August Feast Days, Novenas, and Ways to Celebrate and Pray

The month of August is upon us. Soon college campuses will have life after a three in a half month break, families will scramble to get a vacation to the beach, and the back-to-school sales will do their marketing and sales blitz in every major retailer.

August is the month dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We do celebrate many amazing feast days in this month also and an important Holy Day of Obligation (I assume we all know what that is).

Here is a breakdown of feast days in August.

August 1: Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church—Memorial

August 2: Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, Bishop—Optional Memorial Saint Peter Julian Eymard, Priest—Optional Memorial First Wednesday dedicated to the Heart of St. Joseph

August 4: Saint Jean Vianney (the Curé of Ars), Priest—Memorial First Friday dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

August 5: Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major—Optional Memorial First Saturday dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

August 6: Transfiguration of the Lord—Feast

August 7: Saint Sixtus II, Pope and Martyr, and Companions, Martyrs—Optional Memorial Saint Cajetan, Priest—Optional Memorial

August 8: Saint Dominic, Priest—Memorial

August 9: Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), Virgin and Martyr—Optional Memorial

August 10: Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr—Feast

August 11: Saint Clare, Virgin—Memorial (Her novena begins on August 2nd) St. Philomena (her novena begins on August 2nd as well)

August 12: Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, Religious—Optional Memorial

August 13: Saints Pontian, Pope, and Hippolytus, Priest, Martyrs—Optional Memorial

August 14: Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe, Priest and Martyr—Memorial

August 15: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary—Solemnity (It is also a Holy Day of Obligation. Make a plan to attend Mass like it’s a Sunday. Visit CatholicMass.org to know the Mass schedule near your workplace or school) Wear blue for the Blessed Mother

August 16: Saint Stephen of Hungary—Optional Memorial

August 19: Saint John Eudes, Priest—Optional Memorial

August 20: Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Abbot and Doctor of the Church—Memorial

August 21: Saint Pius X, Pope—Memorial

August 22: Queenship of Blessed Virgin Mary—Memorial (Wear blue)

August 23: Saint Rose of Lima, Virgin—Optional Memorial

August 24: Saint Bartholomew the Apostle—Feast

August 25: Saint Louis, King—Optional Memorial

August 25: Saint Joseph of Calasanz, Priest—Optional Memorial

August 27: Saint Monica—Memorial (Her novena begins on August 18th)

August 28: Saint Augustine of Hippo, Bishop, and Doctor of the Church—Memorial

August 29: The Passion of Saint John the Baptist, Martyr—Memorial

Ways to Celebrate

Have a tea party to celebrate the queenship of Mary and include tea sandwiches or cookies.

Make homemade pretzels for St. Monica’s feast day.

Have grapes blessed on the Transfiguration

Serve blueberry popsicles all August long especially on August 15th

For ingredients, visit www.hisgirlsunday.com

St. Michael’s Lent

Last year, an article was published regarding St. Michael’s Lent. Like Lent, it follows the same concept as Lent from Ash Wednesday to Easter. This goes to the feast day of St. Michael the Archangel. Read more here

Have a blessed August. The dog days of summer will be winding down soon.