For your home –

Art –

St. Francis Print from Eternal Artisan

Holy Family Icons from Kozak Workshop

Botanical Rosary Prints from Rose Harrington

Candles –

Holy Family Beeswax Candle and Emmanuel Scented Candle from Live Your Faith

• Use the code HOLIDAY20 for 20% off your entire order from Live Your Faith!

Venite Adoremus Scented Beeswax Candle from Stacey Sumereau

Travel-Sized Nativity Candles (Set of three) from Theology of Home

• Use the code THEOLOGYOFHOME15 for 15% off in the Theology of Home Shop! It can be used only once and cannot be combined with other offers.

Table –

Daily Bread Vegetable Bowl from Feed on the Word

Ave Maria Cloth Napkins from Our Holy Home

Christmas Cookie Stencils from Catholic All Year

Happy Birthday Jesus Cake Topper from Catholic All Year

Cards –

Custom Christmas Cards from Our Holy Home

Gloria Angel Christmas Cards from Keller Cards

For the kids –

Books –

Mary Mother of All from Providential

Seek and You Will Find: Treasures of Our Faith from Studio Senn

The Catholic Kids’ Cookbook from Word on Fire

The Lady of Guadalupe from Ignatius Press

• Everything from Ignatius Press is 20% or more off through December 3^rd

For Little Hands –

Guardian Angel Dolls from Heaven Blessed

Fuzzy Posters from Studio Senn

Silicone Rosaries from Roses and Pearls

Apparel –

Princess Saints Tee from Marigold Catholic Goods Co.

St. George Tee from Marigold Catholic Goods Co.

St. Michael Tee from Marigold Catholic Goods Co.

Annunciation Tee from Marigold Catholic Goods Co.

Joan Up Tee from Catholic All Year

For women –

Apparel and Accessories –

Adore Him Necklace from Give Love + Blessings

Undoer of Knots Sweatshirt from Marigold Catholic Goods Co.

Guadalupe Tee from Brick House in the City

Rosary Bracelet from Chews Life

• Every Friday-Sunday now through November Chews Life is running BOGO35 sales in their Holiday Shop.

Stella Maris Cuff Bracelet from Art Angel by Raphael

For her Quiet Time –

Theology of Home V: Arranging the Seasons from Theology of Home

• Use the code THEOLOGYOFHOME15 for 15% off in the Theology of Home Shop! It can be used only once and cannot be combined with other offers.

Mary’s Garden Mug from Gather + Pray

St. Nicholas and Our Lady of Guadalupe Tea from Sacred Heart Tea

Brideshead Revisited from Word on Fire

The Gospel of Mark Bible Study from Blessed Is She

For men –

Patris Corde Tee from Blessed Be God Boutique

St. Joseph Socks from Sock Religious

Queen of Angels Rosary and St. Francis Home Altar from The Catholic Woodworker

Drinking with the Saints by Michael P. Foley

After Humanity Bundle from Word on Fire

Wooden Coasters from Catholic All Year

The post The 2024 Catholic All Year Christmas Gift Guide! appeared first on Catholic All Year.

First Prize

Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus

Second Prize

Venerable Fulton Sheen, Servant of God Chaplain Emil Kapaun, Blessed Stanley Rother , and Servant of God Michelle Duppong

Third Prize

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Honorable Mentions:

Note to honorable mention winners: We decided that you all were so amazing that we couldn’t let you go without a prize too! We’re gifting you three months of our Venerable Level membership to try if you aren’t a current member already! Please contact us at helpdesk@catholicallyear.com to collect your prize.

Ss. Thomas Becket, Sebastian, and Jude

St. Emma of Regensburg

Mother Teresa

St. George, St. Lucia, and St. Faustina

St. Clare of Assisi, Bl. Carlo, and St. Teresa of Calcutta

St. Denis

St.  Rose, St. John the Evangelist, and St. Denis

St. Margaret of Cortona, St. Rose of Lima, St. Padre Pio, and St. Catherine of Siena

Our contest winners each receive A Free month of our Blessed Membership Tier plus a box of goodies from the CAY Marketplace!

