November Liturgical & Social Justice & Awareness Calendar 2023

Liturgical Calendar for November 2023

The Month of the Holy Souls / Mí na Marbh

In November we are encouraged to pray for those who have gone before us, family and friends, which is natural enough. However it does not end there for we are asked also to pray for those who may have no one to pray for them. In this way we are joined to others in the Christian family and reminded that we are a wide community united in our belief in Jesus and his Resurrection.

How to invite students to remember those who have died is to create a Tree of Remembrance in the school. For a lesson plan and cutouts just click HERE

Why not bring your class to light a candle for their deceased family members?

Those in purgatory cannot pray for themselves but one day they may be able to pray for us when we are in the same position. Perhaps this is why Pope St John XXIII wrote the following words “The devotion to the memory of the dead is one of the most beautiful expressions of the Catholic spirit.” See below some ideas for November to use with your students. For further resources check out Dublin Diocese HERE

For a wonderful resource pack which is packed to the brim with lesson plans, reflections, music, games and much more just click HERE

An abundance of beautiful readings, psalms, reflections, poetry and songs put together for the month of November by Diocese of Limerick. Just click HERE

Catholic Schools Week – November Moment
In preparation for Catholic Schools Week 2024 there’s a ‘November Moment’ resource with prayers, music, suggested activities and more. It can be downloaded at this link.

Diocese of Limerick resource from 2020 which is full of prayer reflections, liturgies, exercises and guidance on how we can make the most of November. Just click HERE

November Liturgical Calendar (click on each heading to bring you to further information)
Ordinary Time
	1	Wednesday	S	All Saints
	2	Thursday		The Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed (All Souls)
	3	Friday	M	Saint Malachy, bishop
	4	Saturday	M	Saint Charles Borromeo, bishop
	5	Sunday		31ˢᵗ Sunday in Ordinary Time
	6	Monday	F	All Saints of Ireland
	7	Tuesday
				Tuesday in the 31ˢᵗ Week in Ordinary Time
			m	Saint Willibrord, bishop
	8	Wednesday		Wednesday in the 31ˢᵗ Week in Ordinary Time
	9	Thursday	F	The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome
	10	Friday	M	Saint Leo the Great, pope and doctor of the Church
	11	Saturday	M	Saint Martin of Tours, bishop
	12	Sunday		32ⁿᵈ Sunday in Ordinary Time
	13	Monday		Monday in the 32ⁿᵈ Week in Ordinary Time
	14	Tuesday
				Tuesday in the 32ⁿᵈ Week in Ordinary Time
			m	Saint Laurence O’Toole, bishop
	15	Wednesday
				Wednesday in the 32ⁿᵈ Week in Ordinary Time
			m	Saint Albert the Great, bishop and doctor of the Church
	16	Thursday
				Thursday in the 32ⁿᵈ Week in Ordinary Time
			m	Saint Gertrude, virgin
			m	Saint Margaret of Scotland
	17	Friday	M	Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, religious
	18	Saturday
				Saturday in the 32ⁿᵈ Week in Ordinary Time
			m	The Dedication of the Basilicas of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in Rome, apostles
			m	The Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday
	19	Sunday		33ʳᵈ Sunday in Ordinary Time
	20	Monday		Monday in the 33ʳᵈ Week in Ordinary Time
	21	Tuesday	M	The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
	22	Wednesday	M	Saint Cecilia, virgin and martyr
	23	Thursday	M	Saint Columban, abbot
	24	Friday	M	Saint Andrew Dung-Lac, priest, and companions, martyrs
	25	Saturday
				Saturday in the 33ʳᵈ Week in Ordinary Time
			m	Saint Catherine of Alexandria, virgin and martyr
			m	Saint Clement I, pope and martyr
			m	Saint Colman of Cloyne, bishop
			m	The Blessed Virgin Mary on Saturday
	26	Sunday	S	Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe
	27	Monday
				Monday in the 34ᵗʰ Week in Ordinary Time
			m	Saint Vergilius of Salzburg, bishop
	28	Tuesday		Tuesday in the 34ᵗʰ Week in Ordinary Time
	29	Wednesday		Wednesday in the 34ᵗʰ Week in Ordinary Time
	30	Thursday	F	Saint Andrew, apostle

