The Month of August
The Church dedicates the month of August to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, honoring the purity, love, and inner life of the Blessed Virgin, a heart wholly united to her Son and pierced with sorrow at the sight of sin.
Throughout this month, the faithful are invited to grow closer to that same Immaculate Heart through prayer, acts of charity, and a sincere striving for purity, trusting that wherever her heart leads, it leads always to her Son.
Novena: August 02-10, 2026
Novena begins this Sunday, August 02, 2026
St. Philomena is known as the “Wonder-Worker,” a title earned through the countless miracles attributed to her intercession. She is invoked as patroness of infants, children, and youth, and is turned to by those struggling with infertility, illness, and desperate or seemingly hopeless causes. Saints John Vianney and Padre Pio were devoted to her, trusting in her closeness to God, and to this day the faithful call on her with confidence, believing in her powerful ability to obtain graces from the Lord for those who ask.
Saturday, August 01, 2026
Reminder! First Saturday is this week — August 01, 2026.
The First Saturday Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is prayed on five consecutive first Saturdays of the month. The requirements are receiving Holy Communion, going to Confession within eight days before or after, praying five decades of the Rosary, and spending fifteen minutes meditating on the Rosary mysteries. Our Lady promised special graces to those who complete it.
Feast Day — July 28, 2026
Today, the Church honors St. Alphonsa on her feast day – July 28th.
🙏 Prayer to St. Alphonsa — https://thecatholiccrusade.com/prayer-to-st-alphonsa/
St. Alphonsa is honored in the Catholic Church as the first woman of Indian origin ever canonized a saint, and the first canonized saint of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. Her life stands as a witness that holiness can be found even in the midst of great physical suffering.
Born Anna Muttathupadathu in 1910 in Kudamaloor, Kerala, India, she lost her mother when she was still a small child and was raised by her aunt. From an early age she felt called to religious life. When her family arranged a marriage for her as a young woman, she took drastic steps to preserve her vocation and was ultimately able to join the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, taking the name Sister Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception.
Her years in religious life were marked by chronic illness and physical suffering, which she offered up with remarkable peace and humility. She worked as a teacher, beloved by her students for her gentleness, even as her health continued to decline. She died in 1946 at the age of 35.
In the decades following her death, many miraculous healings were reported through her intercession, especially near her tomb in Bharananganam, which remains a major pilgrimage site in Kerala to this day. She was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008 and is honored as the patron of the sick and suffering, and of India.
Today, on her feast day, we ask for St. Alphonsa’s intercession for all who carry the weight of illness or suffering, that they may find in her example the grace to bear their crosses with faith and trust in God’s will.
St. Alphonsa, pray for us.
Novena dates: July 26 – August 03, 2026
The Novena to St. John Vianney begins this Sunday, July 26, 2026.
St. John Vianney’s intercession remains powerful in the Church today, especially for priests, confessors, and anyone struggling with sin or seeking a deeper prayer life. Known as the Curé of Ars, he spent up to sixteen hours a day in the confessional, drawing tens of thousands of pilgrims who came seeking his counsel and conversion. He is the patron saint of parish priests, and his feast day is celebrated on August 4.
In the busyness of our daily lives, it is so easy to let our minds wander toward anxiety, our work to become self-serving, and our hearts to attach to fleeting, worldly things. We often rely on our own strength to live a virtuous life, only to find ourselves falling short and feeling spiritually exhausted. Yet, true holiness is not something we can manufacture on our own; it is the quiet, transformative work of the Holy Spirit living within us.
Saint Augustine understood this profound need for divine assistance in every aspect of our existence. He recognized that for our thoughts, actions, and loves to be pure, we must first invite the Spirit of God to breathe His life into us. By constantly asking the Holy Spirit to be the driving force behind all that we do, we shift from relying on our own willpower to surrendering to God’s grace. When the Holy Spirit acts in us, our daily work becomes a holy offering. When He draws our hearts, we begin to love only what is pleasing to God. And when He guards us, we are given the strength to defend our faith and remain in His love.
