April Liturgical & Social Awareness Calendar 2024

Liturgical Calendar

April 2024

Image: The Resurrection by Carl Heinrich Bloch.

Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels!

Exult, all creation around God’s throne!

Jesus Christ, our King, is risen!

Sound the trumpet of salvation!

Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendour,

radiant in the brightness of your King!

Christ has conquered! Glory fills you!

Darkness vanishes for ever!

Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory!

The risen Savior shines upon you!

Let this place resound with joy,

echoing the mighty song of all God’s people!

– from the Exultet sung at the Easter Vigil

Source: Salt & Light Catholic Media Foundation

The Easter Octave begins on Easter Sunday the 31^st of March and ends on the Second Sunday of Easter of the Divine Mercy the 7^th of April, with every day being another solemnity or another “little Easter.” The current title for each of the octave is “Monday in the Octave of Easter,” “Tuesday in the Octave of Easter” etc., but commonly called “Easter Monday,” “Easter Tuesday,” and so forth. The Easter Octave “overrides” any other feasts on the calendar.

Resources for Easter Week	Link
What is Holy Week	A 3 minute video from Busted Halo click HERE
Easter Resources	Easter Symbols, exercises, question of hope, etc on well illustrated printable click HERE
A walk through the Holy Land	A film of the life of Christ and a Holy Land pilgrimage. Film starts at 23.07mins in. Click HERE
Music	A powerful song about the Passion by Kari Jobe can be watched HERE it is 12 minutes long but very uplifting.
Easter YouTube Playlist	Featuring 21 Easter themed videos compiled by the Dublin Archdiocese click HERE
Easter Music, Film and Crafts	From Faitharts, TrueTube and RE Quest and Loyola Press
Easter Video Series Mini Series – 3 Episodes – approx 7mins each	A free 3 part video series that provides a fresh perspective on Easter and why it matters for us today. Ideal for Junior Cycle. Mini Series – 3 Episodes – approx 7mins each https://nuafilms.com/nua-easter
A list of Easter Resources	Can be found on the Diocesan Website HERE

Liturgical Calendar for April 2024 (click on underlined words for more information)
Easter Time
	1	Monday	S	Monday in the Octave of Easter	I
	2	Tuesday	S	Tuesday in the Octave of Easter
	3	Wednesday	S	Wednesday in the Octave of Easter
	4	Thursday	S	Thursday in the Octave of Easter
	5	Friday	S	Friday in the Octave of Easter
	6	Saturday	S	Saturday in the Octave of Easter
	7	Sunday		2ⁿᵈ Sunday of Easter (Divine Mercy)	II
	8	Monday	S	The Annunciation of the Lord
	9	Tuesday		Tuesday in the 2ⁿᵈ Week of Easter
	10	Wednesday		Wednesday in the 2ⁿᵈ Week of Easter
	11	Thursday	M	Saint Stanislaus, bishop and martyr
	12	Friday		Friday in the 2ⁿᵈ Week of Easter
	13	Saturday
				Saturday in the 2ⁿᵈ Week of Easter
			m	Saint Martin I, pope and martyr
	14	Sunday		3ʳᵈ Sunday of Easter	III
	15	Monday		Monday in the 3ʳᵈ Week of Easter
	16	Tuesday		Tuesday in the 3ʳᵈ Week of Easter
	17	Wednesday		Wednesday in the 3ʳᵈ Week of Easter
	18	Thursday
				Thursday in the 3ʳᵈ Week of Easter
			m	Saint Laserian of Leighlin, bishop
	19	Friday		Friday in the 3ʳᵈ Week of Easter
	20	Saturday		Saturday in the 3ʳᵈ Week of Easter
	21	Sunday		4ᵗʰ Sunday of Easter	IV
	22	Monday		Monday in the 4ᵗʰ Week of Easter
	23	Tuesday
				Tuesday in the 4ᵗʰ Week of Easter
			m	Saint Adalbert, bishop and martyr
			m	Saint George, martyr
	24	Wednesday
				Wednesday in the 4ᵗʰ Week of Easter
			m	Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen, priest and martyr
	25	Thursday	F	Saint Mark, evangelist
	26	Friday		Friday in the 4ᵗʰ Week of Easter
	27	Saturday
				Saturday in the 4ᵗʰ Week of Easter
			m	Saint Asicus, bishop
	28	Sunday		5ᵗʰ Sunday of Easter	I
	29	Monday	F	Saint Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctor of the Church
	30	Tuesday
				Tuesday in the 5ᵗʰ Week of Easter
			m	Saint Pius V, pope