November Social Justice & Awareness Days

(Click on each of the days to bring you to further information)

International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (A/RES/68/163) 02 Nov

World Tsunami Awareness Day (A/RES/70/203) 05 Nov

International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict (A/RES/56/4) 06 Nov

International Week of Science and Peace, 9-15 November (A/RES/43/61) 09 Nov

World Science Day for Peace and Development (UNESCO 31 C/Resolution 20) 10 Nov

World Antibiotic Awareness Week, 13-19 November [WHO] 13 Nov

World Diabetes Day (A/RES/61/225) 14 Nov

World Philosophy Day [UNESCO] (33 C/Resolution 37) 17 Nov

International Day for Tolerance [UNESCO] (28 C/Resolution 5.61) 16 Nov

World Day for the Prevention of and Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence (A/RES/77/8) 18 Nov

World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (A/RES/60/5) 19 Nov

World Toilet Day (A/RES/67/291) 19 Nov

Africa Industrialization Day (A/RES/44/237) 20 Nov

World Children’s Day (A/RES/836(IX)) 20 Nov

World Television Day (A/RES/51/205) 21 Nov

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (A/RES/54/134) 25 Nov

World Sustainable Transport Day (A/RES/77/286) 26 Nov

International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (A/RES/32/40B) 29 Nov

Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare (OPCW C-20/DEC.10) 30 Nov

The Holy Father’s Intentions for the Month of November

This month we pray for the Pope
We pray for the Holy Father; as he fulfills his mission, may he continue to accompany the flock entrusted to him, with the help of the Holy Spirit.

For a prayer reflection on this month’s prayer click HERE

To watch this month’s video on Pope Francis’ prayer intention just click on the pic to the left.

November 1^st

All Saints Day

All Saints’ Day also called All Hallows, Hallowmas, and Feast of All Saints is held on November 1 each year and celebrates and honours all the Saints especially the Saints who are not honoured on other days of the year. The day is preceded by All Saints’ Eve the night before and then the day after followed by All Souls Day.

The 3 days together represent the Allhallowtide triduum (religious observance lasting 3 days) as a time to reflect and remember the saints, martyrs, and the faithful who have died.

The feast of All Saints should inspire us with tremendous hope when we recall to us Jesus’ promise that those who believe will never die but be born into new life in Christ. During this month we pray especially for our departed friends and loved ones on the last great journey towards the eternal light of God.

‘Have you not read what was said to you by God, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?” He is God not of the dead, but of the living.’ (Matt 22:31-32)

Ní imithe uainn atá siad, ach imithe romhainn.
They are not gone from us but gone before us.

See PDF on All Saints Day which is a significant Lesson Plan compliments of Hilda Campbell Diocese of Ossory. Just click HERE

Download the list of saints, cut them into individual strips, put them in a basket and let a Saint choose you! Let each student know that they will help them and intercede for them during their lives! Click HERE

Check out Loyola Press for lesson plans and resources ideal for 1^st and 2^nd years All Saints Day | Loyola Press

November 2^nd All Souls’ Day

The Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed

All Souls’ Day commemorates the faithful departed. November is a time for remembering and praying for our loved ones who have gone before us and whose loss we feel. It is a time when we are particularly conscious of those in our parishes who are grieving and all those families who have lost loved ones in the past year.

See PDF on All Souls Day which is another great Lesson Plan compliments of Hilda Campbell Diocese of Ossory. https://ferns.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/All-Souls-Day-Resource-Sheet.pdf

Father Columba has encountered many ghosts in his time. Some good, some bad. He shares how to know the difference, and what we should do when we encounter one. It might be a good idea first to look at this 10 minute video in advance to decide on what age group it is more appropriate for but it is a very good informative video delivered in a lighthearted way, to view it just click HERE

Discussion Questions

What do you imagine will happen to you after you die?
Who is someone who has died with whom you feel a special connection? Explain the connection.
If there were a blueprint for becoming a saint, what would it include?

