The document provides an overview of key Catholic ideas and terms that appear in the novel Bless Me, Ultima. Some of the main concepts discussed include: - Mass is the Catholic church service where Communion is celebrated, involving eating the body and blood of Jesus. - Priests administer sacraments like baptism, confession, marriage and perform the Stations of the Cross reenactment of Jesus' crucifixion. - Saints are holy people who Catholics believe intercede with God, and the Virgin of Guadalupe is the patron saint of Mexico. - Lent, Holy Week, Good Friday and Easter Sunday are important Catholic holidays that mark Jesus' crucifix

1. Roman Catholic Ideas and Vocabulary in Bless Me, Ultima

3. Christianity many branches. “Catholic” refers to one of the oldest kinds of Christianity: Catholic http://stm-re.blogspot.com/2007_01_01_archive.html

4. In the United States, 23.9% of people are Catholic. However, most Americans are familiar with all the Catholic words and ideas in Bless Me, Ultima.

5. Mass = the Catholic church service Image from http://stmarysosky.com/staff/parish-council/liturgy-committee/

6. A Catholic religious leader is called a priest. http://www.catholicdistribution.com/categories.php?category=ARTIST/D%252dF-ARTIST/FR.-PAT

7. Sacraments are the special holy things that a priest can do, for example baptize babies and marry people. http://www.hawaiianweddings.net/Catholicweddings.html

8. Confession is one of the sacraments. Confession is a special, private conversation with a priest in which a Catholics tell what they have done wrong (sins) and are told what to do to be forgiven. This is called “penance.” http://stuffcajunpeoplelike.wordpress.com/2008/04/08/14-confession/

9. Penance is usually saying prayers. http://lighthouseideas.org/Advent.aspx

10. Communion is eating the body and blood of Jesus. This is another sacrament. Children make their first communion when they are seven years old, after studying the catechism. http://badgercatholic.blogspot.com/ 2011/07/whats-best-way-to-recieve-holy.html

11. Catechism = the book people study before they can become Catholic. In this picture, children are studying in a catechism class. http://www.seraphicsisters-ne.org

12. The Virgin Mary was the mother of Jesus. She is more important to Catholics than she is to most Protestants. http://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/ library_article/ 844/Mary__Mother_of_God_.html

13. In 1531, a Mexican Indian named Juan Diego had a famous vision of the Virgin Mary. This image is called the Virgin of Guadalupe. http://www.tamut.edu/academics/ mperri/ColAm/ColLAAm.htm

14. Saints are holy people who have died, and who now have a special relationship with God in heaven. http://galatiansfour.blogspot.com/2010/10/roman-catholic-saints-were-no-saints.html

15. Different saints are the patrons, or special helpers, of different places or groups of people. For example, Saint Christopher is the patron saint of travelers, so Catholics may wear a Saint Christopher medal while traveling. http://www.jmckinley.com/a/index.php?find=medal&lfind=medal&from=0&to=102&e=99

16. The Virgin of Guadalupe is the patron saint of Mexico, and of the town in New Mexico where Bless Me, Ultima takes place. http://cariscrafts.blogspot.com/2010/12/virgen-de-guadalupe.html

18. Baptism is one of the sacraments sacrament. Christians believe that people are born in sin, and baptism washes away this “original sin.” http://designbymartha.com/sixth_grade/index613.html

19. Everyone is born in “original sin” because of the sin committed by Adam and Eve, the first man and woman in the Garden of Eden. http://michael-in-norfolk.blogspot.com/2011/11/biblical-necessity-of-adam-and-eve.html

20. Baptized Christians who live good lives are believed to go to Heaven when they die. Bad people go to Hell. A mortal sin is a sin for which you will go to Hell.

21. “ Limbo” is an empty place for innocent people who were not baptized. At the end of Chapter One, Antonio dreams about the “babes of Limbo.”

23. The “Hail Mary” and the “Act of Contrition” are names of specific Catholic prayers.

24. Holy water is special water that has been blessed by a priest for religious uses. http://www.travel-images.com/photo-costa-rica22.html

25. The End of Jesus’ Life (events that are important to understanding Chapters 17 and 18)

27. The last week of Lent begins with Palm Sunday. This was the day that Jesus entered Jerusalem.

28. Jesus was tried by the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. He was condemned to be crucified. http://revelationofjesuschrist.wordpress.com

29. Crucifixion was a common way of killing criminals at that time. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crucifixion

30. “ Good Friday” is the day that Jesus was crucified. In Chapter 18, the priest and the children pray “The Stations of the Cross.” This is a series of 14 pictures showing the crucifixion as described in the Bible. All Catholic churches have these pictures along the side walls inside. http://www.catholicsupply.com/ churchs/chstations.html

31. On Easter Sunday, Christians believe that Jesus rose from the dead. Antonio and the other children have their first communion on Easter Sunday. http://www.dphotojournal.com/first-communion-photography-tips/