Feast Days from Monday 2nd November to Sunday 8th

The main feast days are this week:

2nd November - All Souls Day

3rd November - St Martin de Porres

4th November - St Charles Borromeo

2nd of November - ALL SOULS DAY

All Souls Day is remembered on the 2nd of November but also the whole month of November is dedicated to praying particularly for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. It is a time to visit our loved ones at the cemetery, pray for them, bless their graves with holy water or light a blessed candle, for which an indulgence can be gained. We can also add a special prayer for the Holy Souls every day during November. It can be as simple as,

"Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon them, may they rest in peace. Amen."

Or maybe one of the following prayers. can be adopted by the family throughout this month.

Here is an explanation for children about the feast of All Souls. HT: Intercessories Family Ministry

An explanation for older children. HT: Magnificat

Praying for the Dead and gaining Indulgences for the Holy Souls on All Souls Day and in the whole month of November, written by Jenn G Miller

I particularly love this month-long display to set up in the home for the family, reminding us of the Church Triumphant (All Saints) Church Suffering (All Souls) and the Church Militant (The faithful on earth) and how they relate to each other. HT: Jennifer at Wildflowers and Marbles

Another great craft for the children in the month of November, an All Souls Rememberance Tree HT: Mozart and MudPies

Here is a lovely mantle display set up to remember our loved ones through the month of November. Here is Charlotte's All Souls display for this year, with lovely, closeup photos. HT: Charlotte at Waltzing Matilda

Here is my craft so as to have a visual reminder of those we are praying for in November.

Here is our poster to remind us of the Holy Souls we are specifically praying for in November. Click here, to see how it is made.

Here is our November craft, inspired by Jen's craft idea above (from Wildflowers and Marbles) This is a visual reminder to the children of the Mystical Body of Christ and how the Holy Souls are helpless and need our prayers and sacrifices. It may look complicated but it is an easy craft and I have all the images uploaded for others to use at my blog.

The following four All Souls recipes are from Catholic Cuisine:

Soul Cakes

Gluten Free Pineapple Soul 'Cup' Cakes

Pan de Muertos "Bread of the Dead"

Bones of Eliseus

Reading books about the souls in purgatory is really important in order to understand just how effectively we assist the Holy Souls and then how they come to our aid as powerfully as any canonized saint in return. Their graitude towards our prayerful alms is never forgotten. Children really enjoy these stories and will grow in love and understanding for this beautiful devotion of assisting the Holy Souls.

I highly recommend this children's picture book for the month of Holy Souls. It is called, Father Phillip Tells a Ghost Story. In this book the children will understand what a Holy Soul is, and the importance of praying for them. It shares many stories about the Holy Souls that the children will enjoy very much.

Mary Fabyan Windeatt's novel on the life of Saint John Masias is a lovely story for older children. St John was a great champion for the Holy Souls. On the back cover it has this to say:

"This lovely saints book tell how John Masias came from Spain to the New World, how he was fired from a job because of his poor education, how he went on miraculous travels, how he fought the Devil, and how he freed over a million souls from Purgatory."

Here are some good books on Purgatory for adults, but I have used these as read-alouds for my children in the past, the one I particularly recommend for that is Purgatory by Fr Schouppe.




Charity for the Suffering Souls



This is a small booklet called, How to Avoid Purgatory



Purgatory by Father Faber



Purgatory by Father Schouppe





Stories about Purgatory

3rd of November - ST MARTIN DE PORRES

A biography on the life of St Martin de Porres for children. HT: Intercessories Family Ministry

A biography for older children HT: Magnificat

A colouring page of St Martin de Porres HT: Good Shepherd Online

A colouring page/paper doll HT: Paper Dali

How about making some yummy St Martin's Mice? HT: Catholic Cuisine

Or some cute St Martin and Mice Cupcakes? HT: Catholic Cuisine


A lovely little book written by Father Lovasik on the life of Saint Martin de Porres.



This is a delightful picture book and I highly recommend it. It is called The Pied Piper for Peru.




A great novel for older children on the life of Saint Martin de Porres as only Mary Fabyan Windeatt can write it!