Additional Lessons and Assignments

Present more information on the Church’s belief in the final purification of the dead, known as purgatory. See the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1030-1032, for more information.
Lead a discussion about respect for the dead, including Church regulations on the burial of the dead, autopsies, organ donation, and cremation (see CCC, 2299-2301).
Have the students write and share short biographies of deceased family members who have taken their place with the communion of the saints.
Watch a film on the life of a saint.

Sourced from Ave Maria Press click HERE

Classroom Resources for November by Brendan O’Regan of Faitharts

A friend recently asked me about resources on the theme of remembrance for November, which got me thinking. This page is the result … hope teachers will find it useful.

I was originally asked to suggest a film for the occasion, and A Walk to Remember (2002) sprung to mind. It’s a trendy teen film whose heroine is genuinely religious. The opening is dramatic and the film holds the attention with its fine charaterisations. It is not overbearing in its positive messages and that’s not all that’s going on. Apart from faith it deals with relationships, school bullying, marriage and death. Hard to fault though the ending is somewhat sentimental. I have found that it is popular with young adults.

Music wise we are spoiled for choice and there are many suitable songs that could enhance remembrance prayer services. My favourite is ‘Now is the Time for Tears’, by Charlie Peacock from the album Coram Deo (play it on left). Based on Scripture it explores our reaction to bereavement – how there can be times we don’t know what to say, or say too much.

The lyrics are here, entry for March 12th. I like Leonard Cohen’s ‘Going Home’ (lyrics here) – the chorus is particularly appealing, as is the imagery in these lines: ‘Going home Behind the curtain Going home Without this costume That I wore’. However the ironic ‘lazy bastard’ reference might not be what teachers would like to hear during a prayer service!

Another very personal song about bereavement is Judy Bailey’s ‘Life Goes On’ from her album Travelling (see video below). The lyrics are here – just scroll down to the relevant track. below is the official music video but you can see her performance of the song at World Youth Day here.

Beth Nielsen Chapman’s album Sand and Water grew out of her own experience of bereavement when her first husband died. Particularly suitable are the title track, ‘Beyond the Blue’, and ‘Say Goodnight’.

Poetry-wise ‘Felix Randal‘ by Gerard Manley Hopkins springs to mind. The priest-poet tends to a blacksmith who eventually dies, but lives on in a positive memory.

Patrick Kavanagh’s poems Memory of My Father and Memory of My Mother will strike a chord with many readers.

Sourced from Faitharts just click HERE

November 3rd

St. Malachy / Naomh Maolmhaodhóg

St. Malachy was Archbishop of Armagh and was the first Irish saint canonised by a Pope. St Malachy is the patron of the dioceses of Down & Connor. As well as being a committed monk, Malachy struggled heroically to wrest control of the Church from lay dynasties and give bishops effective authority in their dioceses in 12th century Ireland.Let us ask for the intercession of St Malachy, that we may grow in the grace of God as our parish grows in the family of God.

For more information on this Saint please click HERE

For a very interesting 8 minute video on St Malacy by Fr Conor McGrath with on location information just click HERE

November 3rd

St. Martin de Porres / Naomh Máirtín de Porres

Today the Church celebrates the optional memorial of St. Martin de Porres, who lived a life of fasting, prayer, and penance as a Dominican lay brother. Martin was praised for his unconditional care of all people, regardless of race or wealth his life reflected his great love for God and all of God’s gifts. Martin fed, sheltered, and doctored hundreds of families his charity that made him the patron saint of social justice. St. Martin died on November 3rd, 1639 and is buried in the Convento Santo Domingo in Lima, Peru.

For more information on this Saint please click on the following link:

HERE

For a lovely gentle video by Catholic Online on St Martin De Porres please click HERE

November 4th

Memorial of St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop / N. Seárlas Borromeo, Easpag

St. Charles Borromeo (1538-1584) was a member of a noble family and a nephew of Pope Pius IV. He was made a Cardinal at the age of 23 and assisted the Pope in administering the affairs of the Holy See and in governing the Church. Soon thereafter he was made Archbishop of Milan. “Great was Charles’ love of neighbour and liberality toward the poor. When the plague raged in Milan, he sold his household furniture, even his bed, to aid the sick and needy, and thereafter slept upon bare boards. He visited those stricken by the disease, consoled them as a tender father, conferred upon them the sacraments with his own hands. A true mediator, he implored forgiveness day and night from the throne of grace”. He died on November 3, at the age of 46. He was beatified on May 12, 1602 by Pope Paul V and his feast day is celebrated on November 4th.