Take a moment in silence today to examine where you need God’s breath the most. Is it in your mind, your work, or your heart? Invite the Third Person of the Trinity to take total possession of your life with this simple but powerful daily prayer attributed to St. Augustine:
Novena Dates: July 15-25, 2026
The Novena to Saints Anne & Joachim begins this Friday, July 17, 2026.
St. Anne and St. Joachim were the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the grandparents of Jesus. Though not named in Scripture, their story comes to us through early Church tradition, which honors them as a holy, faithful couple who longed for a child for many years before God blessed them with Mary.
St. Anne is especially invoked as the patroness of mothers, grandmothers, and those hoping to conceive, while St. Joachim is honored as a patron of fathers and grandfathers. Their patient trust in God’s providence and their role in raising Mary in faith and devotion make them powerful models of holiness for grandparents, parents, and families.
St. Anne and St. Joachim’s feast day is celebrated on July 26th.
Novena Dates: July 15-23, 2026
The Novena begins this Wednesday, July 15. 
St. Charbel, the miraculous Maronite monk and hermit of Lebanon, lived a hidden life of prayer, penance, and deep devotion to the Eucharist. After his death, God revealed his sanctity to the world through an incorrupt body and a heavenly fragrance that radiated from his tomb — signs that continue to draw the faithful to his intercession today. Known especially for miraculous healings and powerful help in “impossible” causes, St. Charbel remains a refuge for anyone carrying a difficult intention, seeking healing, or in need of hope.
The feast day of St. Charbel is Friday, July 24.
Death is the one appointment none of us can cancel, yet it’s often the topic we’re least willing to sit with. Scripture doesn’t ask us to fear it — it asks us to be ready for it. “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” (Matthew 25:13). Readiness, not dread, is what our Faith calls us to.
This is exactly why the Church has treasured prayers like this one for centuries. The devotion for a happy death traces back to 1648, when it was founded in Rome and soon received papal approval — a sign of just how seriously the Church has always taken this preparation.
A happy death isn’t something we’re granted in a single moment at the end. It’s something we prepare for daily, through lives turned toward God, and through prayers exactly like this one. Reciting it each day isn’t an act of morbid fixation — it’s an act of trust. We entrust the hour we cannot control to the God who already holds it, and we ask Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners and Mother of the Dying, to stand with us when that hour comes.
Whatever tomorrow holds, let today be the day we prepare for it in faith, not fear.
JULY 07-15, 2026
Novena begins this Tuesday, July 7th.
The Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Simon Stock on July 16, 1251, and presented him with the Brown Scapular — two small pieces of cloth connected by cords and worn over the shoulders. She promised that those who faithfully wore the scapular and lived a life of devotion would receive her special protection and intercession.
Mount Carmel is a mountain range in the Holy Land, where a community of hermits settled in the 12th century and dedicated their lives to God under Mary’s patronage — becoming the Carmelite Order. Mary has been honored as Our Lady of Mount Carmel ever since.
July 03 & July 04, 2026
Reminder! First Friday & Saturday are this week.
Deepen your spiritual life and draw closer to the hearts of Jesus and Mary through the powerful First Friday and First Saturday devotions. These beautiful practices offer a path to profound grace and spiritual growth.
The Sacred Heart of Jesus promises abundant blessings, including peace, consolation, and assistance at the hour of death, to those who faithfully observe nine consecutive First Fridays.
Similarly, Our Lady extends her maternal protection and the promise of salvation to those who commit to five consecutive First Saturdays in honor of her Immaculate Heart.
MORE INFORMATION:
The First Friday Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is prayed on nine consecutive first Fridays of the month. The requirements are attending Mass, receiving Holy Communion with the intention of making reparation to the Sacred Heart, and going to Confession around that time. After completing the nine, Jesus promised special graces including the grace of final perseverance.
The First Saturday Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is prayed on five consecutive first Saturdays of the month. The requirements are receiving Holy Communion, going to Confession within eight days before or after, praying five decades of the Rosary, and spending fifteen minutes meditating on the Rosary mysteries. Our Lady promised special graces to those who complete it.