The CAY Membership starts at $12/month and includes access to hundreds of feast day-inspired recipes, and activities, FREE shipping on all Marketplace orders, and a FREE Liturgical Wall Calendar! Check out all of the membership options below!

• Blessed
• Venerable

Wondering what to do with your family for the rest of the month of the Poor Souls in Purgatory? We’ve got you covered!

Visit a cemetery to pray for the dead from November 1st-8th to receive a plenary indulgence that can be applied to the Poor Souls! You can find the prayers for your visit in our Visiting a Cemetery Printable Booklet. Learn more about the requirements for gaining an indulgence for the Poor Souls here.

Decorate for the month of November with this All Saints Banner or this Requiescant in Pace Banner!

Find everything Memento Mori, including our new sweatshirt and T-shirt here!

The post 2024 Costume Contest: Winners and Honorable Mentions appeared first on Catholic All Year.

Here are some of our favorite costumes from past years!

The prizes are as follows:

This year we’ll be giving three winners a free month of the Blessed Tier of our Catholic All Year Membership, plus extra goodies from the CAY Marketplace as prizes–$100 in goods for first prize, $50 in goods for second place, and $25 in goods for third place!

Here’s how to enter . . .

If your kids are dressing up in a Catholic costume for Halloween or All Saints Day share a photo on Instagram and Facebook using #catholiccostume tag @catholicallyear and @kendra_tierney. (If you have a private account, you’ll need to set it to public for the day so I can see your tag.) If you are not a social media type, you can email your photo to me at helpdesk@catholicallyear.com.

We’ll do a round-up post following the close of the contest, which is November 1, 2022 at 11:59PM. By entering you give us permission to share photos on the Catholic All Year blog and social media channels.  Three winners will be selected & announced on November 5! Open worldwide, international winners will win a digital pize.

P.S. The 2025 Liturgical Wall Calendar just dropped in the CAY Marketplace and, you guys, it’s the most beautiful one yet! It has artwork featuring a different liturgical living tradition from each month and we can’t stop looking at it 

Grab one for your home here!

P.S. If you’re a CAY Member your FREE Liturgical Wall Calendar is on the way already! And if you aren’t a member you can learn more and join us here, and we’ll send you a FREE calendar too!

The post 2024 All Saints’ Day Costume Contest appeared first on Catholic All Year.

Gifts for Kids

Basket Stuffers –

Custom Easter Basket Initial Tag | Custom Easter Egg Painting Kit | Scavenger Hunt Tool | Stocked Pencil Case with Scripture Keychain | Lamb Lacing from Catholic All Year

Silicone Rosaries from Roses & Pearls

Decade Pop-Its | Sacraments Pop-Its from Gather and Pray

Toys & Puzzles from Kingdom Come Co.

“Kid Saint” Girls Stickers | “Kid Saint” Boys Stickers | Saint Memory Game from Just Love Prints

Marian Spinners from Studio Senn

Saint Dolls from The Little Rose Shop

Books –

God’s Glorious Girl | God’s Brave Boy by Emily Wilson Hussem

Jesus and the Miracle of the Mass | The Holy Spirit and the Greatest Adventure by Gracie Jagla

I Wonder About the Good Shepherd by Jenny Luetkemeyer

Petook: The Rooster Who Met Jesus by Tomie DePaola

Ten Keys to Good Manners by Claire Boutrolle d’Estaimbuc

Breeze and Flames: The Story of Pentecost by Madeleine Carroll

The Catholic Kids’ Cookbook by Haley Stewart and Clare Sheaf

Apparel –

Holy Outdoorsmen | Princess Saints | St. Michael | Interior Castle Youth Tees from Marigold Catholic Goods Co.

Kid Socks from Sock Religious

Bracelets from My Saint My Hero

Gifts for Women

Apparel –

Ad Jesum per Mariam Tee | Eucharist Bandana Scarf from Marigold Catholic Goods Co.