You can find more information on this Saint HERE

You can view an informative 2 minute video on the Saint HERE

November 6th

All the Saints of Ireland / Lá Fhéile Naomh na hÉireann

Photo: Apse, Irish College, Rome

In Ireland on the 6th of November, we celebrate the Feast of All the Saints of Ireland. Pope Benedict XV beatified Oliver Plunkett in 1920 and during his papacy also (1914-22) the Feast of All the Saints of Ireland was instituted. The same Pope also granted Ireland the honour of having a litany of its native saints approved for public recitation. Only four saints, St Malachy (1094-1148), St Lawrence O’Toole (1128-80) and St Oliver Plunkett (1625-81) and St Charles of Mount Argus (1821-93), have been officially canonised. All the other Irish saints, such as Saints Patrick, Brigid, and Colmcille, are saints, as it were, by acclamation of the local Church.

For more information on this Feast Day please click here: HERE

A lovely lesson plan by Diocese of Waterford exploring what it means to be a Saint packed with videos, exercises and music. https://waterfordlismore.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Ascend-YM_A-Saint_Who-Me.pdf

Let us praise illustrious men (and women),
our ancestors in their successive generations.
The Lord has created an abundance of glory,
and displayed his greatness from earliest times.

(The Book of Kells is believed to have been created sometime around 800A.D, when Ireland was said to be the Island of Saints and Scholars.)

November 9^th

Dedication of the Lateran Basilica

Dedication of St John Lateran The Lateran Basilica, the cathedral of the diocese of Rome, was dedicated to Christ the Saviour in the fourth century. The anniversary has been celebrated as a feast of the Latin Church on this date since the twelfth century.

It honours the local Church of Rome as a link with earliest Christian tradition and as a sign of our communion in Christ. Although the Pope lives in the Vatican and in the shadow of St Peter’s Basilica, the Basilica of St John Lateran is The Cathedral of the Most Holy Saviour and of Saints John the Baptist and the Evangelist in the Lateran is also known as the Papal Archbasilica of Saint John.

It is considered the mother church of the Roman Catholic faithful, traditionally the Pope’s church, the cathedral church of the diocese of Rome, where the Bishop of Rome presided in the ‘old days’.
The pope is still its bishop.
It has as its patrons St John the Evangelist and St John the Baptist.
This cathedral is the seat of papal authority and therefore is, in a sense, the parish church of Catholics everywhere.
The baptistery is adjacent to the basilica.
Since the 7th century it has also been known as the Basilica of the Most Holy Saviour.

· For further information on the history of the Basilica just click HERE.

· For a full tour of the Basilica in a 22 minute video click HERE the YouTube video is conveniently divided up into all the different sections of the Basilica.

November 10^th

St Leo the Great

He was born in Etruria and became Pope in 440. He was a true shepherd and father of souls. He constantly strove to keep the faith whole and strenuously defended the unity of the Church. He repelled the invasions of the barbarians or alleviated their effects, famously persuading Attila the Hun not to march on Rome in 452, and preventing the invading Vandals from massacring the population in 455. Leo left many doctrinal and spiritual writings behind and a number of them are included in the Office of Readings to this day. He died in 461. See the articles in the Catholic Encyclopaedia and Wikipedia.

For a short yet concise video on St Leo in a 3 min video click HERE

November 14th

St Laurence O’Toole / Lorcán Naofa Ó Tuathail

St Laurence O’Toole was born in Castledermot, Co. Kildare in 1128. He became Abbot of Glendalough in 1153 and Archbishop of Dublin in 1162. He died in Normandy on November 14th, 1180 and was canonised in 1225. His eventful life can be summarised under eight headings: Hostage, Monk, Archbishop, Contemplative, Mediator, Traveller, Legate and Saint.

