February 3 Feast of Saint Blaise
St. Blaise miraculously saved a child who was choking, so his intercession is invoked against choking and ailments of the throat. 
  • Your family can attend Mass for the traditional blessing of the throats!
  • At home, the head of the household can bless each family member by saying, “Through the intercession of Saint Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” The head of household will tie two candles together, to form a cross, and place them on the throat of each individual as they receive the blessing. You can learn more here.
February 5 Feast of Saint Agatha
St. Agatha consecrated herself to the Lord and gave her life to Him, wholeheartedly. Because of this, she received imprisonment and was tortured by her persecutors. 
  • Today we can pray for and entrust in her care all women who have been hurt, assaulted, or imprisoned. We can pray for women who are in danger and who need protection. Let us also pray for women who are in need of healing.
  • If you have a local women’s shelter, contact them and ask if there is anything they might be in need of. What do you have around the house you can donate? Maybe your family could sell cookies or mow lawns to fundraise for them. 
February 8 Feast of Saint Josephine Bakhita
St. Josephine Bakhita was sold into slavery at 7 years old, and through the years she came to be a nanny in Italy. While serving a family there, she came to learn about and fall in love with the Catholic faith and was baptized and confirmed. When the family she was serving decided to leave Italy, Josephine refused to leave with them. The religious sisters in the area fought for her case and she was freed from slavery. She professed vows to join the religious community, the Canossian Sisters. She once said, “Be good, love the Lord, pray for those who do not know Him. What a great grace it is to know God!”
  • What an amazing woman to remember! You can share her story with your children while they color this coloring page by Catholic artist Mary MacArthur
  • “Seeing the sun, the moon, and the stars, I said to myself: ‘Who could be the Master of these beautiful things?’ And I felt a great desire to see Him, to know Him, and to pay Him homage” Before she came to know the Lord, Josephine Bakhita was drawn to Him by the sun, moon, and stars. For a fun lunch, use orange slices to make a sun, apple slices to make a crescent moon, and a star cookie cutter to make star sandwiches! Spend lunch talking about God’s creation, how St. Josephine Bakhita saw God in His creation, and ask your kids their favorite part of God’s creation.
February 11 Our Lady of Lourdes
On February 11, 1858 a young girl named Bernadette was approached by Our Lady, Mary, Mother of God. Mary asked Bernadette to pray the rosary with her and after several appearances, she revealed who she was. Since then, the grotto in Lourdes where she appeared has become a place of pilgrimage and healing.
  • Bake a Grotto Cake! We love this amazing idea by Alycia Valentiny.
  • Pray the rosary as a family, just like Bernadette did when she first saw Mary!
  • Watch the movie, The Song of Bernadette (1943), as a family.
  • You can also make a little Marian Grotto in your backyard. Start with a small statue of Mary and place the statue in a flowerbed, or area you can set aside as a special prayer spot. Your family can gather there to pray the rosary or a Hail Mary, or simply praying and asking Mother Mary for her prayers over your family.
February 14 Feast of Saint Valentine
While celebrating today, we recommend reading this book on the story of Saint Valentine and sharing with your children why this day is more about candy and colorful cards!
 
February 17 Ash Wednesday
Today marks the beginning of the season of Lent. We hope you have been able to watch our Monday videos this month on Teaching Our Kids About Suffering and How to Observe Lent as a Family! These are great ways to prepare for Lent, even if you aren’t able to watch them until today. Attend the distribution of ashes at your church or sit down together to discuss how your family will observe Lent this year with prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.
 
We invite you to journey through Lent this year with our free Lenten devotional on the Psalms, “Praising in the Storm”. Visit our Facebook page to sign up for the devotional!
 
February 22 Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter
Today we are not celebrating a piece of furniture, but the role of Saint Peter in the Catholic Church. Peter was the first Pope, a role currently held by Pope Francis, and this special “chair” has been around for over 2,000 years! We celebrate Peter’s role as shepherd (or bishop) of the universal Church.
  • This fun idea from Catholic Cuisine uses pop tarts and rolled wafers to make edible chairs!
  • Share the story of Saint Peter with one of the wonderful children’s books out there – here is one we recommend!