Catholic All Week

Between our diocese’s bishop-elect, fresh flowers to crown Mary, and the latest offerings in Christian entertainment – this Easter season is certainly fulfilling God’s promise to make all things new. Learn more about the role of a bishop, find ways to honor Our Lady, and discover the harrowing story of a Polish Catholic nurse in Nazi Germany.

Getting to know his Excellency

With our beloved bishop of 20 years retiring and a new bishop-elect to be ordained May 29, now is a great time to teach children about the role of a Catholic bishop. One great resource is “What is a Bishop,” a coloring book that explains who these modern-day successors of the apostles are in a fun and engaging way. Check out pages from the book and buy your own at www.brotherfrancisstore.com. Many resources – such as “How does a bishop get appointed?” – also can be found at catholicnewsherald.com, where you’ll learn about what a bishop does, how he gets appointed and symbols associated with him such as the crozier (his staff) as well as information about both prelates – Bishop Peter Jugis, now apostolic administrator, and Bishop-Elect Michael Martin.

Crowning our Queen

Are you holding your own May Crowning or planning one at your parish or school? Find planning tips at www.catholicicing.com and learn how to make an ethereal flower crown with the instructions at www.TheologyofHome.com. Pressed for time? Order a kit from www.PetersSquare.com or the shop at www.CatholicAllYear.com, which also includes a video tutorial on YouTube.

Making 'Irena's Vow'

If you missed seeing “Irena’s Vow” on the big screen earlier this month, check out the book of the same title by Dan Gordon, who also wrote the movie’s screenplay. Both works tell the true story of Irena Gut, a Polish Catholic nurse who risked everything to save 12 Jews during the Holocaust. Irena, 19, is promoted to housekeeper in the home of a Nazi officer when she finds out that the Jewish ghetto is about to be liquidated. Determined to help the Jewish workers, she decides to shelter them in the safest place she can think of – the basement of the German officer’s house. The real-life Gut was honored by the Israeli Holocaust Commission as well as St. Pope John Paul II, who bestowed a special blessing on Gut in 1995. Today, her story is featured in a permanent exhibit in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. Published by Regalo Press, “Irena’s Vow” can be found at major booksellers while audiences wait for the movie’s availability.

Catholic All Week

Behold, I make all things new” (Rev. 21:5). The Resurrection of Jesus, the cornerstone of our faith, ushers in a beautiful time of year. The reality of new life bursting forth can be seen right before our eyes and sensed within our hearts as the Easter season continues. Celebrate this season of growth and renewal by cultivating a garden in your yard and your newly spotless soul with these ideas for Divine Mercy Sunday and the month dedicated to Our Lady.

Make a Divine Mercy Sundae

For the ultimate fresh start, take part in Divine Mercy Sunday, a day of incredible graces offered by Our Lord to St. Faustina Kowalska. For an easy and delectable way to celebrate Jesus’ unfathomable mercy with your family, make a Divine Mercy sundae like the one at www.CatholicIcing.com. You can use variations, such as blue and red berries, to represent the rays that extend from the heart of Jesus in the Divine Mercy image. Keeping the day’s celebrations simple helps you focus on having received complete forgiveness of sin, which Jesus promises us on the feast of His mercy when you receive the Eucharist worthily on this day. For more information about how to receive these graces, visit www.TheDivineMercy.org.

Grow your faith with a Mary Garden

Now is an excellent time to start or spruce up your Mary garden before May, the month dedicated to Our Lady. It can be as simple or elaborate as you like – just be sure to include an image or statue of Mary. From “Our Lady’s Slippers” (columbine flowers said to have sprung forth from Mary’s feet on her way to visit Elizabeth) to “Assumption Lilies” (hostas), a wide variety of blooms were given Marian names during medieval times, making it easy to create a garden fit for a queen and your personal devotion to Our Lady. Ideas abound online from Pinterest to the University of Dayton’s website. Peruse your options and take advantage of those April showers.

Meditate with the 'Liturgy of the Flowers'

Have you ever seen a Ladder to Heaven? You may have without realizing it. That’s the name of the bloom dedicated to the Feast of the Ascension and otherwise known as a gladiolus. Liturgical feasts and each mystery of the rosary have flowers associated with them. Even if you aren’t able to start a Mary garden this year, you can appreciate these Marian blooms through art. Find inspiration for your prayers and the garden of your soul with the Marian botanical art at www.RoseHarrington.com, a shop and blog operated by Katrina Rose Harrington, who researches historical flower theology and Mary gardens.

Catholic All Week

Everybody’s Irish on March 17, but still not everyone is Catholic. Remember your faith while adding charm and authenticity to your festivities with an Irish side dish, a classic novel about St. Patrick, the lorica, more recipes and a little gardening.

 

Erin Go Farl! Make an easy Irish side dish

With St. Patrick’s Day on a Sunday, it’s the perfect time to serve up a festive post-Mass brunch to honor this great saint. Some say no Irish breakfast is complete without a side of authentic potato farls. Originally devised to use up leftover mashed potatoes, it is a simple dish, requiring only pantry staples, but it creates delicious breakfast or anytime fare. Try the “Authentic Irish Potato Farls” at www.BiggerBolderBaking.com, where you’ll also find recipes for Irish scones, soda bread and apple cake.

Get to know the 'Man Cleansed by God'

The life of St. Patrick is a story full of intense drama – kidnapped by pirates, enslaved and escaped only to return to spread the Gospel in the land of his captors. In 1959, American Catholic novelist John Edward Beahn retold that story as a biographical novel based on “The Confession,” the 5th-century saint’s autobiographical work. Beahn’s “A Man Cleansed by God: A Novel on St. Patrick’s Confession” was published in 1959 in narrative form, revealing aspects of the Irish saint’s life that might otherwise have been lost. Get to know the true St. Patrick in the more recent re-release of this classic novel from TAN Books and pray his powerful lorica prayer found at www.CatholicNewsHerald.com.

Check the almanac

As it turns out “The Old Farmer’s Almanac” is a treasure trove of St. Patrick’s Day tradition and lore. At www.Almanac.com, you’ll find information about the saint’s life and little-known facts about the day. Did you know the traditional color for the holiday was once blue? It’s also the traditional day for planting cabbage as well as peas – even in the snow. You’ll also find authentic recipes for corned beef and cabbage, Irish potato pie, dill and potato cakes, and other traditional foods.