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At Bless and Heal Me Studio, we create heirloom Catholic rosaries, chaplets, crosses, medals, and devotional jewelry. Every design is created with care — using our own artisan designs or faithfully recreated antique medals — handcast in solid bronze, sterling silver, or 18–22k gold plate, and paired with quality beads chosen for their beauty and spiritual meaning. Each piece is crafted with meticulous details and built to last for generations.

Catholic Calendar of Saints and Holy Days

The liturgical year is full of special occasions to reflect on our faith and the great mysteries of Christianity. Below is an overview of some of the major Catholic holidays and celebrations:

 

Solemnities and Other Liturgical Holidays

  • January 1 : Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
  • Sunday between January 2-8: Epiphany
  • Date varies: Ash Wednesday - Marks the beginning of Lent
  • Sunday before Easter: Palm Sunday - Commemorates Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem
  • Thursday before Easter: Holy Thursday - Commemorates the Last Supper
  • Friday before Easter: Good Friday - Remembers the crucifixion and death of Jesus
  • Date varies: Easter Sunday - Celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ
  • 40 days after Easter: Ascension
  • 50 days after Easter: Pentecost - Celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles
  • Sunday after Pentecost: Trinity Sunday
  • Thursday after Trinity Sunday: Corpus Christi - Honors the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist
  • August 15: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  • November 1: All Saints' Day - Honors all saints, known and unknown
  • Last Sunday of Ordinary Time: Christ the King - Honors Christ's dominion over all creation
  • December 8: Immaculate Conception
  • December 25: Christmas - Celebrates the nativity of Jesus

 

Other Major Celebrations and Devotions

  • 40 days before Easter: Lent - Period of prayer, fasting and almsgiving
  • Week before Easter: Holy Week - Remembers the final week of Jesus' life
  • Sunday after Easter: Divine Mercy Sunday - Honors Christ's divine mercy
  • May: Devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary
  • June: Devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
  • October: Devotions to the Holy Rosary
  • November 2: All Souls' Day - Commemorates the faithful departed
  • 4 weeks before Christmas: Advent - Period of preparation for Christmas

 

Marian Apparitions and Feast Days

Apparitions of Mary are a significant part of Catholic devotional life. Celebrating the feast days of the various titles of Mary helps us remember her maternal care and her role in salvation history.

Major Marian Feasts:

  • January 1: Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God – The first feast of the liturgical year, honoring Mary's divine motherhood
  • March 25: The Annunciation – Celebrates the Archangel Gabriel's announcement to Mary that she would conceive Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit, marking the moment of the Incarnation
  • May 31: The Visitation – Commemorates Mary's visit to her cousin Elizabeth, when John the Baptist leaped in her womb and Mary proclaimed the Magnificat
  • August 15: The Assumption – Celebrates Mary's assumption into heaven, body and soul, at the end of her earthly life
  • August 22: The Queenship of Mary – Celebrates Mary's coronation as Queen of Heaven and Earth, emphasizing her royal dignity alongside Christ the King
  • September 8: Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Celebrates the birth of the Mother of God
  • December 8: The Immaculate Conception – A solemnity celebrating the dogma that Mary was conceived without original sin from the first moment of her existence. This feast honors Mary's unique privilege of being preserved from sin in preparation for her role as Mother of God. The Immaculate Conception is the patroness of the United States and many other countries. This dogma was proclaimed by Pope Pius IX in 1854 and was later confirmed when Mary identified herself to St. Bernadette at Lourdes as "the Immaculate Conception.

