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!

This smooth, natural, homemade playdough is fun to make, long lasting, and smells amazing. For the feast day, I let my kids go at it with real tools (on a protected surface, with supervision).

In the Compendium, I named this recipe as one I’ve always wanted to try . . . so we finally did! It’s not as hard as it looks, and it makes for a visually stunning and delicious Easter brunch addition. You’ll need dyed NON-boiled eggs for this recipe, so make some in advance! The eggs will bake until soft-boiled in the oven with the bread. It’s yummy to break the eggs and dip the bread right in!

This traditional Brazilian dish uses canned hearts of palm, which is convenient if you don’t want to harvest the inner core of a palm tree stem yourself. The flash of red from the tomatoes and red onions makes it especially appropriate for the day!

Super simple, but sooooo fancy, fruit water is a perfect addition to tea parties, luncheons, and . . . water fights? I think so, anyway. It’s most flavorful when prepared ahead of time and left to steep for 2-4 hours (not more than 10-12). But it’s fun to set out various bowls of ingredients and let kids build their own concoctions and eat/drink them right away. Fresh or frozen fruit works

In Poland, Easter Monday means Śmigus-dyngus, a country-wide water fight. It’s also called Lany Poniedziałek, the Polish for “Wet Monday.” Folks in Polish neighborhoods in the United States call it Dyngus Day. It goes back all the way to the fourteenth century! On Easter Monday in Poland people spend the day chasing each other around with buckets of water. In solidarity with weird Catholic traditions, we like to have backyard water balloon fights and a fun water-themed dessert or afternoon snack. This traditional Italian cake is light, fluffy, and great if you happen to be out of (or avoiding) eggs and dairy. Add cocoa powder, espresso powder, cinnamon, fresh herbs, and/or citrus zest for a punch of flavor, but it’s tasty as is!

Saint Mark is described in the Bible as a naked guy. . .his origin story involves him being an unclothed robber who fled the Garden of Gethsemane before he changed his ways and helped write the Gospels. Since it’s sort of hard to politely include that imagery in liturgical cooking, we prefer to celebrate him by remembering his symbolic creature – a winged lion! This lion’s head bread ends up being a pretty spectacular snack. If you think of a way to add wings, let us know!

Place this printable flag with your Crispy Rice Lamb on Holy Thursday! The Agnus Dei lamb is often shown alongside this flag, which symbolizes his victory over death.

Saint Gianna Molla studied for her medical degree in Milan, and later specialized in pediatrics at the University of Milan. This restaurant-quality Chicken Milanese recipe also includes a tasty arugula and citrus salad, sure to get a doctor’s approval, and comes together in only 30 minutes, which any working mom can appreciate.

Cut and string this darling decor featuring Polish folk art Easter designs!

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

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

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.

Our quick and easy version of this fancy Italian dessert omits the raw eggs traditionally found in tiramisu but, really, you won’t miss them! It requires no baking, comes together in about fifteen minutes, and is sure to impress. (Allow a few hours for it to set in the fridge before serving.) Kids can definitely help. This recipe uses crispy lady finger cookies as the base. These can be found in the cookie aisle of many grocery stores, ordered online, or made from scratch. If you have access to actual espresso, you can use that, or substitute strong coffee or decaf.

Paglia e fieno or “straw and hay” is a traditional dish from the Siena region of Italy. It’s a delicious combination of pasta, prosciutto, cream, peas, and Parmesan cheese. To make it look like, well, straw and hay, it’s usually made with an equal combination of spinach fettuccine and egg fettuccine. However, if spinach fettuccine isn’t readily available, you could always do just hay, or substitute a tricolor bowtie or rotini mix. Bacon can be substituted for the prosciutto.

This classic British pub meal makes for a tasty celebration of St. George of Merrie England. “Bangers” is slang for sausages. The “bang” comes from the fact that during WWII when meat rations were low, sausages had to be made with other inexpensive fillers like rusk or breadcrumbs and a large ratio of water that would result in the sausages bursting with a “bang” when fried. True English bangers are a whitish pork sausage with a tasty smoothness that my family really enjoys. We can sometimes find them at our local grocery store. In a pinch, any white pork sausage will do!

Simple and sweet, these ice cream sundaes are a tasty way to celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. We use red and blue fruit and/or sprinkles to represent the rays of love and mercy that emanate from the heart of Jesus. I think vanilla ice cream makes for the prettiest presentation, but my kids prefer more exciting ice cream flavors. Fresh or frozen berries will work.

This delicious British treat combines caramelly apple filling and a toasty oaty topping, crowned with a festive strawberry St. George’s cross. I like to use a mix of grammy smith and fuji apples, but any apple or combination will work. Serve it with vanilla bean ice cream for a dessert that’s sure to slay.

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!

In this booklet, you'll find prayers, readings, hymns, and reflections for Easter Mass during the Day!

I was pretty excited to learn that there was in fact a traditional pastry meant to be eaten on Good Friday, and considered so Catholic that their sale was forbidden by decree of Elizabeth I (not a fan of Catholics). When I first looked up the recipe, they seemed awfully sweet and tasty for such a somber day. However, my love of tradition won out and now, I actually think their deliciousness adds to the mortification of having them for a collation. We WANT to eat ten of them, but we only eat two (and they are small). If you prefer, you can omit the icing cross and instead cut a cross into the top of each bun before baking.

The whys and hows of this traditional Catholic devotion, featuring instructions, illustrations, prayers, and Bible readings for a Holy Hour, or a Holy Few Minutes!

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.

Wondering how to incorporate the prayers of the Catholic faith into your own day? Inside this Catholic All Day booklet you'll find traditional Catholic daily prayers and devotions from morning until night, at home, at church, or on the go!

This poem is perfect to read on Holy Saturday as we all eagerly await the resurrection! It speaks of Jesus' descent to the Limbo of the Fathers on Holy Saturday, and trust us when we say to have a tissue handy when you go to read it.

Your original 2" calendar medallions for the month of April!!

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

Reenact the Incarnation by putting on an Annunciation play with this set! Print and cut out your own puppets—the archangel Gabriel, the virgin Mary, the Holy Spirit as a dove, and the narrator as angels—and attach to four popsicle sticks. Then, read the script in a dramatic fashion!

Use this digital download to help your family have a conversation about things you think should be changed around your home on the feast of St. Catherine of Siena, on April 29th!