Social Justice & Internation Awareness Days

April 2024 (click on underlined words to learn more)

World Autism Awareness Day 02 Apr

International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action 04 Apr

International Day of Conscience 05 Apr

International Day of Sport for Development and Peace 06 Apr

International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda 07 Apr

World Health Day [WHO] 07 Apr

International Day of Human Space Flight 12 Apr

World Chagas Disease Day [WHO] 14 Apr

Chinese Language Day 20 Apr

World Creativity and Innovation Day 21 Apr

International Mother Earth Day 22 Apr

World Book and Copyright Day [UNESCO] 23 Apr

English Language Day 23 Apr

Spanish Language Day 23 Apr

World Immunization Week, 24-30 April [WHO] 24 Apr

International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace 24 Apr

International Girls in ICT Day [ITU] 25 Apr

World Malaria Day [WHO] 25 Apr

International Delegate’s Day 25 Apr

International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day 26 Apr

World Intellectual Property Day [WIPO] 26 Apr

World Day for Safety and Health at Work 28 Apr

International Jazz Day 30 Apr

Pope’s Monthly Prayer Intention for April 2024

Reveal the Gift’ highlights the Blessed Mother, St. Edith Stein (Teresa Benedicta of the Cross), Servant of God Julie Greeley and the women at the cross. (photo: Ascension Press; ‘Madonna of the Olive Branch,’ Nicolò Barabino; ‘The Women at the Cross’ (fragment), Master Francke. / Public domain)

For the role of women
We pray that the dignity and immense value of women be recognized in every culture, and for the end of discrimination that they experience in different parts of the world.

In 1995 Mrs Gertrude Mongella, the Secretary General of the Behing Conference, visited Pope John Paul II in connection with the Peking meeting, he gave her a written Messagewhich stated some basic points of the Church’s teaching with regard to women’s issues. This letter can be read HERE
Pope John Paul II also wrote an Apostolic Letter Mulieris Dignitatem, the Church “desires to give thanks to the Most Holy Trinity for the ‘mystery of woman’ and for every woman-for all that constitutes the eternal measure of her feminine dignity, for the ‘great works of God’, which throughout human history have been accomplished in and through her”. (Given in Rome, at Saint Peter’s, on 15 August, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in the year 1988, the tenth of his Pontificate)
Pope John Paul II on the, 29 June 1995, used the phrase ‘feminine genius’ in his letter to women. This is a phrase often referred to in the role and recognition of women and it would be worth reflecting on this letter from the viewpoint of young adults today. The letter can be sourced HERE. There are so many articles based on the phrase feminine genius and what it means for women and can be a project itself.

April 2^nd : World Autism Day

World Autism Awareness Day takes place every year on the 2nd of April and is a designated United Nations Day of Observance. On December 18th 2007, The United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared April 2nd as World Autism Awareness Day, to highlight the need to help improve the quality of life of those with Autism so that they can lead full and meaningful lives as an integral part of society. This year, the theme of Autism Awareness Day is:

‘Moving from Surviving to Thriving’.

Read more about W orld Autism Awareness Day here or see the UN website – https://www.un.org/en/observances/autism-day

What can your School do to celebrate World Autism Awareness Day?