 Popular Marian Apparitions and Devotional Feast Days:

  • February 11: Our Lady of Lourdes (1858) – Commemorates the 1858 apparition of Mary to Bernadette Soubirous at the grotto of Massabielle, where Mary declared herself the "Immaculate Conception" and established Lourdes as one of the world's most important pilgrimage sites.
  • May 13: Our Lady of Fatima (1917) – Commemorates the first apparition of Mary to three shepherd children in 1917 in Portugal, emphasizing prayer, penance, devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the importance of the rosary.
  • May 24: Our Lady Help of Christians (1815) – Established by Pope Pius VII in 1815 after his liberation from Napoleon's prison on May 24, 1814. This devotion was greatly promoted by St. John Bosco, who built the famous basilica in Turin and made Mary Help of Christians the patroness of the Salesian family.
  • June 25: Our Lady of Medjugorje (1981) – Commemorates the reported apparitions beginning in 1981 to six children in Bosnia-Herzegovina. While the Church has approved devotions and pilgrimages to Medjugorje, it maintains a neutral position on the supernatural character of the ongoing alleged apparitions.
  • June 27: Our Lady of Perpetual Help (1876) – Commemorates the veneration of the famous Byzantine icon from the 13th-15th century depicting Mary holding the Christ Child, with angels showing the instruments of the Passion. The feast was established by Pope Pius IX in 1876, with the original icon now enshrined in Rome.
  • July 16: Our Lady of Mount Carmel (1251) – Commemorates the apparition of Mary to St. Simon Stock, when she appeared holding the Child Jesus and the Brown Scapular, promising salvation to those who wear it faithfully and live according to her Son's teachings.
  • September 19: Our Lady of La Salette (1846) – Commemorates the 1846 apparition to two children, Maximin Giraud and Mélanie Calvat, in the French Alps. Mary appeared weeping, calling for repentance, respect for the Sabbath, and warning of consequences for abandoning faith.
  • October 7: Our Lady of the Rosary (1571) – Originally called Our Lady of Victory, this feast was established in 1571 to commemorate the victory at the Battle of Lepanto, which was attributed to Mary's intercession through the faithful praying the rosary.
  • October 12: Our Lady of the Pillar (40 AD) – The first recorded Marian apparition in Church history, occurring in 40 AD to St. James the Greater in Zaragoza, Spain. This is the only apparition that occurred while Mary was still alive, appearing on a pillar of jasper carried by angels to encourage the discouraged apostle in his missionary work.
  • November 27: Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal (1830) – Commemorates the 1830 apparition to St. Catherine Labouré in Paris. Mary appeared with rays of light streaming from her hands, asking for a medal to be made with the prayer "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee." The medal became known as "miraculous" due to the countless graces and healings reported by those who wore it.
  • December 12: Our Lady of Guadalupe (1531) – Honors the 1531 apparition of Mary to St. Juan Diego in Mexico, where she left her miraculous image on his tilma. She is the patroness of the Americas and a powerful symbol of evangelization.

Selected Saint Feast Days

The feast days of popular and beloved saints are also special occasions to reflect on their lives and learn from their example of holiness.

  • February 5: St. Agatha – Virgin and martyr, patron saint of breast cancer patients
  • March 17: St. Patrick – Patron saint of Ireland
  • March 19: St. Joseph – Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  • May 22: St. Rita of Cascia – Patron saint of impossible causes, difficult marriages, and parenthood
  • June 13: St. Anthony of Padua – Franciscan friar, Doctor of the Church, patron of lost items
  • July 11: St. Benedict – Founder of Western monasticism
  • July 22: St. Mary Magdalene – Disciple of Jesus, first witness to the Resurrection
  • July 26: St. Anne – Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  • July 25: St. Christopher – Patron saint of travelers, still celebrated in some areas.
  • September 29: Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael – Honors these three archangels
  • October 1: St. Thérèse of Lisieux – The "Little Flower" known for her "little way" of spiritual childhood
  • October 4: St. Francis of Assisi – Founder of the Franciscan Order
  • October 16: St. Gerard Majella – Redemptorist brother, patron of expectant mothers and unborn children
  • October 28: St. Jude – Patron of hope and impossible causes
  • November 17: St. Elizabeth – Mother of St. John the Baptist
  • December 6: St. Nicholas – Bishop of Myra, patron of children

 

Celebrating the lives of the saints and the special role of Mary in salvation history can help us grow in faith, hope, and love. Consider learning more about these saints and reflecting on their examples of holiness. A devotional item or rosary related to a particular saint can also be a great help in asking for their intercession.