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!

Throughout his life, even as a child, Saint Martin de Porres could be found giving what he had to those in need. Throughout November collect coins in this box for those in need in your community!

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!

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!

This art print features the piece “The Miraculous Translation of the Body of Saint Catherine of Alexandria to Sinai” by Karl von Blaas. Tradition tells us that after her Martyrdom in Rome St. Catherine’s body was carried by angels to the top of Mount Sinai where it was discovered hundreds of years later by the monks who lived in a nearby monastery. Display this print all month long and be inspired by Saint Catherine’s heroic virtue!

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!

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.

Enjoy dipping your favorite veggies or some pita chips into this delicious homemade hummus! Tradition tells us that after her martyrdom, angels carried Saint Catherine’s body to Mt. Sinai where it was later discovered by the monks who lived on top of the mountain. Saint Catherine’s Monastery is now a place of pilgrimage for Christians, and we hope that this hummus recipe helps you imagine what visiting there for yourself might taste like!

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!

Enjoy this Peruvian dinner staple for Saint Martin de Porres’ feast day! Full of warm comforting flavors, this dish is perfect on a cool fall evening with your family.

Meditate on salvation history with your family this Advent season year with the Jesse Tree!

This traditional Mexican beverage is thick and tasty and filling. It’s great with toast or pastry for breakfast or an afternoon snack, alongside a spicy pozole at dinner, or for dessert.

This warm, hearty, comforting pub dish was a favorite of my family on our pilgrimage to Ireland.

The month of December is dedicated to the Immaculate Conception! Display this print all month long and don’t forget to pray the prayer on the back for her feast day!

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.

In Europe the feast of Saint Stephen is known as Boxing Day, when traditionally boxes of food, money, and gifts were given to the servants and delivery workers. Use these gift tags and some ribbon to bring Christmas treats to your neighbors on the feast of St. Stephen this year!

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!

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!

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!

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 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.

Participate in this tradition of old for the feast of Saints Adam and Eve! Inside the file you’ll also find some printable fig leaves and cherubim accessories to help you bring the story to life!

This art print features the icon “Our Lady of the Sign”. The artist in unknown, but it originated in Byzantium and is one of the most revered icons in the Russian Orthodox Church. The icon shows Mary, the Mother of God, with her arms outstretched in an attitude of prayer. In the middle is the Christ Child blessing the world at the moment of his conception.

While other Marian feasts celebrate events in Mary’s life, this feast commemorates the part she played in the mystery of salvation. So, after you attend Mass (today is a holy day of obligation), come home and reflect on the motherhood of Mary as you color this beautiful page!

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

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!

This silly activity is based on The Donkey of Tarsus, who tells the story of Paul’s conversion from his perspective. You’re sure to laugh as you try to pin Saint Paul to said donkey blindfolded (Jesus did take his sight away for three days). But while you’re at it, don’t also forget to reflect on the goodness of God’s mercy and the miracles he performed while spreading the faith!

Apparently, in many European countries, the traditional dinner for the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, was a whole suckling pig. To remind us of motherhood? I guess? That sounds very dramatic, and I’m sure it would make quite an impression on my kids if I were to pull one of those babies (literally) out of the oven while everyone is hanging out watching football. Maybe one of these years I’ll give it a try. In the meantime I think a corn dog is a reasonable approximation!

The Auspice Maria, sometimes called the Marian monogram, is a symbol that means “Under the protection of Mary”. It’s a reminder that Mary is our mother, and that she watches over and protects us.

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