Talk to your Autistic pupils, ask how they feel the school can promote more understanding and acceptance.
Consider holding a school-wide awareness day and share some resources with your pupils.
Contact the Irish Society for Autism to request some information resources for your school.
Twinkl, the NCSE, Outside the Box and the Middletown Centre for Autism also have numerous resources available which may help.
For more information check out Irish Society for Autism for more information and resources HERE

Check out HERE for a lovely 5.3 min video which is an introduction to autism which aims to raise awareness among young non-autistic audiences, to stimulate understanding and acceptance in future generations. It is really worth watching in any age group. Find out more: http://amazingthingshappen.tv/

April 7^th Divine Mercy Sunday

This Sunday is popularly known as Divine Mercy Sunday. Between 1930 and 1938 Christ appeared to Sister Faustina, a Sister of Mercy in Poland who initiated the Divine Mercy devotion. She was canonized on April 30, 2000, the Sunday after Easter, the Feast of Divine Mercy. On Good Friday, 1937, Jesus requested that Blessed Faustina make a special novena before the Feast of Mercy, from Good Friday through the following Saturday. Jesus also asked that a picture be painted according to the vision of Himself as the fountain of mercy. He gave her a chaplet to be recited and said that it was appropriate to pray the chaplet at three o’clock each afternoon (the Hour of Great Mercy).

Click here for a link to a PowerPoint presentation (24 slides) on the life of St. Faustina and the call of Jesus to each one of us to trust in Him and His mercy.
Even though this youtube link is a trailer on the documentary behind the Divine Mercy Image it gives a great overview of the Image and the history behind it – well worth checking out! It is 4.21 minutes long. Click HERE (If class is interested you can actually rent the full documentary for €6.46 the link in the in description of the video.)
Click HERE for a lovely lesson plan developed by Waterford & Lismore on Divine Mercy Sunday.

April 8^th Feast of the Annunciation/Teachtaireacht an Aingil

The Solemnity of the Annunciation (celebrated normally on the 25^th of March) is celebrated nine months before the Nativity of the Lord, a feast which cam e about earlier historically. The Annunciation recalls the day when the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary and revealed God’s will that she become the Mother of the Son of God, and she accepted. At that moment, the “Word became Flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). This year, because it would have otherwise fall during Holy Week, the Annunciation will be observed on Monday, April 8.

It was at the hour of midnight, when the most holy Virgin was alone and absorbed in prayer, that the Archangel Gabriel appeared before her, and asked her, in the name of the blessed Trinity, to consent to become the mother of God. The feast of the Annunciation of the Lord celebrates Angel Gabriel’s appearance to the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:26-38) and his announcement that she had been chosen to be the mother of the saviour of the world. Also being celebrated during this feast was Mary’s fiat, which means “let it be” in Latin—her willing acceptance of the news.

Mary, in her selflessness, was open to the angel´s visit. She recognized who was speaking. She listened, received, and responded. In so doing, she shows us the way to respond to the Lord’s call in our own lives. God initiates a relationship, and we respond in surrender to Him. This dynamic, this heavenly road, leads to a dialogue, a conversation, a way of life. By saying Yes, through our own Fiat, we are set apart. Consecrated. Made holy. Mary shows us that way.

The Annunciation, which means “the announcement,” is observed almost universally throughout Christianity, especially within Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, Catholicism, and Lutheranism.

For further information on the Feast of the Annunciation click HERE
A 3 minute video explaining the meaning of the Annunciation of the Lord. Very good. Click HERE

APRIL 16: Feast Day of St Bernadette Soubirous

Bernadette Soubirous was born in 1844, the first child of an extremely poor miller in the town of Lourdes in southern France. The family was living in the basement of a dilapidated building when on February 11, 1858, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette in a cave above the banks of the Gave River near Lourdes. Bernadette, 14 years old, was known as a virtuous girl though a dull student who had not even made her first Holy Communion. In poor health, she had suffered from asthma from an early age.