Adult Socks from Sock Religious

Jewelry –

Jewelry from The Little Catholic

Stella Maris Cuff Bracelet | Vintage Holy Card Pendants from Art Angel by Raphael

LifeStyle –

Easter Rosary from Lux Via

Heavenly Joy Beeswax Candle| Magnificat Beeswax Candle from Stacey Sumereau

Divine Intimacy sold by Blessed Is She

Three Hearts Water Bottle | Holy Family Hearts Tealight Holders | Wooden Phone Stand from Liz Long

Wall Decor from House of Joppa

Lavender Bath Soak | Comfort & Joy Essential Oil Blend | Renew Face & Body Cream from Rooted for Good

Gifts for Men

Adult Socks from Sock Religious

Drinking with the Saints by Michael P. Foley

Wooden Coasters from Catholic All Year

Cologne from Salt & Light by Sami

Rosaries from Rugged Rosaries

Catholic Trucker Style Cap from Liz Long

Prepare your home for the Easter season!

Paschal Candle from Catholic All Year

Easter Candle Holder from Catholic All Year

He Is Risen Banner from Catholic All Year

DIY Pysanky Easter Eggs | Lamb Butter Mold | Wooden Resurrection Tomb from Catholic All Year

White Garland from SmallThingsGr8LoveCo

The team at CAY is wishing you a holy rest of your Lent and a joyful Easter season!

The post The 2025 Catholic All Year Easter Gift Guide: Everything you need for baskets, gifts, and your home! appeared first on Catholic All Year.

If you haven’t seen it yet, I’m going on a pilgrimage to England with Fr. Tim Grumbach! Our friends at Select International Tours have planned the whole thing, and I worked with them to pick the BEST of the best stops for the ultimate Catholic trip.

I would love for you to come too! We can bond over our favorite English saints and writers, pray together, and drink tea together. You can find the whole pilgrimage itinerary (and trip details) in this PDF, but it’s all words and no pictures which is a bummer because we’re going to see some amazing sites.

Enter this blog post; your pilgrimage preview, or photo itinerary as it were . . .

 

 

So without further ado, I present our pilgrimage!

 

 

Day 1: Leave the USA

 

 

The pilgrimage includes airfare from the USA to London Heathrow Airport. If you’re already in England and want to join just choose the “land only” option when you’re signing up and you won’t be charged for airfare from the USA!

 

 

Us on the airplane leaving for the pilgrimage ⌄⌄⌄⌄

 

 

via GIPHY

 

 

Just kidding we’ll hopefully all be sleeping because the flight is an overnight flight with breakfast and dinner served on board.

 

 

Day 2: Arrive in London

 

 

We’ll say hi to our tour manager, and head to Mass at the magnificent Church of St. Etheldreda! This is the oldest Roman Catholic Church in England. We’ll also take a panoramic tour of London, seeing Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, and St. Paul’s Cathedral. Then we can explore a bit on our own before checking into the hotel, grabbing some Yorkshire pudding and roast beef, and then hitting the hay.

 

 

Church of St. Etheldreda

 

 

 

 

The first two images come from the St. Etheldreda website. The second two show the full interior of the church! Image 3: Source. Image 4: Source. The statues on the walls are of English Martyrs during the Elizabethan era.

Check out the fascinating history of St. Etheldreda’s here. And take a virtual 3D tour here!

 

 

Our other Day Two stops!

 

 

 

 

Image 1: Buckingham Palace, Image 2: Trafalgar Square, Image 3: Trafalgar Square, Image 4: St. Paul’s Cathedral

 

 

Day 3: The Feast of Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher

 

 

Can I just say how cool it is that we’ll be in London for these fellows’ feast day!? Day three of our pilgrimage is ALL about the English martyrs. We’ll start with Mass at Brompton Oratory which was founded by Cardinal Newman.

 

 

 

 

Images from The London Oratory website!

 

 

Then it’s off to have a tour of Tyburn, the home of the infamous Tyburn Tree (aka. The Elms, the Elms near Tyburne, Tyburn Tree, the Deadly Never Green Tyburn Tree, the Triple Tree) the gallows in the town of Tyburn, a favorite spot for executions in the 15 and 16 hundreds, and home now to the shrine of the English Martyrs.