For an Lesson Plan on St Laurance O’Toole which includes games, pictures, wordsearches as well as plenty of information on this Saint, just click HERE

A prayer to St. Laurence

St. Laurence O’Toole, man of peace, you were in the middle of family and political conflict from your earliest days. Give the gift of peace and hope to all who experience the trauma of division in families, in communities and among nations. St. Laurence O’Toole, man of faith, you had the openness to accept a position of leadership in your community at an early age. Bless our young people with a spirit of generosity to offer themselves in the service of the Gospel. Amen.

For further information on this Saint including a PowerPoint Presentation, Worksheets and Prayers, click HERE
Additional information can be found here: HERE

November 14^th

World Diabetes Day / Lá Domhanda Diabaetas

Globally, an estimated 422 million adults were living with diabetes in 2014, compared to 108 million in 1980. The global prevalence of diabetes has nearly doubled since 1980, rising from 4.7% to 8.5% in the adult population. This reflects an increase in associated risk factors such as being overweight or obese. Over the past decade, diabetes prevalence has risen faster in low and middle-income countries than in high-income countries. The theme for World Diabetes Day 2021-23 is Access to Diabetes Care.

WORLD DIABETES DAY RESOURCES

A selection of materials is available for use in awareness activities to support the World Diabetes Day 2021-23 campaign – Access to Diabetes Care. These include:

Blue circle selfie app
Infographics
Logo
Merchandise
Posters
Toolkit
Understanding diabetes (free online education platform)
Videos
Web banners and social visuals

If you have any questions about the use of World Diabetes Day materials, please contact wdd@idf.org.

A free interactive online education course developed by Diabetes Ireland, for people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

The Diabetes SMART programme contains six interactive modules, covering topics that explain what diabetes is, understanding the key medical information such as blood glucose levels, managing illness, and providing lots of tips on healthy eating and getting active.

The programme has been developed by diabetes healthcare professionals to support a busy lifestyle and participants can pause their interactive learning at any stage of the journey and resume with ease. This resource will give people with Type 2 diabetes the knowledge and accessible tools to learn how to manage their condition from the comfort of their own home and protect their future health.

November 19^th

World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims

The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (WDR) is commemorated on the third Sunday of November each year.

Remember. Support. Act.

As every year, the objectives of WDoR 2022 are to provide a platform for road traffic victims and their families to:

remember all people killed and seriously injured on the roads;

acknowledge the crucial work of the emergency services;
draw attention to the generally trivial legal response to culpable road deaths and injuries
advocate for better support for road traffic victims and victim families;
promote evidence-based actions to prevent and eventually stop further road traffic deaths and injuries.

To find out more information on this topic and resources click here: HERE

November 20^th

Universal Children’s Day / Lá Uilíoch na Leanbh

World Children’s Day was first established in 1954 as Universal Children’s Day and is celebrated on 20 November each year to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children’s welfare.

“Around the world, children are showing us their strength and leadership advocating for a more sustainable world for all. Let us build on advances and re-commit to putting children first. For every child, every right”. UN Secretary-General António Guterres

To find out more information just click HERE

WHY UNIVERSAL CHILDREN’S DAY IS IMPORTANT

Guarantees rights to children

In typical government documents, the rights given to people are generally understood to be for adults. However, thanks to the UN, governments around the world have adopted treaties that guarantee children the right to life, health, education, play, family, protection from violence, discrimination, and suppression.

They are the future

Changes take time. And by time, we mean generations. If we want to ensure a stable, safe, sustainable future for our planet, it starts with the children of today. That’s why early education is imperative, and the UN is leading the charge here.

Raises awareness

It may be easy to overlook the problems facing children today if they aren’t apparent in your daily life. Universal Children’s Day seeks to spread the knowledge that there are millions of children around the world who don’t have access to education, healthcare, or opportunities

How to Celebrate World Children’s Day

Here are some ideas on how to celebrate World Children’s Day:

Organize events promoting children’s rights awareness and education.
Encourage children’s participation in decision-making and discussions.
Engage in fundraising for children’s charities and causes.
Hold workshops and activities focused on child protection and well-being.
Collaborate with schools to emphasize children’s rights through lessons.
Share stories and initiatives showcasing children’s accomplishments and potential.

