April is a month of changes, a month of new growth and hope for better weather. Within the liturgical season, it is also a time of newness as we celebrate Easter and the beginnings of the Church. During this month, we can also learn from the lives of three amazing women and celebrate a special title for Mary. Saint Kateri’s relationship with and patronage of nature makes her a perfect springtime saint; both Blessed Marie Ann Blondin and Saint Marie of the Incarnation were teachers, reminding us of the important both of learning and teaching. Finally, Our Lady of Good Counsel offers us her guidance.
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Easter
Easter falls on the first Sunday after the full Moon that occurs on or after the spring equinox, which means it usually happens sometime in late March or early April. Here are some ideas for celebrating Easter as a family:
- Awesome Easter Resources for Catholic Families
- How Do You Make Easter Meaningful for Young Kids?
- Holy Week: seven days of paradox
- God the Father and the Best Day Ever by Gracie Jagla
- The Thief Who Stole Heaven by Raymon Arroyo
April 17 – Saint Kateri Tekakwitha
Saint Kateri Tekakwitha was only twenty-four years old when she died in a hut in Quebec, Canada. She didn’t lead a great movement or write a great book or build a great monument. She simply lived her faith—and suffered for it—and by doing so, inspired the people not only of her own generation, but those of generations since. She is the first Native American to be canonized as a saint and is the patron saint of the environment and ecology.
Celebrate her feast day by taking a walk or enjoying a local natural area. Gather some sticks to create a natural cross to remind you to pray, as St. Kateri did. Plant lilies in your garden or buy a bouquet of lilies to enjoy for the day (she was known as the Lily of the Mohawks). Pray for the environment and consider what you can do to protect our earth.
Resources to learn about St. Kateri:
- Canadian Saints Kids Activity Book
- printable St. Kateri activity pack
- Glory Stories CD Vol 5: Saint Kateri Tekakwitha & Saint Cecilia
- Explore the National Saint Kateri Shrine in Quebec
Older kids or parents could explore the resources on Indigenous Peoples on the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops website.
Canada is home to a large and diverse Indigenous population. The Bishops in Canada share a profound commitment to renewing and strengthening relationships with Indigenous Peoples across Canada with whom the Catholic Church has maintained relations since the 17th century. Bishops strive with pastoral solicitude to understand and engage issues affecting local Indigenous populations and likewise encourage all the faithful in their dioceses, including the members of religious institutes of consecrated life and of Catholic community organizations, to foster relationships in charity and solidarity with Indigenous Peoples. ~ CCCB
April 18 – Blessed Marie Ann Blondin
Blessed Marie Ann Blondin grew up in Quebec and took a job at a local convent when she was 22. She became a student and then a teacher and soon realized why illiteracy was a big problem: a Church rule stated that girls must be taught by women and boys by men, but most parishes couldn’t afford two schools, so rather than choose to have a boys’ school or a girls’ school, they had none. Marie approached her bishop and formed a religious community that would educate girls and boys in the same schools.
Celebrate Marie Ann’s feast day by thanking the teachers in your life for their hard work. Look up areas where illiteracy is still a problem and what efforts are being made to help children there. Ask Blessed Marie Ann to pray for children and Catholic schools. Learn more about the process of canonization and what it means to be a blessed.
Resources to learn about Saint Marie:
- Explore the Congregations of Sisters of Saint Anne
- Read her biography on the Canadian Council of Catholic Bishops website
April 26 – Our Lady of Good Counsel
Our Lady of Good Counsel is one of many titles given to Mary and recognizes her heavenly wisdom and guidance. Pope Leo XIV has a special devotion to her and made a visit, early in his pontificate, to the Shrine of the Mother of Good Counsel in Genazzano, Italy. John Paul Meenan explains, “Counsel here refers to the gift of the Holy Spirit, which makes us docile to His guidance in the spiritual life, perfecting and elevating the virtue of prudence, allowing us, with supernatural help, to know the true good in every circumstance, and the right means of attaining it. By Our Lady’s guidance, we can discern properly, in the great, and the small, and will never be led astray or deceived by the Evil One, and his machinations and perversions.”
Celebrate Our Lady of Good Counsel’s feast day by praying a litany to her together. Get a candle with image of Our Lady and memorare on it as a reminder to pray daily. Look up the story of the miraculous image of Our Lady.
“As the mother never abandons her children, you must also be faithful to the Mother.” Pope Leo XIV
April 30 – Saint Marie of the Incarnation
Saint Marie of the Incarnation was a mystic who had a deep and extraordinary relationship with Jesus. She felt called to be a nun as a teenager, but was too shy to press this with her parents, so they arranged for her to marry a local silk merchant. Their brief but unhappy marriage resulted in one son. As a widow, Marie successfully ran several businesses and raised her son. When he turned twelve, she joined a convent and then traveled to Canada as a missionary. There, she started a school for children, served as advisor to various others in the colony, and wrote numerous letters to her son in France. She was canonized in 2015 by Pope Francis.
Resources to learn about Saint Marie:
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