Collection: Digital Downloads

Enjoy grapes and herbs sprinkled with holy water this month!

A downloadable activity to use for the feast of Saint Thomas the Apostle on July 3!

A novena to Saint Anne can be prayed for any intention, but her intercession is frequently invoked by those seeking a spouse or hoping for a child.

If you’ve got The Catholic All Year Compendium, you might remember the story of our Advent novena with a Ugandan priest who told the kids a VERY memorable tale about the Christmas Eve slaughtering of cows in Uganda. So we make these Ugandan Kabobs for the feast of Saint Charles Lwanga & Companions and we make them with beef! Kabobs in general are a favorite party food in our home. For a larger party, or for choosier guests, I’ll pre-cook various kabob ingredients and put them out individually to let guests assemble their own skewers. (I keep utensils and pans separate if cooking for guests with food allergies.) Ugandan kabobs are often made with meatballs, but I also like this quicker steak version. The spice traditionally used would be harissa paste, but chipotle or other chili paste, or a dry spice mix can be substituted in the marinade.

In 1873, Fr. Damien volunteered as a chaplain to the Hawaiian government-mandated leprosy quarantine camps established on the island of Molokai. He served the physical and spiritual needs of the members of the camps and, along with native member-leaders, brought education, arts, order, law, and culture to a forsaken community. Since his death from the disease in 1889, he has been remembered and celebrated by the people of Hawaii. 

Popovers are a favorite Sunday breakfast for our family, served with strawberry butter, and bacon on the side. But they are also a lovely accompaniment to meat and soups. I especially love them for the feast of the Ascension. The kids all standing at the oven watching them rise heavenward is liturgical cooking at its finest! These popovers REALLY rise—to about three inches above the pan—so if you’re making multiple batches, use the bottom and middle rack only, and be sure you have enough room between them.

In 1873, Fr. Damien volunteered as a chaplain to the Hawaiian government-mandated leprosy quarantine camps established on the island of Molokai. He served the physical and spiritual needs of the members of the camps and, along with native member-leaders, brought education, arts, order, law, and culture to a forsaken community. Since his death from the disease in 1889, he has been remembered and celebrated by the people of Hawaii. Also called huli huli chicken (meaning “turn, turn”), this tasty Molokai Hawaiian BBQ chicken recipe is great for summer parties, especially with an iconic pineapple upside down cake for dessert.

My mom grew up in Memphis, TN, and her crispy, crunchy, tender, flaky fried catfish is my very favorite thing she cooks. It’s a great meal for any Friday, especially if you’re entertaining. At our annual Good Friday backyard Stations of the Cross, my mom fries up mountains of catfish for family and friends. We keep the spread simple with just coleslaw and cornbread on the side, and water to drink. It’s a mouth-watering full meal for a fasting day. Deep-frying is really a very straightforward process. A deep-frying or candy thermometer helps ensure your oil is at the right temperature, to avoid oil-soaked or under-cooked fish. You can also choose to fake-fry-bake them in the oven.

Because St. Joseph worked with his hands, we like to highlight finger foods on his feast day! Get the whole family involved with making these easy appetizer skewers and then enjoy the delicious fruit of your labors at dinner time!

A perfect meal for the feast of Saints Perpetua and Felicity—especially since it usually falls during Lent—is Stracciatella alla Romana: Roman egg drop soup. It’s quick and easy and has only a few ingredients. It’s Roman, as were they. The eggs highlight the motherhood of these martyrs. Stracciare means “to rip to shreds” in Italian. In this soup, it refers to the process of whisking in the eggs, and . . . I’m just going to stop there and not make any wild beast parallels. Homemade chicken stock is lovely in this recipe, but I’ve also used chicken stock paste with success. It’s also a great choice for Lenten Friday Soup & Stations.

Lamb rib chops make for an impressive presentation with their long handle, and kids like to pick them up and eat them like an ice cream on a stick. But this recipe also works with the little triangular lamb loin chops.

The surprise is that these sugar cookies get their lovely green color from . . . spinach! You really can’t taste it, honest.

Homemade butter is a perfect food AND activity with which to celebrate Saint Brigid, herself a dairymaid who gave away butter to the poor (only to have it miraculously restored). Shaking it by hand in mason jars feels like a real accomplishment. Using a stand mixer is quicker and gives an interesting view of the process.

This delicious caramelized, crustless cheesecake is a traditional recipe from the town in the Basque region of Spain called San Sebastian. . . making it the perfect way to celebrate the saint! Not to mention, it’s decadent and delicious. This dessert is best enjoyed two hours after chilling, but it can be refrigerated until the next day, if needed.

This rustic soup is a real family favorite. We have it on Christmas Eve and sometimes also for our “all white dinner” on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, and it’s perfect for a German saint day. It’s always in the Lenten “soup and stations” rotation, and the kids often choose it for their special days. I have very fond memories of cutting dumplings into bubbling soup with my grandfather, and I love doing it with my kids now. It’s not exactly a quick and easy process, but the results are so worth it. The soup thickens up with time and gets even better. It can be made a day or two ahead if desired. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop, adding water if necessary. Stir very often to keep from scorching the bottom when reheating.

