Collection: October

On the day after Christmas, we celebrate the feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr. Traditional St. Stephen’s Day dinners are all about using up leftovers! And this St. Stephen’s Day Pie is not only a great way to clear out your holiday leftovers, but the meat and potatoes in this recipe sort of look like rocks . . . which were used to stone St. Stephen to death. Let it also be known that he, like Jesus, was wrongfully accused and killed. And like Jesus, he died forgiving his executioners. In that way, he is an example to us of living our lives in imitation of Christ! And although it is unlikely that most of us will be called to imitate Christ as literally as St. Stephen did, certainly we will have many opportunities in our lives to practice evangelization and forgiveness today and in the years to come.

Our Fat Tuesday menu is all about celebrating a New Orleans-style Mardi Gras. And you can’t do that without a king cake. Named for the Three Kings aka the Three Wise Men and enjoyed around the world, all the variations are served on or before Fat Tuesday and have something hidden inside to represent the baby Jesus. Depending on where you are in the world, it might be a bean or a nut or a ring, but in New Orleans it’s a little plastic baby Jesus—so that's what we're going to do!

Well, the whole story is in Acts 9, but the short version is that, while on the road to Damascus with some companions, hurrying to persecute and arrest more Christians, Jesus appeared to Saul as a white light, flashing from the sky, and knocking him to the ground, presumably from a donkey or horse. Jesus identified himself, told Saul to knock it off with the persecuting, blinded him, and ordered him to get going. Saul’s companions helped him up, and got him to Damascus, where he was healed after three days, baptized, and began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues, calling him the Son of God. We think that deserves a tasty treat to celebrate!

This recipe is great because it works for Christmas Eve, but can be served on the Immaculate Conception as an appetizer too! As you bite into the creamy white brie and shiny red cranberry, remember the paradise Adam and Eve enjoyed before everything went wrong: listening to bad influences, not trusting God, not obeying rules, lying, blaming others for our bad behavior . . . and remember that even though we all do this stuff, God still has great love for his creation! And we get to celebrate that with the birth of Christ!

What better way to finish an all-white dinner than with an all-white dessert! Reflect on Mary’s profound purity and humility in between bites of this delicious brownie!

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.

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.”

The perfect dessert for an Irish feast day! This chocolate cake features delicious Guinness beer, founded in Dublin in 1759. Bonus: you can use our recipe for homemade butter to whip up the sweet Irish buttercream frosting!

We don’t have any special foods or activities we traditionally use to celebrate today, just a normal dinner, a dessert to celebrate, and a conversation about how much people can change, if they are willing to be open to God’s grace. And how God wants to use us, with all our flaws and imperfections. But, if you’re a planner and want to make something intentional, why not Middle Eastern food, like falafel and a side of hummus!

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.

Today we celebrate that Mary was miraculously preserved from the stain of Original Sin! And what better way to reflect on the purity of our Blessed Mother than with all white foods! This dish is the perfect way to remember her Immaculate Conception, and enjoy added chicken–instead of fish–for the solemnity, too!

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.

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.

Put your own beautiful touches on the chapel where St. Francis heard Jesus ask him to "rebuild my church". We especially love telling our kids the story of St. Francis and the Portiuncula while their hands are busy coloring!

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.

This variety of cheesecake is similar to a soufflé—light in texture and less sweet. It’s the perfect finish to your feast day celebration whether you’re enjoying homemade sushi or ordering in Japanese-style curry!

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!

Is it really Christmas if there isn’t some sort of festive white chocolate sprinkle bark involved? We think not! These layers of goodness can also give us a chance to think about the layers–challenges and triumphs–of the year, and encourage us to be our very best in the coming year! Who knew it could be so symbolic?

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.

Between Epiphany and Lent we celebrate Carnival, a little season of Ordinary Time. One popular tradition from this medieval European celebration is the King Cake, named for the Three Wise Men, and decorated with colored sprinkles: purple for justice, green for faith, and gold for power. Save time without compromising flavor with this cheater recipe. Serve warm for breakfast—and make sure someone finds baby Jesus!

The word Agnes means “lamb” in Latin, so she’s usually pictured holding a lamb. To celebrate, you could make a lamb cake . . . but those turn out creepy, like, 90% of the time. That’s kind of their charm. But you can make a slightly-less-weird-looking Rice Krispie Lamb in a fraction of the time. Everyone wins! Let a kid do the sculpting and then you won’t have to take credit for your lamb’s looks. #momhack

Saint Catherine was the daughter of a third century Egyptian governor, and she converted to Christianity during a time of persecution. She publicly rebuked the anti Christian government and bested all of the pagan scholars who opposed her (and converted many of them, too)! She was sentenced to death for her beliefs by torture on the breaking wheel, but it shattered at her touch, and she was instead beheaded. The wheel is now known as “Saint Catherine's wheel,” so on her feast day we like to make wheel cookies as we remember her strength and cleverness—an early example of the feminine genius!

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.

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!

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".

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.