There were 18 appearances in all, the final one occurring on the feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, July 16. Although Bernadette’s initial reports provoked skepticism, her daily visions of “the Lady” brought great crowds of the curious. The Lady, Bernadette explained, had instructed her to have a chapel built on the spot of the visions. There, the people were to come to wash in and drink of the water of the spring that had welled up from the very spot where Bernadette had been instructed to dig.

According to Bernadette, the Lady of her visions was a girl of 16 or 17 who wore a white robe with a blue sash. Yellow roses covered her feet, a large rosary was on her right arm. In the vision on March 25 she told Bernadette, “I am the Immaculate Conception.” It was only when the words were explained to her that Bernadette came to realize who the Lady was.

Few visions have ever undergone the scrutiny that these appearances of the Immaculate Virgin were subject to. Lourdes became one of the most popular Marian shrines in the world, attracting millions of visitors. Miracles were reported at the shrine and in the waters of the spring. After thorough investigation, Church authorities confirmed the authenticity of the apparitions in 1862.

During her life, Bernadette suffered much. She was hounded by the public as well as by civic officials until at last she was protected in a convent of nuns. Five years later, she petitioned to enter the Sisters of Notre Dame of Nevers. After a period of illness she was able to make the journey from Lourdes and enter the novitiate. But within four months of her arrival she was given the last rites of the Church and allowed to profess her vows. She recovered enough to become infirmarian and then sacristan, but chronic health problems persisted. She died on April 16, 1879, at the age of 35.

Bernadette Soubirous was canonized in 1933.

For further information please click here: HERE
For the film on St Bernadette, I find the old ones are the best and this is no exception: The Song of Bernadette can be found free on YouTube HERE

April 21^st FEAST DAY OF SAINT ANSELM

As a young boy in Aosta, Italy, Anselm thought of being a priest. His father, angered by this desire, introduced his son to court life. Anselm forgot about his vocation. But in 1060, Anselm learned of Lanfranc, the leader of monasticism in Normandy, France. Anselm entered Lanfranc’s monastery at Bec. Three years later, Anselm became a prior, or head, and began to publish his writings on the existence of God.

Anselm was unanimously elected abbot in 1070, when Lanfranc was made bishop of Canterbury, England. When Lanfranc died in 1089, the English clergy wanted Anselm as their bishop. But Rufus, the son of William the Conqueror, would not approve. For four years, there was no bishop of Canterbury. Then, Rufus suddenly became mortally ill. In fear of hell, Rufus appointed Anselm archbishop of Canterbury.

Rufus recovered and fell into his former sins: taking Church lands and attempting to appoint his own bishops. Frightened over conflict between the archbishop and the king, the bishops and priests abandoned Anselm. The king then exiled him. In exile, Anselm wrote treatises and took part in the Council of Bari (1098). After the death of Rufus, Anselm returned to England. Henry I, brother of Rufus, was then the king. Like his brother, Henry wanted to appoint bishops. Anselm refused to accept his appointment from the king. Again Anselm was exiled to Rome. Pope Paschal worked out a compromise between the king and the bishop.

Until his death in 1109, Anselm remained in England, defending the faith. Canterbury came to be recognized as the major see in England. In 1720, Anselm was given the title Doctor of the Church and Father of Scholasticism because he analysed and taught the truths of the faith by the aid of reason.

For further information click HERE
Through Anselm’s efforts, the National Council at Westminster (1102) passed a law prohibiting the sale of people. Discuss what bishops do today to promote social justice.
Anselm’s method of teaching used parables drawn from life. Share something from your life that has drawn you closer to God.

pril 22^nd : World Earth Day

Earth Day is annually commemorated on April 22. The theme for 2024 is:

PLANET V’S PLASTICS

This year’s Earth Day theme is “Planet vs. Plastics.” Catholic Climate Covenant’s 2024 Earth Day program will help you learn about how plastic production, consumption, and disposal are impacting human and planetary health, and share strategies for personal, community, and systemic actions. The program can be used on April 22 or on any other day that fits your community’s schedule.

