August is dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
This month, the Holy Father’s intentions are for The Church: Let us pray for the Church, that she may receive from the Holy Spirit the grace and strength to reform herself in the light of the Gospel.
August 4: Feast Day of Saint John Vianney
Today we celebrate Saint John Vianney, who as a young boy during the French Revolution created a small statue of the Virgin Mary out of clay. He asked Mary in prayer to bring Jesus back into His tabernacles and he continued to remain close to Mary and her Son his entire life. He spent the majority of his life serving as a parish priest. Because of his pastoral care and guidance over the congregation, many came to seek his advice and mentorship.
- Saint John Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests. Pray a Hail Mary for your parish priest with your family!
- Read the book John Mary Vianney with your children.
August 6: Feast of the Transfiguration
“In the Transfiguration Christ enjoyed for a short while that glorified state which was to be permanently His after His Resurrection on Easter Sunday. The splendor of His inward Divinity and of the Beatific Vision of His soul overflowed on His body, and permeated His garments so that Christ stood before Peter, James, and John in a snow-white brightness. The purpose of the Transfiguration was to encourage and strengthen the Apostles who were depressed by their Master’s prediction of His own Passion and Death. The Apostles were made to understand that His redeeming work has two phases: The Cross, and glory—that we shall be glorified with Him only if we first suffer with Him.”
— Rt. Rev. Msgr. Rudolph G. Bandas
- Wear white or decorate the house with white, to reflect the brilliant light reflected by Christ in the moment of the Transfiguration.
- To celebrate, have vanilla (white) ice cream to remember the dazzling white light and the sweetness of this moment in seeing the glory of God. The Transfiguration was traditionally a harvest feast in the Church, so cut up favorite fruits to add as toppings to your ice cream!
- Learn more about the Transfiguration and view artwork of this moment.
August 9: Feast of Saint Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)
Edith Stein was born into a Jewish family in Poland in 1891. She decided to stop believing in God at the age of 14, but would come to earn her doctorate in Philosophy in 1916 and be baptized into the Catholic Church in 1922. Edith was captivated by the writings of Saint Teresa of Avila, who played such a role in Edith’s conversion that she went on to follow Saint Teresa in becoming a Carmelite and taking the name Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. She was arrested by the Nazis in 1942 and died in the gas chambers of Auschwitz that same year. Pope John Paul II canonized her in 1998.
- View images of her life.
- Read about her life with your children.
- Talk with your family about what it means to be a martyr.
- Eat caramel as a sweet treat to celebrate the life of this Carmelite.
- Pray for those who are persecuted for their faith.
August 11: Feast of Saint Clare of Assissi
Saint Clare of Assisi was the first woman to practice the life of entire poverty as taught by St. Francis and founded the Order of the Poor Clares. She directed the Order as Superior for 42 years! Those in the order went barefoot, slept on the ground, and made poverty their way of life. Saint Clare was canonized just two years after her death in 1253.
- Coloring page of Saint Clare
- What small sacrifices can we make for God? How can Saint Clare’s life be an example for us in our home and way of life?
- How can you help your local homeless shelter? Can you fundraise or donate old clothes, toys, or shoes?
August 14: Feast of Saint Maximilian Kolbe
Saint Maximilian Kolbe was a Polish priest who volunteered to die in the place of a man in Auschwitz after he overheard him cry out for his wife and children. The man he saved, Mr. Gajowniczek, died in 1995 at the age of 93. Before being taken to Auschwitz, he founded the Militia of the Immaculate Mary because of his great love and devotion for Our Lady. They published newspapers, magazines, and Maximilian even incorporated radio in his communications. He was ahead of his time, regarding mass media and theology, and is the patron saint of families, journalists, and the pro life movement.
- Read about his life with the book Stories of the Saints: Tales of Adventure, Grace, and Courage
- Pray for an end to abortion and find ways to support your local women’s shelter.
- Make Polish desserts and coffee with these ideas from Catholic Cuisine
- What small sacrifices can we make for God? How can Saint Maximilian’s life be an example for us in our home and way of life?
August 15: Solemnity of the Assumption
On November 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII defined the dogma of the Assumption, where the Blessed Virgin Mary, at the end of her life on earth, was taken up body and soul, into the glory of heaven.
- Pray a rosary or another Marian prayer, with the intention of growing closer to Our Lady and for her care and protection over your family.
- Look through this perfect book for little ones in sharing the life of Mary
August 22: Mary is Crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth
Mary’s queenship is a share in Jesus’ Kingship over Heaven. This feast day follows the Assumption of Mary into Heaven and shows us that Mary serves as the New Eve alongside Jesus’ redemptive work.
- Have fun with your family making and decorating a Cookie Crown Cake
- With small children, have them dress up as kings and queens and play out what the crowning of Mary would have looked like after her entrance into Heaven.
August 23: Feast of Saint Rose of Lima
At the age of 5, Rose decided to devote her life to Christ and began making small sacrifices to offer to the Lord. Saint Rose of Lima was the first saint of the Western Hemisphere! She served as a missionary and died at the age of 31.
- Buy roses to celebrate and remember the life of this beautiful saint!
- Share with little ones the age that Saint Rose of Lima decided she wanted to grow close to God and learn more about him. How can we look to her and learn from her example?
August 27 & 28: Feast of Saints Monica and Augustine
On August 27th we celebrate Saint Monica and on the 28th we celebrate her son Saint Augustine. Monica was a woman of devout faith, but her husband did not care for the Church until the year before his death. Augustine led a life far from God and Monica’s prayers for him “stormed heaven” as he continued to pursue worldly things in place of God. Augustine experienced a powerful conversion, was baptized by Saint Ambrose, and became a bishop and Doctor of the Church.
- Pray for those who have left the faith. The lives of Monica and Augustine remind us that no soul is too far from God and intercessory prayer is powerful and real.
- Pray over each member of your family, for their protection, and that they would always choose to know and love God.