Celebrate World Children’s Day by organizing awareness events, empowering children’s involvement, and supporting their well-being and education.

10 Amazing Facts About World Children’s Day

Here ten interesting facts to celebrate World Children’s Day:

World Children’s Day connects kids globally, fostering mutual understanding.
Young ambassadors actively participate, voicing their concerns and dreams.
Aims to break down barriers, ensuring every child’s potential is realized.
Over 100 countries join hands, highlighting children’s importance.
Events range from art exhibitions to policy discussions, promoting change.
It showcases progress while underscoring challenges children still face.
A platform for highlighting innovative solutions and fostering collaboration.
Children’s participation in decision-making is a core focus.
A reminder of the ongoing commitment to create a brighter future for all.
World Children’s Day inspires unity, igniting the passion to advocate for children’s rights.

Sourced https://drlogy.com/day/world-childrens-day

November 21^st

The Presentation of Mary / Toirbhirt na Maighdine Muire

The Feast of the Presentation of Mary is celebrated in both the Eastern and Western Churches. It recalls the day in the life of the Jewish girl named Mary (Maryam) when her parents, Joachim and Anne, presented her to the Lord in the temple and dedicated her life to Him. Mary had already been chosen by God, preserved by a singular grace as a chosen vessel through whom the Incarnate Word would be given for the salvation of the whole world.

Today’s Feast emphasises our response to God’s gifts. We remember the response of Mary’s mother and father in their decision to present her in the temple for dedication to the Lord. All parents are called to imitate their response by presenting their children for Baptism.

For further information click HERE
For additional information click here: HERE

The Presentation Sisters and Friends of Nano Nagle, all over the world, celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple on the 21st November each year. The Presentation Sisters were founded by Nano Nagle in Cork, Ireland in 1775. Nano was a woman of great courage who established secret schools (hedge schools) for Catholic children barred from education by oppressive British law. She taught long days, and at night she carried her lantern among Cork’s attics and alleyways, bringing comfort and hope to the city’s poor, sick, and elderly.

For further information on Nano Nagle click here: HERE

Reflection

It is sometimes difficult for modern Westerners to appreciate a feast like this. The Eastern Church, however, was quite open to this feast and even somewhat insistent about celebrating it. Even though the feast has no basis in history, it stresses an important truth about Mary: From the beginning of her life, she was dedicated to God. She herself became a greater temple than any made by hands. God came to dwell in her in a marvelous manner and sanctified her for her unique role in God’s saving work. At the same time, the magnificence of Mary enriches her children. They—we—too are temples of God and sanctified in order that we might enjoy and share in God’s saving work.

Sourced from https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-of-the-day/presentation-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary/

November 25^th

International Day for the Elimination of Violence

against Women

CAMPAIGN’S THEME FOR 2023 – UNiTE! Invest to Prevent Violence against Women & Girls

Women’s rights activists have observed 25 November as a day against gender-based violence since 1981. This date was selected to honour the Mirabal sisters, three political activists from the Dominican Republic who were brutally murdered in 1960 by order of the country’s ruler, Rafael Trujillo (1930-1961). On 20 December 1993, the General Assembly adopts the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women through resolution 48/104, paving the path towards eradicating violence against women and girls worldwide.

Finally, on 7 February 2000, the General Assembly adopts resolution 54/134, officially designating 25 November as the International day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and in doing so, inviting governments, international organizations as well as NGOs to join together and organize activities designed to raise public awareness of the issue every year on that date.

The UNITE to End Violence against Women initiative is a multiyear effort to prevent and eliminate violence against women and girls around the world.

The initiative, launched in 2008 under the leadership of the UN Secretary-General, was created to support the civil society led 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence campaign around the world.

Managed by UN Women, UNITE calls on governments, civil society, women’s organizations, young people, the private sector, media, and the UN system to join forces to address the global pandemic of violence against women and girls.

The global theme of this year’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, which runs from 25 November to 10 December 2023, is “UNITE! Invest to prevent violence against women and girls”.