 

 

 

 

Images 1 and 2: Source, Image 3: Source.

 

 

We’ll also visit: the cell of St. Thomas More in the Tower of London, Tower Hill, the site of his execution, St. Peter ad Vincula, to pray before his remains, and visit All Hallows Chapel, where his daughter, Margaret, prayed for her father during his execution.

 

 

 

 

Images above: 1. St. Thomas More’s Cell, 2. The Bell Tower where his cell is, 3. Tower Hill Memorial, 4&5. St. Peter ad Vincula, and 6. All Hallows Church

 

 

Day 4: Thames Dinner Cruise

 

 

First, Mass, of course, ! Today we’ll be celebrating Mass at the Westminster Cathedral. Then a visit to Westminster Abbey, St. Edward the Confessor, the Poets Corner, and the 17 British monarchs who are buried there. Afterward, we’ll head to Westminster Hall where St. Thomas More’s trial was held. And then in the evening a cruise on the Thames River! Food, wine, entertainment (the classy kind), and some sweet views of the Tower of London, the London Eye, Tower Bridge, and others all lit up for the night!

 

 

 

 

These are all of the Westminster Cathedral. As you can see it’s quite glorious . Images 1, 4, and 5 are from the cathedral website. Image 2: Source. Image 3: Source.

 

 

 

 

St. Edward the Confessor’s Tomb, The Oldest Door in Britain (conveniently located at the Abbey for our viewing pleasure), The Nave of the Abbey, the Poet’s Corner, and Westminster Hall. All images of the Abbey are from the Westminster Abbey website.

 

 

 

 

The London Eye, Tower Bridge, and The Tower of London.

 

 

Day 5: Canterbury and Aylesford

 

 

Today we’ll be visiting the Canterbury Cathedral, The Friars – Aylesford Priory, and the Shrine of the Glorious Assumption and St. Simon Stock

 

 

 

 

The first three images are of the Canterbury Cathedral (Image 1: source, Image 2: source, Image 3: source), and the second three images are from the Aylesford Priory and Shrine of the Glorious Assumption and St. Simon Stock. The images of the Priory are from their website.

 

 

Day 6: Norwich and Walsingham

 

 

Today’s all about the mystic St. Julian of Norwich and Our Lady of Walsingham! First we’ll visit the shrine of St. Julain of Norwich in . . . Norwich . Then we’ll visit the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist before hitting the road to Walsingham to celebrate Mass at the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham !

 

 

 

 

The first two images are of the shrine of St. Julian of Norwich. Image 1: Source, Image 2: Source. The second two are of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Image 3: Source. Image 4: Source.

 

 

 

 

The images above are of the beautiful grounds at the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham!

 

 

Image 1: Source. Images 2, 3, and 4: Source.

 

 

Day 7: A Day to explore in London

 

 

Today’s a free day!

Is there anything in London that you’ve been dying to do?! I need some ideas so drop them in the comments! Here are a few ideas to get you started Stop by the Natural History Museum or the Tate Britain to see classics by English artists. Enjoy high tea at one of the many tea houses in the city. Or see what’s playing at one of the many theaters in the West End! You could see The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Hamilton or bunches of others!

 

 

 

 

Image 1: Source, Image 2: Source, Image 3: Source, Image 4: Source, Image 5: Source, Image 6: Source

 

 

Day 8: Oxford and our literary heroes!

 

 

Today we’ll be heading to Oxford to visit the favorites spots of some of our favorite authors, J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis We’ll start with a visit to the graves of Tolkien and Lewis, then stop by Lewis’ home “the Kilns” before visiting and celebrating Mass at the Christ Church Cathedral. We’ll also spend the night in Oxford

 

 

 

 

Image 1: C.S. Lewis’ grave, Image 2: J.R.R. Tolkien’s grave, Image 3: The Kilns, Image 4: Christ Cathedral Choir and Organ, Image 5: Christ Cathedral Nave and Alter, Image 6: Christ Cathedral Quad

 

 

Day 9: Oxford again!

