Forming hearts and minds in virtue, friendship, and faith.
By: Jim King | Saints & Scholars Consulting
As Catholics, we’re each invited to grow in virtue—to form habits that reflect Christ’s love and draw us closer to God. The Virtues in Practice program by the Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia and Friendzy’s faith-based character education curriculum share this same goal: helping students not only learn about virtue, but live it each day.
Both programs affirm that holiness is cultivated through daily choices and relationships:
Virtues in Practice introduces one virtue each month, exploring its meaning and application through Scripture, prayer, and the lives of the Saints.
Friendzy offers weekly, Scripture-based lessons that help students build habits of empathy, gratitude, forgiveness, and teamwork—virtues lived in community.
Together, these programs form a cohesive experience: Virtues in Practice teaches what virtue is; Friendzy helps students practice virtue in action.
Month | Virtue (Dominicans) | Definition & Connection / Alignment | Friendzy Unit / Catchphrase | Saints |
September – Faith | Believing in God and all He has revealed | Students practice faith through trust and community, learning that God designed us to build one another up. | Unit 1: We Need Each Other | St. Martha (PK–2), St. Jerome (3–5), St. Augustine (6–8) St. Martha’s faith in Jesus’ friendship (“I believe that you are the Messiah”) mirrors this unit’s call to trust God and one another. St. Augustine’s conversion story reminds students that faith flourishes in community. |
October – Reverence | Showing deepest respect for things of God | Respect for God is reflected through respect for others—students practice love that honors God’s presence in every person. | Unit 2: Love at All Times | St. Hyacinth, St. Tarcisius, St. Margaret Clitherow These saints showed unwavering reverence even when it was hard—St. Tarcisius died protecting the Eucharist, a profound model of reverent love. |
November – Stewardship | Returning to God the first fruits of your time, talent, and treasure | Encourages generosity and responsibility, reflecting stewardship of God’s gifts through service to others. | Unit 3: You First | St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Bl. Fra Angelico, St. Joseph Moscati St. Elizabeth served the poor with her gifts; St. Joseph Moscati used his talents as a doctor to care for others—both live out “You First” by giving selflessly. |
December – Generosity | Giving without counting the cost | Students learn to contribute selflessly and serve together, mirroring God’s generous love. | Unit 4: Teamwork Makes the Dream Work | St. Nicholas, St. Mary Magdalene, St. Maximilian Kolbe St. Nicholas’ secret giving and St. Maximilian Kolbe’s sacrifice embody generosity through teamwork and service to others. |
January – Gratitude | Seeing everything as a gift and being thankful | Kind and thankful words express gratitude for others and for God’s blessings. | Unit 5: Watch My Words | St. Francis of Assisi, St. Julie Billiart, St. Josemaría Escrivá St. Francis’ song of praise (“Canticle of the Sun”) models joyful gratitude. Students learn that kind, thankful words build a spirit of appreciation and joy. |
February – Honesty | Being trustworthy and true | Practicing truth and forgiveness builds integrity and strengthens relationships. | Unit 6: Friends Forgive | Sts. Jacinta & Francisco Marto, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Athanasius The child visionaries of Fatima showed honesty and courage in truth-telling; St. Athanasius defended truth even when it was unpopular—just as forgiving friends must act with honesty and integrity. |
March – Mercy | Caring for those who suffer | Recognizing one’s own worth and the dignity of others fosters compassion and mercy. | Unit 7: I Am Valuable | St. John Vianney, St. Faustina, St. Teresa of Calcutta Each saint models mercy through compassion: St. Faustina through the Divine Mercy message, and St. Teresa through seeing Christ in the poor—mirroring this unit’s lesson that every person is valuable. |
April – Justice | Being fair and giving each his due | Collaboration and fairness reflect the justice and equality rooted in God’s design. | Unit 8: Friendship Is a Gift | St. Anthony of Padua, St. Katharine Drexel, St. Thomas More St. Katharine Drexel used her wealth for justice and education; St. Thomas More upheld truth even to death—examples of fairness, courage, and respect in friendship and community. |
May – Zeal | Being driven by an intense love for God | Because Friendzy follows an eight-unit rhythm (September–April) and Virtues in Practice extends through May, schools can make Zeal a joyful capstone—celebrating the faith, friendship, and virtue students have practiced all year as they live God’s love with passion and purpose. | Capstone Month: Living Friendship with Zeal | St. Paul, St. Dominic, St. Francis Xavier These missionary saints embody zeal—sharing God’s love joyfully and tirelessly. May becomes a celebration month where students live their faith with energy and joy through service and friendship. |
Pairing Friendzy with Virtues and Saints is easy with our FREE printable worksheets.
To help schools bring these programs together, the Virtues & Saints Daily Reinforcement Tool includes:
Quick, meaningful activities to anchor each day in virtue
Prompts for students to share examples of virtuous behavior among peers
Literacy connections with Friendzy’s recommended book lists
Reflection moments tying saints’ lives to real-life friendship habits
Each month, students in Virtues in Practice study a saint who models the virtue of the month. Friendzy reinforces these lessons by providing daily opportunities for practice through:
Morning mindset prompts: Examples, such as “How will I live out the virtue of faith today?”
Classroom reflection questions:
“What virtue do you see being shown in this story?”
“How is our Friendzy catchphrase helping us live this virtue?”
Saint spotlights: Students study and discuss how the saint’s life connects to current Friendzy lessons.
Exit tickets or journals: Students reflect on how they’ve lived the monthly virtue through their friendships and choices.
BIO | Jim King - Saints & Scholars Consulting
Dr. Jim King is a seasoned Catholic educator whose career spans from classroom aide to superintendent. He holds both an M.A. and Ph.D. in Catholic educational leadership and has served at national levels with the NCEA and USCCB.
His research focuses on Catholic school leadership and cultivating vibrant Catholic culture in educational communities.
