February 2025 - Month of the Holy Family
February 2025 - Month of the Holy Family
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The special devotion which proposes the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph as the model of virtue of all Christian households began in the 17th century. It started almost simultaneously in Canada and France. This devotion soon spread and in 1893 Leo XIII expressed his approval of a feast under this title and himself composed part of the Office. On account of the flight into Egypt this feast has been observed by the Copts from early times.
Black educators and Black United Students at Kent State University first proposed Black History Month in February 1969. February was chosen primarily because the second week of the month coincides with the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.
In 1976, President Gerald Ford recognized Black History Month in 1976 during the celebration of the United States Bicentennial. He urged Americans to "seize the opportunity to honor too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history".
Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ and the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary is also known as Candlemas.
Although not widely celebrated in the U.S.A., it is widely celebrated throughout the World. For many around the world, it marks the end of the Christmas season.
Brother Paul Miki, a Jesuit and a native of Japan, has become the best known among the martyrs of Japan. While hanging upon a cross, Paul Miki preached to the people gathered for the execution: “The sentence of judgment says these men came to Japan from the Philippines, but I did not come from any other country. I am a true Japanese. The only reason for my being killed is that I have taught the doctrine of Christ. I certainly did teach the doctrine of Christ. I thank God it is for this reason I die. I believe that I am telling only the truth before I die. I know you believe me and I want to say to you all once again: Ask Christ to help you to become happy. I obey Christ. After Christ’s example I forgive my persecutors. I do not hate them. I ask God to have pity on all, and I hope my blood will fall on my fellow men as a fruitful rain.”
When missionaries returned to Japan in the 1860s, at first they found no trace of Christianity. But after establishing themselves they found that thousands of Christians lived around Nagasaki and that they had secretly preserved the faith. Beatified in 1627, the martyrs of Japan were canonized in 1862.
St. Valentine’s Day / Día de San Valentín
In 1969, the Roman Catholic Church removed St. Valentine’s name from the General Roman Calendar, leaving his liturgical celebration to local calendars, though the Church continues to recognize him as a saint, listing him as such in the February 14 entry in the Roman Martyrology. In Spanish-speaking countries and in Europe, the date is referred to as Saint Valentine’s Day.
Full Month | Catholic Devotion - The Holy Family
Full Month | Black History Month
Meet four Black women who condemned abortion, calling it 'Black genocide' (liveaction.org)
Lent | February 22 - April 6
February 2 | Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ and the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
A few additional worldwide Catholic traditions that are celebrated on Feb 2nd, the Feast of the Presentation:
- In France and Belgium, La Chandeleur is celebrated by having all the candles in the house lit. Tradition also says manger scenes should not be put away until Feb. 2, the last feast of the Christmas cycle.
- Puerto Rico, Canary Islands, Philippines, Guatemala, Peru, Venezuela, etc. – La Fiesta de la Candelaria officially marks the end of the Christmas season and families put away their Christmas decorations after this day. Since February 2nd also marks the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, many will honor La Virgen de la Candelaria by having a procession. She is the patroness for several cities in these areas.
- In Mexico, many people will remember the presentation of the Christ child at the Temple by dressing and adoring a statue of the child Jesus. La Fiesta de la Candelaria is also closely linked to the Epiphany, during which the tasting of the rosca de reyes (kings’ cake) will determine who is responsible for organizing Candlemas. Whoever finds the muñeco (bean-shaped Christ child) in the cake is named godfather of the child, who will then dress the niño dios (an image of the Christ child in the form of a doll) on Candlemas with richly decorated clothes, which is then brought to the church to be blessed.
Following this is the family meal. Whoever draws the bean on Epiphany must also prepare tamales. The whole family is invited to this meal (often the same people as for the Rosca at Epiphany), which gives the festival an aspect of family and sharing.
On this day, Bolivia celebrates its Marian feast day for Nuestra Señora de la Copacabana.