Saint Martin de Porres and the Mice is a lovely hardback book put out by Neumann Press and it comes from their "Saints and Friendly Beasts" Series.



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4th of November - ST CHARLES BORROMEO

A biography of St Charles Borromeo for children. HT: Intercessories Family Ministry

A biography for older children HT: Magnificat

St Charles had a speech defect when he was young and had a tendency to speak fast because of it. He worked hard at overcoming it. He was a great orator and spoke the truths of God so well, that he was greatly acclaimed. He is a great patron for children who struggle with similar speech difficulties.

St Charles enjoyed the game of chess, for children who enjoy the game as well, it's a good day to play and remember this saint.

Feast Days from Monday October 26th to Sunday 1st November

The main feast days are this week:

28th October - Sts Simon and Jude

1st November - All Saints Day

28th of October - STS SIMON AND JUDE

A biography of Sts Simon and Jude for children. HT: Intercessories Family Ministry


St Jude is always traditionally depicted holding an image of Our Lord's head and this is due to the tradition that St Thomas asked that St Jude take the holy relic away from Jerusalem where there was persecution and a risk that the shroud would be desecrated. St Jude travelled with the shroud to Edessa. It is believed that the shroud was folded in such a way that only the head of the Divine Lord on the shroud could be seen. This image of Edessa was known as the Mandylion.

Here is some good reading on this facinating connection between the two images, it would make good reading for older children. HT: Shroud Forum

A good craft for the feast would be to make the medalion that St Jude holds. You need a plastic or paper plate and this colouring page I made. (just click on the image to enlarge and save/print)

The children can colour the image in and glue it to the paper plate.

1st of November - ALL SAINTS DAY

I am very sorry I didn't get back to add the links, I hosted an enormous All Saints party this year and it took up all my time in preparation. I will add the links in the months to come so that it will be completed for next year's feast day.

Feast Days from Monday October 19th to Sunday 25th

The main feast days are this week:

19th October - St Isaac Jogues and companions

20th October - St Paul of the Cross

23rd October - St John Capistrano

24th October - St Anthony Claret

19th of October - ST ISAAC JOGUES AND COMPANIONS

Biography of St Isaac Jogues and companions for children HT: Intercessories Family Ministry

A lovely read-aloud story for children about St Isaac and temptation.

Friends in the Lord website supplied the images and mini biography for the martyrs below.

St. Jean de Brebeuf

Jean de Brébeuf was ordained at thirty-three. He was the first Jesuit Missionary in Huronia (1626), a master of the Indian language. He worked throughout all the district, founded Mission outposts, and converted thousands to the faith. He inspired many Jesuits to volunteer for the Missions of New France. Massive in body, strong yet gentle in character, his visions of the cross and of his future martyrdom were fulfilled when he was captured March 16, 1649. He was tortured for hours and was martyred at St. Ignace, six miles from Ste. Marie. Brebeuf is said to have the heart of a giant. He was known as the apostle of the Hurons.


St. Gabriel Lalemant

Gabriel Lalemant, a Jesuit at nineteen, was ordained at twenty-seven and became a scholar, professor, and college administrator. He was delicate in body and had a strong desire for the Mission of Huronia. After two years in Canada, he left for Huronia. Seven months later, he was able to speak the native tongue. For one month, he was assistant to Brebeuf and then his companion in Martyrdom. He died March 17, 1649, at St. Ignace. He summed up his faith in God, "My strength is the strength of God. In Him, I can do all things."



St. Anthony Daniel

Anthony Daniel was ordained a priest at twenty-nine, was a missionary near Bras-d'or Lakes (1632), founded the first boys' College in North America (Quebec 1635), and laboured in Huronia for twelve years. In 1648, he made his retreat at Ste. Marie and returned to his mission twelve miles away. On July 4, he had just finished Mass when the Mission was attacked. In Mass vestments, he faced the enemy, encouraging the Christian converts to live their faith and thus giving time for some to escape. His martyred body was thrown into the flames of the burning Church. This was at St. Louis. He was forty-eight.