British chef Fergus Henderson’s renowned restaurant “St. John” is named for the street on which it sits in the Smithfield area of London. Chef Henderson specializes in “nose-to-tail” eating and gourmet versions of British comfort food. This is an adaptation of his recipe for a classic American dish, which—if not officially associated with St. John the evangelist himself—bears the saint’s name and makes for a lovely meal on a cold winter’s day.

Plantains or “cooking bananas” are a major food staple in Africa. Green plantains are used like potatoes: fried, boiled, or processed into flour to be used in a variety of tasty dishes. Plantains are widely available in the produce section at grocery stores in the U.S. They look like large green bananas. Uglai is a corn porridge similar to smooth grits, made with corn flour. Potatoes can be substituted for the plantains and grits or rice for the ugali if necessary. (But it won’t be quite as much fun!)

Your calendar medallions for the month of December!

This recipe originally appeared in Thomas Dawson’s The good huswifes Jewell, part 1 in 1596.

Any combination of apples will work. My favorite is Granny Smith + Honeycrisp.

Saint Joseph models the holiness of labor to us. Pope Pius XII emphasized this when he said, “. . . no worker was ever more completely and profoundly penetrated by [the spirit] than the foster father of Jesus, who lived with Him in closest intimacy and community of family life and work.” This crossword highlights his pursuit of virtue and dedication to work!

Learn more about Saint John the Baptist by reading about him in the bible, simply turn your spinner to reveal a new verse about his life!

Show some love for this relatively new Marian feast day by praying this prayer composed in her honor by Pope Francis in 2013.

This cut-and-glue activity is a fun and easy way for your kids to have fun honoring our Blessed Mother this May!

Originally compiled in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic, the prayers in this Palm Sunday at Home booklet can be used for placing already blessed palms in a place of honor in the home!

Saint Gianna Molla was a devout Catholic who was also a busy wife, mother, and physician. Cut and arrange the items in her clinic!

The relics of Saint Mark took an exciting journey from Alexandria, Egypt to Venice, Italy. Help them find their way through the maze!

On this feast day we honor the papacy. Use this stationary to write a letter to the pope! It’s a chance to say “hi,” or say “thank you,” offer a suggestion, or tell him about your family.

Saint John is often pictured holding a cup with a cute little serpent coiled around the edge to symbolize a cup of poisoned wine that didn’t kill him. Saint John’s Day is traditionally the day to bring a bottle of wine to Mass with you for Father to bless. If you’re not able to make it to Mass, or your wine isn’t, the head of the household can ask God to bless the wine.

Ask the Patron Saint of Immigrants (and an immigrant to the U.S. herself) to pray for our country and its immigrants while you color!

Saint Jude is usually pictured wearing a large medallion: a representation of the face of Christ called the Image of Edessa. Color this supersize version of Saint Jude’s token of Jesus on October 28th!

St. Kateri is known as the Lily of the Mohawks. She lived in a Mohawk village in what is now western New York state. Three Sisters Soup is a traditional Native American recipe from the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) nation, of which the Mohawks are a part. The term “Three Sisters” refers to the three main crops of some North American tribes: maize (corn), squash, and beans. The three plants were planted close together and like close sisters, aided one another in their respective growing processes. Regular corn can be substituted for hominy, but hominy is more traditional. Serve with corn muffins . . . boiled if you want to be authentic!

In France, lobster is served for the feast of saints Anne and Joachim. But because lobster isn’t always an option we love to serve shrimp scampi. It’s shellfish, it’s delicious, and it’s a little bit more manageable than an entire lobster on your plate.

Have the whole family join in on dinner prep tonight as you make a fun meal to remind you that Jesus has real power over death! As you wrap up your hot dog you can talk about how Lazarus died, was put into a tomb, and most importantly how Jesus raised him from the dead.

Fresh, homemade corn tortillas are WORLDS away from their crumbly store-bought counterparts. And they're a fun activity to do with kids.

It’s little-known these days, but every Friday of the year is still a required day of penance, and the recommended act of penance is still abstinence from meat (although an alternate sacrifice is permitted in some dioceses outside of Lent) . . . EXCEPT when a solemnity falls on a Friday, which the solemnity of the Sacred Heart ALWAYS DOES! Time to celebrate!

All the saint of the day images for the month of June!

In Matthew 17:24–27 we find the story of the miracle known as the “coin in the fish’s mouth.” Jesus tells Peter to go catch a fish in the Sea of Galilee, in which he will find a coin with which he is to pay the temple tax. Galilean tradition tells us that the fish was a tilapia and so tilapia are known there as St. Peter’s Fish. A popular dish in the region is St. Peter’s fish served whole and fried, with chips (that’s fries to Americans). This is the dish I serve on the feast of St. Blaise, as we laugh in the face of dangerous fish bones after getting our throats blessed at Mass. But if you’re not feeling that vibe, this recipe can be prepared with fish filets. The cooking time is the same.

If you didn’t grow up in Southern California like I did, fish tacos might sound a bit unusual. But if you’re okay with fish sticks and tortillas, you’ve got nothing to worry about. Because that’s all it is! This is a fun and portable meal that works great for Friday picnics and beach days and sporting events. It is the perfect complement to St. Thomas s’Mores (get it . . . s’MORES?) on the feast of Ss. John Fisher and Thomas More. To have them on the go, bake the fish sticks and warm the tortillas at home. Wrap them in foil and pack the warm and cool stuff in separate coolers, then assemble at your destination. If you don’t like cilantro, you can substitute parsley or basil.