February 3 | St. Blaise and St. Ansgar / San Blas y San Óscar / Thánh Baise và Ansgar
February 5 | St. Agatha / Santa Águeda (M)
February 6 | St. Paul Miki and Companions (26 Martyrs of Japan)
February 7 | St. Tobias
February 8 | St. Jerome Emiliani; St. Josephine Bakhita / San Gerónimo Emiliani; Santa Josefina Bakhita / Thánh Jerome Emiliani; Thánh Josephine Bakhita
February 10 | St. Scholastica and St. Jose Sanchez del Rio
February 11 | Our Lady of Lourdes / Nuestra Señora de Lourdes / Lễ Đức Mẹ Lộ Đức
February 14 | St. Valentine’s Day / Día de San Valentín
February 15 | St. Claude La Colombière
February 18 | St. Simon
February 20 | Sts. Fracisco and Jacinta Marto
February 21 | St. Peter Damian / San Pedro Damián / Thánh Peter Damian (doctor of the Church)
February 22 | The Chair of St. Peter the Apostle / La Silla de San Pedro Apóstol / Toà Thánh Phêrô (F)
February 23 | St. Polycarp / San Policarpio / Thánh Polycarp (M)
February 27 | St. Gabriel de la Dolorosa
February 28 | Blessed Antonia of Florence
March 2025 - Month of St. Joseph
March 2025 - Month of St. Joseph
After the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph is the greatest of the saints. St. Joseph is the patron saint of the Universal Church. He is also considered the patron saint of the New World, China, Canada, Korea, Mexico, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Peru and Vietnam. In the United States, it may seem that March is dedicated to St. Patrick, but the Church has dedicated the entire month to St. Joseph.
March 19, St. Joseph’s Day, was once a day in which all Catholics around the world celebrated their own fathers. In the recent century, many governments have tried to distance themselves from this religious tie by declaring their own Father’s Day on a separate day. However, the following countries still celebrate fathers on St. Joseph’s Day: Andorra, Angola, Catholic Belgium, Bolivia, Croatia, Honduras, Italy, Liechtenstein, Mozambique, Portugal, Spain, and Catholic Switzerland.
Since St. Joseph is the patron saint of Sicily, Italian Americans have wonderful traditions when celebrating San Giuseppe:
-They dress in red (kind of like dressing in green for St. Patrick’s Day, students can dress in red for St. Joseph’s Day on the Friday before March 19).
- Eat Zeppole pastries
- Have a St. Joseph’s table.
A Pennsylvania heiress who became a religious sister, St. Katherine Drexel championed for the rights of Native Americans and African Americans. She donated a substantial amount of money to a number of churches in what is now the Diocese of Charlotte. For instance, she gave enough money to Greensboro’s first Catholic parish of St. Benedict so that a church could be built. Sixty years before the famous sit-in at the Woolworth lunch counter just down the road, St. Benedict Catholic Church had pew space reserved for black Catholics alongside white Catholics thanks to her.
Sts. Perpetua and Felicity are early Christian martyrs from North Africa. They are remembered at every Mass during the Roman Canon recited by the priest during consecration. Formed has a good animated 30-minute movie about them (suggested for kids 7 and up) called: Catholic Heroes of the Faith - The Story of Saint Perpetua.
The celebration of this saint in the U.S. is a perfect example of how Catholics immigrating from other countries can influence our greater traditions. He forgave those who kidnapped and enslaved him by returning to bring Christianity to pagan Ireland after having escaped. As shown here, he used three leaf clover (not four) to teach the Trinity.
A Salvadoran Roman Catholic archbishop, St. Oscar Romero, was a vocal critic of the violent activities of government armed forces, right-wing groups, and leftist guerrillas involved in El Salvador’s civil conflict. He was killed was saying Mass.