 

 

First, we’ll take a jaunt (literal walking through quaint Oxford) to Littlemore, home of St. John Henry Newman. Then we’ll attend Mass in the chapel where he converted, and visit Bermingham Oratory where both St. John Henry Newman and J.R.R. Tolkien lived! We’ll top it all off with dinner at a local restaurant!

 

 

 

 

Image 1: The College At Littlemore, Image 2: The Bermingham Oratory, Image 3: The Bermingham Oratory, Image 4: The Bermingham Oratory

 

 

Day 10: Oford, then Stratford, then London

 

 

Today will be the last full day of our trip . First, Mass at St. Aloysius Catholic Church. Then it’s off to Stratford Upon Avon to visit the home of Shakespear, there will be time to walk around and explore before heading to London for dinner and our last overnight before hitting the road back to the U.S.!

 

 

 

 

Image 1: St. Aloysius Catholic Church, Image 2: St. Aloysius Catholic Church, Image 3: St. Aloysius Catholic Church, Image 4: Anne Hathaway’s Cottage (Shakspears future wife, not the actress!), Image 5: Chedham’s Yard in Stratford, Image 6: Compton Verney Art Gallery and Park in Stratford, Image 7: Shakspears Home, Image 8: Shakspears Home

 

 

Day 11: Goodbye to dear old England!

 

 

And today we’ll say goodbye to our new friends, and head for home!

 

 

As you can see this trip is PACKED, but not hectic.

 

 

We’re going to visit so many beautiful churches, and be able to pray in the hallowed halls where so many saints and martyrs have prayed over thousands of years. We’ll get a taste of the city, AND get to enjoy the English countryside. It really is going to be a marvelous trip.

 

 

I hope I’ll see you there, and if you have any questions you can send an email to helpdesk@catholicallyear.com or reach out to Select International Tours directly!

 

 

Join me in England!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read more about the pilgrimage in this blog post! Or go directly to sign up here!

 

The post Kendra’s Pilgrimage to England: All the Details appeared first on Catholic All Year.

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A post shared by Kendra Tierney (@kendra_tierney)

Sign up to join me here!

We’ll be spending time in London, visiting the sites of St. Thomas More’s imprisonment and martyrdom ON HIS FEAST DAY. We’ll have a dinner cruise on the Thames, and visit the shrines of St. Simon Stock, St. Julian of Norwich, and Our Lady of Walsingham. We’ll go to Oxford where the great St. John Henry Newman, J.R.R Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis spent much of their lives. Lastly, we’ll swing by Shakespeare’s house before we head on home.

We’ll see amazing sites and share fun experiences together. Fr. Tim Grumbach will be saying Masses for us in beautiful places. He’ll be available to hear confessions. We’ll both be giving talks on the history and inspiration of the places we’ll be visiting. 

We’ll also have time to hang out and chat!

FAQs

Is this a girls’ trip? No! All are welcome. Women, men, wives, husbands, friends, singles, etc.

Can I bring babies or kids along? Yes! I’ll be bringing at least one kid with me. We love kids.

Can I bring my parents along? Yes! The trip is intended for all ages. My parents would be coming if I didn’t need them to babysit. If you have specific questions about accessibility, please get in touch.

Are we to be friends, then? Yes! I hope so!

I can’t wait to raise a glass to some great saints and literary giants with you! Drop a comment below and let me know what you’re most excited about!

I know you might want a few more details, so you can find our entire itinerary in this PDF. And you can find all of the fine print and sign up to join me in Merrie Olde England here!

The post Come to England with me! appeared first on Catholic All Year.

In this guide you’ll find gift ideas from all of your favorite Catholic businesses for all your loved ones this Christmas season!

For Kids – 

Find the perfect something for your kids, grandkids, god-kids, neighbor kids, or any of the other special kids in your life!