St. Charles Garnier

Charles Garnier was a Jesuit Missionary in Huronia at age thirty-one. For thirteen years, he was pastor and missionary to the Hurons and Petuns. Gentle, innocent, fearless, and a man of faith, he drew converts to the Church. Even when the Mission of Etharita was attacked and he was wounded, he continued to baptize neophytes and to assist the wounded. In these acts, he died at the age of forty-four about thirty miles from Ste. Marie.


St. Noel Chabanel

Noel Chabanel, a Jesuit priest at twenty-eight and a successful professor and humanist in France, had a strong desire to come to the Canadian Missions. Here he was unable to learn the native language and felt useless in his ministry. He took a vow to remain in the missions, on the cross of seeming failure, always in the shadow of martyrdom. Even his martyrdom came secretly at the hands of an apostate on December 8, 1649, on the Nottawasaga, twenty-five miles from Ste. Marie.


St. Isaac Jogues

Isaac Jogues came to Huronia in 1636, worked at mission outposts for three years, helped to build Ste. Marie (1639), and explored as far west as Sault Ste. Marie. Captured by the Iroquois when returning to Ste. Marie from Quebec (1642), he was tortured, he lost his fingers, and he was made a slave. He escaped to France, but he returned the same year to be an emissary and missionary to the Iroquois. He was martyred at Auriesville, N.Y. at the age of thirty-nine.


St. Rene Goupil

Rene Goupil studied medicine and offered his services to the Jesuit missions in Canada. Originally, he had to leave the Jesuit novitiate because of ill health. On his way to Ste. Marie, he and Isaac Jogues were captured and tortured. He was martyred while making the Sign of the Cross on a child. It took place at Auriesville, N.Y. He was thirty-five. He was the first of the eight Martyrs to receive the crown of Martyrdom.

St. Jean de Lalande (see picture above)

At nineteen, Jean de Lalande offered his services as a layman to the Jesuits in New France. He accompanied Jogues to the Mohawk Mission (1646), was captured with him, and was tortured. He saw Jogues martyred. On the following day (October 19, 1646), he himself was killed, a martyr, at Auriesville, N.Y.

Saint Isaac and the Indians is one of the Vision books for children aged 8 to late teens.

Saint Isaac Jogues: With Burning Heart is a similar reading novel

20th of October - ST PAUL OF THE CROSS

Biography of St Paul of the Cross for children HT: Intercessories Family Ministry

23rd of October - ST JOHN CAPISTRANO

A biography of St John Capistrano for children HT: Intercessories Family Ministry

St John Capistrano colouring page HT: Charlotte at Waltzing Matilda

24th of October - ST ANTHONY CLARET

A biography of St Anthony Claret for children HT: Intercessories Family Ministry

Feast Days from Monday Oct 12th to Sunday 18th

The main feast days this week are:

12th October - Our Lady of the Pilar

13th October - Fatima Day - The Miracle of the Sun

13th October - St Edward the Confessor

15th October - St Teresa of Avila

16th October - St Margaret Mary

18th October - St Luke

12th of October - OUR LADY OF THE PILAR

This is a very special feast day as it is Our Lady's first known apparition. What makes this apparition so special is that Our Lady was still living on earth when it took place. She bilocated to Spain where St James the Greater had gone to bring the faith of Christ. St James had not been succesful and was very dejected at this point, camped by the bank of the Ebro River in Saragossa and preparing to return to Jerusalem. St James was deep in prayer when Our Lady appeared to him and gave him a wooden statue of herself holding the Child Jesus upon a jasper pillar saying:

"It will stand from this moment until the end of time in order that God may work miracles and wonders through my intercession for all those who place themselves under my patronage."

She instructed St James to build a church that would stand till the end of time. Tradition tells us that Our Lady had promised St James that when he needed it most in his difficult mission of converting the pagans in Spain, she would come to encourage him.

I am very pleased to share with you two glossy Catholic magazine articles written about one of the Chruch's most incredible and most well documented Marian miracles that took place through the intercession of Our Lady of the Pilar and the Holy Oil that comes from her shrine. It is about a young man who had his amputed leg miraculous restored to him 2 years after losing his limb.

Our Lady of the Pilar - "A Sign for Non Believers" When you follow this link you can click open the 6 pages and either read them online, or print them up and use them as an edifying read-aloud with the family. My children really enjoyed this story.