Read the concept note, available in Arabic, English, French, Spanish.

Join the global movement with the #NoExcuse campaign calling for urgent investments to prevent violence against women and girls.

November 26^th

Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, formerly referred to as “Christ the King,” was established by Pope Pius XI in 1925 as an antidote to secularism, a way of life which leaves God out of man’s thinking and living and organises his life as if God did not exist. The feast is intended to proclaim in a striking and effective manner Christ’s royalty over individuals, families, society, governments, and nations.

This is a tremendous feast with which to end the liturgical year because it turns upside down all the pre-conceived ideas we have about hierarchy, kingship and what it means to be in authority. Jesus’ power comes from God and it is a power that builds people up rather than diminishes them. He does not deny that he is a king, but it is not the word he would use. The only thing that matters to him is the truth and that truth is God.

For further information click here: HERE
More information can be found here: HERE

Lesson Plan on Christ the King from Waterford & Lismore Diocese.

November 27^th

Feast of the Miraculous Medal

Today marks the Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. On this day, we commemorate the apparition of Our Blessed Mother to Saint Catherine Laboure (whose feast day is tomorrow, 28 November) and celebrate the vision Our Lady revealed to the young saint- the Miraculous Medal.

It was in Paris, in the year 1830, part of a period when the Catholic Church was under attack from its many enemies, when “times are evil in France and in the world,” as Our Lady said. While doing silent meditation, Saint Catherine had a striking vision of the Blessed Virgin, her beauty indescribable, standing on a globe. Rays of light shone forth from the precious gems on the Blessed Mother’s hands symbolizing the graces that she bestows upon us. Catherine saw an oval frame formed around her, bearing the words “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.” A voice then said to Catherine, “Have a medal struck after this model. Persons who wear it will receive great graces, especially if they wear it around the neck.”

On the front, the medal shows Our Mother Mary standing on the globe (Mary, assumed into heaven, is the Queen of Heaven and Earth), as her feet stand on the head of the serpent (Mary is our protection). The oval-shaped medal is circled with the signature, “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” At the back of the medal, twelve stars (12 Apostles who formed the first Church) surround a large “M” from which a cross (Jesus’ Cross and Redemption) arises. And below the “M” there are two flaming hearts (the burning love of Jesus and Mary for us). The left hearts are circled with thorns, which represents Jesus (the Sacred Heart who died for our sins). The right heart, pierced by a sword (her sorrows), symbolizes Mary (the Immaculate Heart who intercedes for us).

For further information please check the following: HERE

November 28^th

St. Catherine Laboure / Naomh Caitríona Laboure

Traditionally today is the feast of St. Catherine Laboure who is associated with the miraculous medal devotion. For forty-five years from the time of her visions in 1831 until her death in 1876 she led an outwardly uneventful life as a Daughter of Charity in Paris. The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to her, a member of the Daughters of Charity, three times in 1830 and commissioned her to have made the Miraculous Medal and to spread devotion to it. She was canonized in 1947. The Daughters’ Motherhouse in Paris marks the location of St. Catherine Labouré’s apparitions of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.

For further information click here: HERE
A lovely video (4 min) of St Catherine’s life. Very interesting life story! Click HERE

November 30^th

Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare

This commemoration provides an opportunity to pay tribute to the victims of chemical warfare, as well as to reaffirm the commitment of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to the elimination of the threat of chemical weapons, thereby promoting the goals of peace, security, and multilateralism.

https://www.opcw.org/

For all the facts and figures and why this day is remembered please click HERE

November 30^th

St. Andrew the Apostle / Féile Naomh Aindriú, Aspal

Andrew, Peter’s brother, and John were the first disciples to follow the Lord. With tender delicacy the Gospel (John 1:35-42) describes their first meeting with Jesus. Andrew did not belong to the inner circle of the apostles, Peter, James and John, and the evangelists narrate nothing extraordinary about him (John 6:8); but tradition extols his great love of the Cross-and of the Saviour. The film series entitled The Chosen is a free series that provides a glimpse into the relationship of those who knew Jesus. The film series is free and can be accessed using this link: https://studios.vidangel.com/the-chosen/

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