Shining Light Dolls

• Nativity Wooden Balance Game
• Nativity Cookie Cutters and Stamps
• Marian Rag Dolls | Plush Saint Dolls

Be A Heart

• Holy Spirit Hair Clips
• Jesus and Mary Bandages

Catholic All Year Market Place

• I Was Born to be a Saint and Seek and You Will Find Book | from Studio Senn
• Play-dough Stamps |  from Catholic All Year School House
• Decade Rosary Pop-it | from Gather and Pray
• Mass Quiet Book | from Little Rose Shop
• Woden Teethers and Mary Doll | from Kingdom Come Co.

Saintly Heart

• Nativity Play Set
• St. Florian Fire Fighter Bath Toys
• Saint Figurines

Sock Religious

• Kids Socks

Use the code CAY15 for 15% off your order from Sock Religious!

For Women –

Here are a few ideas for all of the amazing ladies in your life! Your mama, mom friends, aunts, or just send this whole section to your hubby for some ideas for you!

January Jane Shop

• Wildflower Pressing Kit
• Holy Family Floral Crew Neck

Catholic All Year

• Blessed Mother Lotion Bar
• Mary’s Mantle Candle
• Rosary Wrap Bracelet
• Undoer of Knots Tote Bag

Be A Heart

• Our Lady Belt Bag

Blessed is She

• Psalm 63 Tumbler
• Misericordia // Blessed Conversations Study on the Works of Mercy
  Kendra is a contributing author for this study!

Blessed is She is holding its year-end sale now and is giving Catholic All Year readers an additional 10% off your order with the code catholicallyear10!

Sock Religious

• Crew Length Socks
• No Show Socks

Use the code CAY15 for 15% off your order from Sock Religious!

For Men –

Are the men in your life difficult to shop for? Defaulting to a new tool or a new book is great, but we’ve pulled together a few other ideas for you too!

The Catholic Wood Worker

• Mini Home Altar Bundle
• St. Michael Rosary

Use the code CAY10 for 10% off sitewide!

Catholic Balm Co.

• Catholic Beard Balm

Our Lady’s Armory

• St. Benedict Cufflinks
• IHS Tie Bar

Spirit Juice Studios

• Coffee Habit Mug

Use the code ITSTHATTIME for 15% off in Spirit Juice’s online store!

Catholic All Year

• AMDG Pocket Knife
• St. Joseph Tallow Balm
• Wooden Catholic Coaster Set

Sock Religious

• Crew Length Socks
• No Show Socks

Use the code CAY15 for 15% off your order from Sock Religious!

For your Home and Family –

We couldn’t pass up some of our favorite items for your home and family! In this section you’ll find games, home decor, and some delicious hot drinks to enjoy in the frosty winter weather!

Fun and Games

• The Catholic Card Game
• Holy Heros Card Game

Use the code saveongames to save 15% on all Catholic games at Holy Heroes through Dec. 31st!

• Saint Cards Trading Cards and Game

Home Decor

• Christmas Garland from Small Things Great Love

Small Things Great Love is having their biggest sale of the year from November 17th to November 27th, that would be a great time to grab a garland and receive some awesome gifts with your purchase too!

• Vintage Sacred Heart Medallion and Carved Wooden Crucifix from House of Joppa
• Polaroid Saint Photos from January Jane Shop
• Venite Adoremus Candle from Catholic All Year
• Our Lady of Guadalupe and Botanical Rosary Prints from Rose Harrington
• St. Therese Coasters and Ceramic Wall Alter from Be A Heart

Warm Drinks

• St. Nicholas and St. Augustine of Hippo-inspired teas from Sacred Heart Tea

Use the code KENDRA2023 for a discount on some delicious tea from Sacred Heart Tea!

• Coffee from Guadalupe Roastery 

Use the code Catholicallyear for 10% off at Guadalupe Roastery!

The post Shop Catholic: 2023 Catholic All Year Christmas Gift Guide appeared first on Catholic All Year.

Another All Saints’ Day has come and gone, and it was amazing to get to see all of the saints that your families chose to dress up as! The Catholic All Year team loved getting to look through each and every costume to choose the winners and honorable mentions. So, without further ado, let’s get to the good part!

The 1st Place Winners – The Blessed Ulma Family

The 2nd Place Winner – St. Joseph of Cupertino

We’re big fans of levitation here!