The approximately one-hour educational program may be used to celebrate the 54rd anniversary of Earth Day (April 22nd) and/or the 9th anniversary of Laudato Si’ (Laudato Si’ Week is May 19-26th, 2024), or at any time that fits your schedule.

You can access all the materials directly with the links below:

1) Facilitator Program Guide (includes all links, directions, and scripts for your program facilitator/leader for both in-person and online events)

2) Participant Program Guide (full program for printing and online sharing)

3) Commitments Handout (Note: This is part of both the Facilitator Guide and Participant Program. However, we also provide it to you as a standalone document.)

4) Earth Day 2024 VIDEO: (also hyperlinked in the Facilitator Guide and Participant Program)
a) Watch directly on YouTube (you will need internet access)
b) Download video (to play video without internet connection)

5) Promoting Your Earth Day Event (includes information to promote your event, links to two editable flyers, and social media information)

Check out Catholic Climate Covenant websitefor further information and resources.
The link for a variety of Earth Day resources can be found HERE

See below the 2022 prayer resources as they have not yet been updated but are still very useable.

2022 Resources

2022 Earth Day Prayer(includes Word and PDF versions)
Prayer Card
Prayer Card for virtual use

Prayers and Additional Reflections:

Click HERE to download a Lesson Plan on Earth Day 2022 which provides video, discussion questions and finally a template for sustainable ideas. Excellent resource.

Click HERE to download a wonderful resource from Trocaire that contains lessons and reflection plans entitled Nurturing our Faith in Nature.

Click HERE to view an in depth look at the story of the Earth through the lens of Care of the Earth by Br Anthony Mark McDonnell.

April 25^th

Feast Day of St. Mark St. Mark’s Story

Most of what we know about Mark comes directly from the New Testament. He is usually identified with the Mark of Acts 12:12. When Saint Peter escaped from prison, he went to the home of Mark’s mother.

Paul and Barnabas took him along on the first missionary journey, but for some reason Mark returned alone to Jerusalem. It is evident, from Paul’s refusal to let Mark accompany him on the second journey despite Barnabas’s insistence, that Mark had displeased Paul. Because Paul later asks Mark to visit him in prison, we may assume the trouble did not last long.

The oldest and the shortest of the four Gospels, the Gospel of Mark emphasizes Jesus’s rejection by humanity while being God’s triumphant envoy. Probably written for gentile converts in Rome—after the death of Peter and Paul sometime between A.D. 60 and 70—Mark’s Gospel is the gradual manifestation of a “scandal”: a crucified Messiah.

Like another Gospel writer Luke, Mark was not one of the 12 apostles. We cannot be certain whether he knew Jesus personally. Some scholars feel that the evangelist is speaking of himself when describing the arrest of Jesus in Gethsemane: “Now a young man followed him wearing nothing but a linen cloth about his body. They seized him, but he left the cloth behind and ran off naked” (Mark 14:51-52).

Others hold Mark to be the first bishop of Alexandria, Egypt. Venice, famous for the Piazza San Marco, claims Mark as its patron saint; the large basilica there is believed to contain his remains.

A winged lion is Mark’s symbol. The lion derives from Mark’s description of John the Baptist as a “voice of one crying out in the desert” (Mark 1:3), which artists compared to a roaring lion. The wings come from the application of Ezekiel’s vision of four winged creatures to the evangelists.

For further information please click here: HERE
Also a short video about St Mark (2.46 mins) can be found here : HERE
Also if you get a chance do look at the series The Chosen which provides a unique way of getting to know Jesus through his disciples. The series is free and can be found : HERE

April 29: FEAST DAY OF ST CATHERINE OF SIENA

The value Catherine makes central in her short life and which sounds clearly and consistently through her experience is complete surrender to Christ. What is most impressive about her is that she learns to view her surrender to her Lord as a goal to be reached through time.