Full Month | Catholic Devotion - St. Joseph
March 3 | St. Katherine Drexel / Santa Catalina Drexel / Th. Katharine Drexel
March 4 | St. Casimir / San Casimiro / Thánh Casimir
March 7 | Sts. Perpetua and Felicity / Santas Perpetua y Felicitas / Th. Perpêtua & Th. Phêlixita
March 8 | St. John of God / San Juan de Dios / Thánh Gioan Thiên Chúa
March 9 | St. Frances of Rome / Santa Francisca de Roma / Thánh Phanxica Romana
March 12 | Anniversary of martyrdom of Vietnamese Catholic priest and Servant of God, Francis Xavier Truong Buu Diep
March 17 | St. Patrick / San Patricio / Thanh Patrick
March 19 | St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Solemnity) / San José, esposo de la Santisima Virgen María (Solemnidad) / Lễ Đức Thánh Giuse, Phu QuânĐức Mẹ (Lễ Trọng)
March 23 | St. Turibius of Mogrovejo / San Toribio de Mogrovejo / Th. Turibius of MogrovejoProminent in the history of the Catholic Church in Peru, he supported the rights of the native people.
March 24 | St. Oscar Romero (died 1980; canonized 2015)
March 25 | The Annunciation of the Lord (Solemnity) / La Anunciación del Señor (Solemnidad) / Lễ Truyền Tin cho Đức Mẹ (Lễ Trọng)
April 2025 - Month of the Holy Eucharist
April 2025 - Month of the Holy Eucharist
The month of April is dedicated both to devotion to the Eucharist and devotion to the Holy Spirit. This tradition has developed because Easter Sunday often falls in April, and when it does fall in March, the Easter season continues on through all of April. In essence, April is a month of Easter, and during the Easter celebration we remember the Eucharistic sacrifice Christ gave us and the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, which would come after Jesus's resurrection.
Born in Seville, Spain, he was a bishop and scholar who helped the Church preserve its own traditions, and the heritage of western civilization, in the early Middle Ages.
Born in France, St. La Salle was a pioneer in programs for training lay teachers. He is the patron of all educators.
Catholics observing Palm Sunday in the Phillipines.
Holy Week honors the week that changed the world. From Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday, there were many events that are vital to our faith, including the Institution of the Eucharist, the Passion of Jesus, and His Resurrection from the dead. Catholics around the world celebrate with a variety of traditions during this week.
The Visitation to Seven Churches is a devotion practiced by Catholics around the world. It involves traveling to seven local churches after the Mass on Holy Thursday.
Full Month | Catholic Devotion - Holy Eucharist (Blessed Sacrament)
April 4 | St. Isidore of Seville / San Isidoro de Sevilla / Thanh Isiđôrô
April 5 | St. Vincent Ferrer / San Vicente Ferrer / Th. Vinh-Sơn Ferriê'
April 7 | St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle / San Juan Bautista de la Salle / Thanh Gioan Baotixita đê Lasan
Born in France, St. La Salle was a pioneer in programs for training lay teachers. He is the patron of all educators.
April 13 | Palm Sunday / Domingo de Ramos / Chúa Nhật Lễ Lá
April 14 - 19 | Holy Week / Semana Santa / Tuần Thánh
April 20 | Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord / Domingo de Pascua de la Resurrección del Señor / Chúa Nhật Lễ Phục Sinh
April 25 | St. Mark the Evangelist / San Marcos / Thánh Máccô (F)
April 28 | St. Peter Chanel; St. Louis Grignion de Montfort / San Pedro Chanel; San Luis Grignion de Montfort / Thánh Peter Chaeni / Thánh Louis Grignon de Montfort
Born in France, he was a Catholic priest, missionary, and martyr. He was among the first missionaries to land in Futuna, an island in the South Pacific. Chanel labored faithfully amid the greatest hardships, attending the sick, baptizing the dying, and winning from all the name of "the man with the kind heart". Eventually, natives begun to convert but when the son of the island’s king asked to be baptized, the king had Father Chanel murdered. St. Peter Chanel is the patron saint of Futuna and the Oceana region. Thanks to his efforts, 99% of the people in Futuna and Wallis are Catholic.