The 3rd Place Winner – Little Mother Teresa

The Honorable Mentions

Note to honorable mention winners: We decided that you all were so amazing that we couldn’t let you go without a prize too! We’re gifting you three months of our Venerable Level membership to try if you aren’t a current member already! Please contact us at helpdesk@catholicallyear.com to collect your prize.

Saints Peter and Paul

St. George the Dragon Slayer

St. John Bosco

St. Juan Diego, Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Thérèse, and St. John Paul II

St. Lucy

St. Catherine of Siena

St. Thomas Aquinas

Amazing tonsures! #welovetoseeit

St. Cecilia

St. Pius X

St. Maximillian Kolbe

St. Augustine of Hippo

St. Alphonsus

St. Clare of Assisi

St. Francis of Assisi and St. Michael the Archangel

St. Patrick

St. Teresa of Avila, St. Josephine Bakhita, St. Jean Vianney, Pope St. Pius X, St. Kateri Tekakwitha, St. Wenceslaus, Bl. Pier Giorgio Frasatti

St. Damien of Molokai

Shout out to George as St. Michael the Archangel!

Thank you so much to everyone who entered!

Our contest winners each received three months of various tiers of the CAY Membership! Want to learn more?

Check out all of the memberships below!

• Doctor of the Church
• Saint
• Blessed
• Venerable

Wondering what to do with your family for the rest of the month of the Poor Souls in Purgatory? We’ve got you covered!

Visit a cemetery to pray for the dead from November 1st-8th to recieve an plenary indulgence that can be applied to the Poor Souls! You can find the prayers for your visit in our Visiting a Cemetery Printable Booklet. Learn more about the requirements for gaining an indulgence for the Poor Souls here.

Decorate for the month of November with this All Saints Banner or this Requiescant in Pace Banner!

Meet some new saintly friends with these brand new saint photo cards and photo album.

The post The 2023 Costume Contest: Winners & Honorable Mentions appeared first on Catholic All Year.

The prizes are as follows:

First place wins three months of a Doctor of the Church level membership!

Second place wins three months of a Saint level membership!

And Third place wins three months of a Blessed level membership!

Any international winners will receive three months of a Venerable level membership!

Here’s how to enter . . .

If your kids are dressing up in a Catholic costume for Halloween or All Saints Day share a photo on Instagram and Facebook using #catholiccostume tag @catholicallyear and @kendra_tierney. (If you have a private account, you’ll need to set it to public for the day so I can see your tag.) If you are not a social media type, you can email your photo to me at helpdesk@catholicallyear.com.

We’ll do a round-up post following the close of the contest, which is November 1, 2022 at 11:59PM. By entering you give us permission to share photos on the Catholic All Year blog and social media channels.  Three winners will be selected & announced on November 2! Open world wide, international winners will win a digital pize.

The post Y’all Ready For This? It’s a CAY All Saints Day Costume Contest! appeared first on Catholic All Year.

St. Catherine was not of noble birth, she didn’t have any formal education, and hardly any qualifications. But despite these apparent deficits on her resume she was sought out as an advisor by many European leaders because of her holiness. She even “advised” those who didn’t necessarily want to be advised. Pope Gregory XI, who didn’t want to leave France to return the papacy to its rightful spot in Rome . . . we’re looking at you. She also brought the Italian government around to remove a false pope from Rome. Removing fake popes and coordinating international politics are no small matters! But, they’re the fruits that came from Catherine’s holy boldness when she refused to take any excuses back to God.

So what about airing OUR grievances?

If you’re ready to open a can of worms, ask your kids if they have any grievances to share about how YOUR home is run. Dinner is a great time for this!

This conversation with your kids is also a perfect time to talk about God-given authority and the duty of those in authority, how to respectfully interact with authority figures, and how to affect change in our communities (whether that’s just in our family or the larger community).

Why is this conversation important?

Throughout our lives, our children will continually encounter people in positions of authority, from us, their parents, to teachers in school, to our priests and religious, to those in civil offices. It’s important to know what this means and what, if anything, is owed to these people.