Our Lady of the Pilar - "A Sign for Non-Believers continued" This historical event is further supported by a modern day doctor who specializes in limb attachment. He states that the testimonies shared by those who witnessed the miracle in the 1600's spoke of things they saw, that describe accurately the science of limb attachment. Descriptions that could not have been fabricated since re-attaching limbs is only been made possible in the last 50 years or so. This another read-aloud for the family and the two together are probably worth reading over a couple of days.

Both of these magazine articles, strengthen our faith and show us the glory of miracles in Catholic Church, as we remember these words of scripture:

Here is Kathyrn's posting on the feast of Our Lady of the Pillar. HT: UK Bookworm

Here is our daily altar today, we did a craft in re-creating Our Lady of the Pillar.

Here is our cake for the feast, this is as simple as buying a swiss roll cake and piping on some cream or icing (I used icing) and then placing a little plastic statue or printing up a little image on cardboard of Our Lady to sit on top.

To make the craft and cake, click here for all my details.

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13th of October - OUR LADY OF FATIMA - THE DAY OF THE MIRACLE

Here is our Miracle of the Sun craft for today, click here to see how we made it and how we used it.

Here is our Miracle of the Sun cake which is over at Catholic Cuisine.

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Our Lady of Fatima colouring page. HT: www.sjtbre.org

The Children of Fatima by Mary Fayban Windeatt is good for young/older teenagers.

he Day the Sun Danced A lovely 30min cartoon about the apparitions of Fatima.

The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima movie. This is a great hollywood classic that is very moving, a good movie to watch together as a family in the evening.
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13th of October - ST EDWARD THE CONFESSOR

St Edward the Confessor colouring page. HT: Charlotte at Waltzing Matilda

Biography of St Edward for children HT: Intercessories Family Ministry

15th of October - ST TERESA OF AVILA

"Let nothing affright thee,

Nothing dismay thee.

All is passing,

God ever remains.

Patience obtains all.

Whoever possesses God

Cannot lack anything

God alone suffices."

~St. Teresa of Avila

This famous quote of St Therese would make a lovely piece of copywork for children to write out and decorate and place on the family altar or wall.


St Teresa of Avila Colouring Book

Biography of St Teresa of Avila for children HT: Intercessories Family Ministeries

St Teresa of Avila colouring page. HT: Charlotte at Waltzing Matilda

Free St Teresa Coloured Paper Dolls. These were a lovely find! Definately fun for the little girls in the family.

Here are a few recipes in honour of St Teresa from Catholic Cuisine:

Sopa de Ajo Castellana (Castillian Garlic Soup)

Pan de Santa Teresa (St Teresas Bread)

Seafood Paella

Teresa De Jesus is a 3 dvd mini series on her life.

16th of October - ST MARGARET MARY

Our Lord appearing to St Margaret Mary colouring page. HT: www.sjtbre.org

St Margaret Mary holding the Sacred Heart colouring page HT: Charlotte at Waltzing Matilda

Biography of St Margaret Mary for children HT: Intercessories Family Ministry

There are many crafts for the Sacred Heart of Jesus, but naturally they are very appropriate on the feast of St Margaret Mary, who revealed this devotion in it's fullness to the world. Below are some lovely Sacred Heart crafts, you may want to think of incorporating The twelve promises of Our Lord to St Margaret Mary into some of the ideas below:

Sacred Heart Craft for the family altar HT: Jennifer at Wildflowers and Marbles

Sacred Heart Craft HT: Kimberlee at Pondered in my heart

Sacred Heart Craft HT: Homeschooling Down Under

There are also some lovely Sacred Heart feast ideas from Catholic Cuisine below:

Sacred Heart Cheesecake

Sacred Heart Cookies

Appetizer for the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart

Lastly another sweet cake idea for the feast of the Sacred Heart HT: Faith and Family Live

Saint Margaret Mary: And the Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus by Mary Fayban Windeatt

18th of October - ST LUKE

Biography of St Luke for children HT: Intercessories Family Ministry

St Luke colouring page. HT: Charlotte at Waltzing Matilda