April 29 | St. Catherine of Sienna / Santa Catalina de Siena / Thánh Catarina ở Siena (M)
May 2025 - Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary
May 2025 - Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The month of May is traditionally dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Catholic Church has emphasized the month of May as a time of honor and devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary for centuries.
This month is part of the Easter season, between Easter Sunday (April 20) and Pentecost (June 8).
Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (as of 2021, officially changed from Asian American Pacific Islander Month) is observed in the U.S. during the month of May, and recognizes the contributions and influence of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the U.S.
Feast of Our Lady of Fatima - May 13
On May 13, 1917, the Blessed Virgin Mary first appeared to three shepherd children, Lúcia dos Santos, Francisco Marto, and Jacinta Marto, at the Cova da Iria outside the village of Aljustrel, near Fatima, Portugal. In the months that followed, the children would see Mary five more times. On the sixth and last appearance, the Virgin told the children her name: The Lady of the Rosary. Throughout these appearances, the children received prophetic messages of prayer, penance and peace called the “Secret,” and residents of Fatima witnessed a stunning atmospheric event that would become known as the Miracle of the Sun.
The full meaning of the miracles of Fatima would not be understood until decades beyond – and now, a century later, they continue to inspire the faithful across the globe.
May 21 | St. Christopher Magallanes and Companions
This day remembers the 25 priests and laymen who were killed during the anti-clerical laws placed by President Plutarco Calles during his presidency from 1924-1928. Since the Mexican revolutionary war (1810-1820), the Catholic Church has been a target of the Mexican government in an effort to weaken its position in the country and its influence over its citizens. Prior to the war, Spain ruled the area for more than 300 years.
After the revolution, Mexican government leaders (headquartered in central Mexico) had the goal to diminish the church and put in anti-clerical laws immediately. President Plutarco Calles, a former Mexican general, decided to put the anti-clerical laws in extreme action unlike the politicians before him, whom while anti-Catholic didn’t want to anger the people too much.
Many Mexican Catholics do not know much about this time period as the political party that President Calles incepted is still in power today and it’s not taught in public schools.
Full Month | Catholic Devotion - Blessed Virgin Mary
Full Month | Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
May 1 - June 7 | Easter Season
May 2 | St. Athanasius / San Atanasio / Thánh Anathasiȏ (M)
May 3 | Sts. Philip and James, Apostles / Santos Felipe y Santiago / Thánh Philipphê và Giacôbê (M) - Patron Saints of Uruguay
May 12 | Sts. Nereus and Achilleus; St. Pancras / Santos Nereo y Aquileo; San Pancracio / Thánh Nereus và Achilleus; Thánh Pancras
May 13 | Our Lady of Fatima / Nuestra Señora de Fátima / Lễ Đức Mẹ Fatima
May 18 | St. John I / San Juan I / Thánh John I
May 20 | St. Bernadine of Siena / San Bernardino de Siena / Thánh Bernadine ở Siena
May 21 | St. Christopher Magallanes and Companions / San Cristóbal Magallanes y sus compañeros / Thánh Christopher Magallanes LM và các bạn
May 25 | St. Bede the Venerable; St. Gregory VII; St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi / San Beda el Venerable; San Gregorio VII; Santa Maria Magdalena de Pazzi / Thánh Bede Venerable, LM TSHT; Thánh Gregory VII, GH; Thánh Mary Magdalene deś Pazzi
May 27 | St. Augustine of Canterbury / San Agustin de Canderbury / Thánh Augustine ở Canterbury /
May 29 | The Ascension of the Lord / La Ascensión del Señor (S)
May 30 | St. Joan of Arc / Santa Juana de Arco / Thánh Joan ở Arc
May 31 | The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary / La Visitación de la Santisima Virgen Maria / Đức Mẹ Maria thăm viếng bà Thánh Isave (F)
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