story as established history. Some stories may still offer a meaningful lesson, but their details should be considered carefully.
What can I do when I feel scared?
You can say a short prayer, like “Jesus, help me be brave,” and ask for help. The Catechism 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.
Is it okay to enjoy Halloween?
Ms. Julia says costumes and candy can be fun. She also reminds us that this time of year points to something even bigger: Jesus is stronger than fear, stronger than darkness, and even stronger than death. It can be a little spooky, but never in a way that makes us forget that God wins.
If your kids asked a big faith question this week, you’re not alone. Subscribe so you’ve always got a short, safe, Catholic video ready for car rides, bedtime, or Sunday prep.
Free Campfire Saints Halloween Worksheet for Kids
Keep the fun going after the video with a free Campfire Saints Halloween worksheet for kids.
What's Inside:
Color Your Prayer Lantern
Pray Together as a Family
Perfect to use while watching the companion Juice Box video
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