Collection: October

Instructions, prayers, and tips for remembering and praying for the holy souls in purgatory.

What’s better than a charcuterie board for a New Year’s Eve party? One that’s liturgically themed! Put together a fun snack (or dessert!) board that has all the colors of the liturgical year to celebrate a new year. You’ll need foods that are purple, green, red, and white. Bonus points if you add just a couple pink — or, rather, rose — foods!

Even though angels technically don’t have hair, being pure spirits and all, we still love this delicious and simple pasta dish using Angel Hair noodles to celebrate the feast of the Guardian Angels!

On a visit to his hometown of Wadowice in 1999, Pope John Paul II casually mentioned how fond he was of the cream cake or kremówka that he and his school friends had often pooled their funds to buy. The next day, he was swimming in gifted cream cakes, already renamed Kremówka Papieska or “Papal Cream Cake” by the residents. This dessert of vanilla pastry cream sandwiched between layers of puff pastry and dusted with powdered sugar is delicious, if a bit messy.

Our Guardian Angels are with us everywhere we go! Find seven in this picture who are keeping a close eye on their charges at the park!

The story goes that after his attempted assassination, Pope John Paul II, while recovering in the hospital, requested pierogis to eat. The doctors tried to persuade him that this was not a wise meal to have after surgery, but the Pope’s persistence wore them down; and it turns out that pierogies are just the thing for recovering from an attempted assassination.

Traditional Catholic prayers, Bible passages, songs, and devotions for the month of the Holy Rosary!

Enjoy a traditional dessert from Spain for Saint Teresa’s feast day. These small orange sweets are named for Saint Teresa, and were invented in her home town of Avila!

Ring in the Catholic New Year with this fun, bubbly treat! Make it alcohol free by using sparkling grape juice or cider instead of champagne.

To celebrate the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, we like to make an edible rosary! This can be accomplished with just about anything: mini muffins or donuts or cereal pieces at breakfast time, nuts or goldfish crackers or dried fruit at snack time, cupcakes or candies for dessert.

Pray the Divine Mercy Novena with your family! The church prays this novena together beginning on Good Friday leading up to the feast of Divine Mercy on the first Sunday of Easter each year.

On this day we remember many important events from Jesus’ life, recorded in the New Testament, but also the Ten Plagues and the first Passover from the Old Testament. Color this page to learn each of the plagues.

I don’t know if Carlo ever combined his favorite treats (Nutella and ice cream) into a sundae, but I decided to try it, and it’s . . . amazing. But only for special occasions.

Cherries jubilee is an old school classic dessert that uses the technique of flambé. The tongues of fire make this dessert perfect for Pentecost or the feast of Saint Jude, as he is traditionally depicted with a tongue of flame over his head, to remind us of his presence at Pentecost, when he received the Holy Spirit with the other apostles.

Pope St. John Paul II’s favorite food, famously, is a puffed pastry and custard cream dessert now known as kremówka papieska or “papal cream cake.” Other than that, he was known for eating whatever was placed before him, and not making his food preferences known. I’d like to think that the Polish nuns who did his cooking might have occasionally made him something like this one-pan kielbasa skillet dinner!

Inspired by St. Teresa’s writing on the interior castle, this historical English dessert, traditionally called “Castle Pudding”, is steamed in the microwave for a quick, tasty dessert, perfect for the fall!

These pastries are a very impressive (and tasty) way to honor St. Therese. The trick is to slice the apples as thin as you possibly can. The thinner the slices are, the easier they roll into pretty roses. It's a little bit fiddly - but the perfect thing to offer up in the name of St. Therese's "Little Way".

Saint Martin de Porres is a great example to look to when practicing the Corporal Works of Mercy! Use the clues to fill in the crossword, then think of a few ways that your family can follow the example of Saint Martin de Porres and practice the corporal work of mercy together!

Banbury Tarts are a traditional tea treat named after the town of Banbury, Oxfordshire in England. They have long been associated with late summer fairs held under the patronage of Saint Luke.

My family loves this soup for the feast days of French saints, and it’s always one of the soups I serve at our Lenten Soup and Stations get togethers. To make it more crowd-friendly, I assemble the cheesy crouton topping separately.

The Chair of Saint Peter is a relic that the faithful can visit in St. Peter’s Basilica. Tradition says that the interior wooden chair belonged to Saint Peter, the first pope. The exterior is a sculpted gilt bronze casing added in the seventeenth-century. Pope Benedict XVI described the chair as “a symbol of the special mission of Peter and his Successors to tend Christ’s flock, keeping it united in faith and in charity.”

On the feast of the Immaculate Conception we like to pray the Litany of Loreto which honors Our Lady’s many titles. Find some of those titles in this word search then pray the litany together as a family.

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

The word Agnes means “lamb” in Latin, which is traditionally associated with purity, innocence, and sacrifice in the Bible! Use the included template, yarn, and pompoms, to make a garland to celebrate her feast day, and reflect on this young virgin martyr and her shining example of faith and courage as you DIY. Plus, it works great for Easter, too!

The name of this rather obscure cocktail comes from a legend in which young maidens would seek to find the name of their true love by sipping on lavender brew while invoking Saint Luke with the words: “Saint Luke, be kind to me. In my dreams, let my true love see.”

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

Celebrate the feast of Saint Teresa by praying the prayer on the back of this holy card and by displaying her image for the day!

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.

In honor of Saint Jude and his tongue of fire, we’re making fire-roasted veggies, but . . . in the oven.

Honor Saint Paul Miki and his twenty-five companions by trying the traditional Japanese art of folding paper, or origami! As you fold, feel free to talk about the blessing of religious freedom and the persecution many Christians still face today.

Saint Brigid is said to have woven rushes (a grass-like plant) into a cross as she helped convert a pagan man upon his deathbed. If you’ve got access to rushes, weave away! Or, if you’re feeling less outdoorsy, we’ve provided pipe cleaners for you instead!

On Catholic New Years Eve we choose new patron saints for the liturgical year. Choose your patron saints from the list provided or write in your own to create your family litany of saints to pray this year!

Decorate you mantle or wall for Jesus’ special day (January 9th) with this banner. Use it again to celebrate baptism day anniversaries in your family!

Saint Sebastian is a patron saint of soldiers and athletes. This illustration is based on artist Marco Palmezzano’s work Saint Sebastian.

Your calendar medallions for the month of October!

As you color, give thanks for all of the beautiful things God has given you—even amid suffering—and reflect on Saint Josephine’s powerful example of strength and grace.

Saint Martin de Porres gave special care to the animals that visited the Dominica priory where he lived. Color this picture of Saint Martin with his animal friends while you tell his story to your kiddos!