She was the 23rd child of Jacopo and Lapa Benincasa and grew up as an intelligent, cheerful, and intensely religious person. Catherine disappointed her mother by cutting off her hair as a protest against being overly encouraged to improve her appearance in order to attract a husband. Her father ordered her to be left in peace, and she was given a room of her own for prayer and meditation.

She entered the Dominican Third Order at 18 and spent the next three years in seclusion, prayer, and austerity. Gradually, a group of followers gathered around her—men and women, priests and religious. An active public apostolate grew out of her contemplative life. Her letters, mostly for spiritual instruction and encouragement of her followers, began to take more and more note of public affairs. Opposition and slander resulted from her mixing fearlessly with the world and speaking with the candor and authority of one completely committed to Christ. She was cleared of all charges at the Dominican General Chapter of 1374.

Her public influence reached great heights because of her evident holiness, her membership in the Dominican Third Order, and the deep impression she made on the pope. She worked tirelessly for the crusade against the Turks and for peace between Florence and the pope.

In 1378, the Great Schism began, splitting the allegiance of Christendom between two, then three, popes and putting even saints on opposing sides. Catherine spent the last two years of her life in Rome, in prayer and pleading on behalf of the cause of Pope Urban VI and the unity of the Church. She offered herself as a victim for the Church in its agony. She died surrounded by her “children” and was canonized in 1461.

Catherine ranks high among the mystics and spiritual writers of the Church. In 1939, she and Francis of Assisi were declared co-patrons of Italy. Pope Paul VI named her and Teresa of Avila doctors of the Church

in 1970. Her spiritual testament is found in The Dialogue. Consider Catherine’s advice. If you can’t start by being brave about everything, identify one thing. Resolve to spread the light.

For further information please click here: HERE

April 30^th Feast of Pope St Pius V

Saint Pius V

Pope Pius V was from a poor Italian family and had entered the Dominican order at age 14. A teacher, a master of novices, a bishop, and finally a cardinal, he was a strict and honest man, as well as a zealous reformer. He wept when he was told in 1566 that he had been elected pope. The 18-year-long Council of Trent had ended 3 years before, and he, as Holy Father, had the task of implementing it.

For further information please click here: HERE
For a 2 minute YouTube video on his role as Pope click HERE

Life is for living. Do it boldly with these 10 verbs.

With so much advice out there in the world—Franciscan Media bring us ten lovely verbs to live by!

“Life is about living, right? COVID-19, its restrictions, and how it all changed our world has certainly taught us that. But to live and to be fully alive requires action. And that means adding more verbs to our vocabulary”.

Never stop being curious. Every day offers discovery. Shake off the lethargy and explore the world around you. God can be found everywhere you look.
Life is serious, but living it is supposed to be fun. If the last year has taught us nothing, it’s that we need laughter, joy, and levity to lift our battered spirits. Don’t feel about wanting to feel better.
No one knows everything—thank goodness! Questions are not only OK; they’re the key to learning and growing. Be curious. Ask questions. Never stop moving forward.
It’s often hard to do, but it’s worth the effort. In Ephesians 4:32 it reads: “And be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ.”
Try. It wasn’t very popular in a galaxy far, far away, but it’s popular with us. If we didn’t try new things, we’d all still be in onesies and kid shoes. God loves our efforts!
Help. It’s easy to feel that there’s too much to do, that there are too many problems to solve. But even the least confident among us can usually agree there’s some way we can help—somebody, something, somewhere.
Create. Making something from scratch—whether it’s a meal or a piece of art or an essay—is essential to a fulfilling life. It’s a participation in God’s work of creation. It keeps us from getting stuck in a rut of living someone else’s story.
Take time on a regular basis to stop whatever you’re busy doing and look at the big picture. Think, pray, write in a journal, talk to a friend. Find one of a hundred ways that works for you.
Gratitude, love, and humility all are intertwined. God, our friends, our family, our co-workers—there is always someone deserving of a “thank you.”
Before we can love someone, we have to know that person. To know someone, we have to listen. And sometimes the best listening we do comes through prayer.

For further information please click here: HERE