August is the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Today is the feast of St. Alphonsus de Ligouri, who died in 1787 and is a Doctor of the Church. 

The 2nd is the trad feast of St. Alphonsus and the "historical" feast of Our Lady of the Angels-many wonderful Marian feasts to come this month!  Think about how we may honor her Immaculate Heart this coming month.  The feast of her Immaculate Heart is the 22nd, along with her Queenship-what a glorious day!  Of course we also have the Assumption.....the Seven Joys and several other feasts in honor of Our Lady.

It is interesting to note that during this Marian month, we also have....St. Dominic, who gave us the Holy Rosary, St. Maximilian Kolbe, so devoted to Our Heavenly Mother, St. Joachim, her dear father and St. Monica, another famous mother.  We also celebrate 3 Doctors of the Church, 2 saints killed at Auschwitz, one year apart, 2 patrons of gardening (we like them at Nomen Christi!) and the luminous Transfiguration of Our Lord.  Wishing you all summer blessings and don't forget about our Fatima Family Holy Hour, which falls on a Sunday this month!  Here is a sampling of upcoming feasts....

8/4-First Friday/St. John Vianney (The Cure of Ars), 1859 (I saw his heart once!)/St. Dominic, Seer of the Holy Rosary, 1221

8/5-First Saturday/Our Lady of the Snows

8/6-Transfiguration of Our Lord

8/8-St. John Vianney (trad)/St. Dominic (new)

8/9-St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), 1942

8/11-St. Clare (Chiara), Foundress of Poor Clares, Companion of St. Francis of Assisi, 1253/St. Philomena, 304

8/12-St. Clare (trad)

8/13-Centennial of the Fourth Apparition at Fatima

8/14-St. Maximilian Kolbe, Martyr of Charity during Hitler regime, 1941/Vigil of the Assumption

8/15-THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, Holy Day of Obligation (please pray for my son's safe trip back to school today-ty!)

8/16-St. Joachim, Father of the Blessed Virgin Mary

8/20-St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Doctor of the Church, 1153

8/21-Our Lady of Knock, 1879/Pope St. Pius X, 1914

8/22-Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary/Immaculate Heart of Mary

8/23-St. Rose of Lima, Patroness of South America, 1617

8/24-Our Lady, Health of the Sick/St. Bartholomew, Apostle

8/26-Our Lady of Czestochowa

8/27-Seven Joys of the Blessed Virgin Mary/St. Monica, Mother of St. Augustine, 387

8/28-St. Augustine of Hippo, Doctor of the Church, 430

8/29-The Passion of St. John the Baptist

8/30-St. Fiacre of Brie, Patron of gardeners, 670/St. Rose of Lima, Patroness of gardeners....also! (trad)