All authority on earth is given by God, we hear about this in the bible when Jesus is talking to Pontius Pilate in John 19:10-11. “‘Do you not know that I have power to release you, and power to crucify you?’ Jesus answered him, ‘You would have no power over me unless it had been given you from above. . .’”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church is very clear about the purpose of authority: “Those who exercise authority would do so as a service. . . . The exercise of authority is measured morally in terms of it’s divine origin, its reasonable nature and its specific object. No one can command or establish what is contrary to the dignity of persons and the natural law.” (CCC 2235) And our response (or duty as the CCC calls it) to rightly ordered authority is to “regard those in authority as representatives of God, who has made them stewards of his gifts. . . [and] to contribute along with the civil authorities to the good of society in a spirit of truth, justice, solidarity, and freedom.”

But what on earth do we do when we encounter someone who abuses their position of authority? Besiege the castle? Actually, no.

St. Augustine tells us “These practices, then, are eliminated, in my opinion, not with harshness, not with toughness, not in an imperious manner, but by teaching rather than commanding, by warning rather than threatening. . . . And if we use any threat, let it be done with sorrow, by threatening from the scriptures punishment in the future, not so that we ourselves are feared in our power, but so that God is feared in our words.” (Letter 22, Paragraph 5) a.k.a. airing your grievances!

The Catechism also says that “The citizen is obliged in conscience NOT to follow the directives of civil authorities when they are contrary to the demands of the moral order, to the fundamental rights of persons or the teachings of the Gospel.” (CCC 2242)

Parents have a responsibility to use their authority for the “education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule.” (CCC 2223) Our children have the duty to “. . . obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.” (Eph 6:1)

When Jesus institutes the priesthood he is very clear about the kind of authority that he has given to his priests. “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves. For which is the greater, one who sits at table, or one who serves? Is it not the one who sits at table? But I am among you as one who serves.” (Luke 22:25-27) And The Catechism sheds light on the laity’s duty to the authority of the Church hierarchy here: “Let all follow the bishop, as Jesus Christ follows his Father, and the college of presbyters as the apostles; respect the deacons as you do God’s law. Let no one do anything concerning the Church in separation from the bishop.” (CCC 896)

Wondering where the verse “Wives, be subject to your husbands, as to the Lord.” (Eph 5:22) fits into all of this? Read a bit more about that here.

The Church makes it unmistakable that authority should really be about serving those around us. Should we have expected anything else from Jesus who was constantly tipping things onto their heads? This being said as we move into the more practical application of “airing our grievances” below, some good things to think about and bring up as a family would be:

• How can our household run better so that our activities serve the family and allow us to be available to serve each other and our community?
• What are some concrete ways that I can serve my family better moving forward?
• What are some ways that our family can grow in serving each other?

Wondering about the practical ways to “Air your Grievances” as a family? Here’s a little how-to:

1. Plan it in advance! Give your family time to think and hopefully pray about the things that they’d like to talk about.

2. Make sure to have food. Talking about things that need to be changed around the house isn’t always an easy conversation, and it’s even harder if you’re hangry.

3. Take it seriously. No sarcasm or flippancy. But also, have fun! It’s important to be receptive, positive, and encouraging during your discussion.

4. Civility must reign. Conversational tones only, no berating or accusing or raising of voices. It’s a learning experience. And even if parents can’t make the requested changes, we can talk about the situation.

5. Parents get to air grievances too! But again, with respect and civility.

6. End with gratitude. It’s a good idea to finish up with some gratitude and share ways we are succeeding in our homes and with our families!

You can use this digital download as a preparation tool for the evening! Or grab one of these super cute St. Catherine of Siena notepads and pen sets to brainstorm on!

Are you needing to air some grievances outside of your family too? You can write to your town about the potholes that need to be fixed, to your state government, or to your representatives in the national government. You can also write to your bishop and to the pope!

Remember the same advice you gave your kids about having respectful conversations with those in positions of authority, and if you think that someone is doing a good job, then let them know that too!

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