August is a beautiful month in the Church, full of inspiring saints and meaningful feasts. As summer winds down, we’re invited to draw closer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the month’s devotion, and celebrate the saints and Marian feasts that illuminate the path to Christ.

Monthly Overview

Tap any feast below to jump straight to it. ↓

• Monthly Devotion: The Immaculate Heart of Mary

• Key Feast Days & Saint Celebrations:

  • August 8: St. Dominic

  • August 15: The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (a holy day of obligation!)

  • August 23: St. Rose of Lima

  • August 24: St. Bartholomew

  • August 28: St. Moses the Strong

  • August 28: St. Augustine

About the Monthly Devotion: Immaculate Heart of Mary

The Immaculate Heart of Mary reflects her deep love for God and for all of us. Her heart is “immaculate,” or pure, and she invites us to love Jesus with the same openness and trust she had. This devotion often includes prayers of consecration, acts of reparation, and meditating on Mary’s life in the Gospels.

Family Ideas for August:

• Display a picture of the Immaculate Heart in your home.

• Pray a family Rosary or even a single decade each evening.

• Bake heart-shaped cookies and talk about loving Jesus like Mary does.

• Encourage children to write a “letter to Mary,” sharing something they are thankful for or asking for her help.

Bring the August devotion into your mornings. Our Catholic Morning Menu features a beautiful cover and tracing page for each month’s traditional devotion—including August’s devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary—plus prayers, a Bible memory verse, the liturgical season, and gentle preschool learning to start each day with the faith. See the Morning Menu →

August 8: St. Dominic

Fun Facts:

1. Founder of the Dominican Order, known as the “Order of Preachers.”

2. Promoted the Rosary as a tool for prayer and meditation.

3. His mother dreamed of a dog with a torch, symbolizing he would bring Christ’s light to the world.

4. He lived a life of poverty and travel to spread the Gospel.

5. Patron of astronomers and the Dominican Order.

Ways to Celebrate:

• Pray a decade of the Rosary as a family.

• Make a “star” craft to remind kids to bring Christ’s light to others.

• Read a story of St. Dominic’s life.

• Write a prayer for courage to share your faith.

His Story:
St. Dominic was born in Caleruega, Spain, around 1170. As a young student during a famine, he sold his own treasured books and belongings to feed the hungry, saying he could not study from dead skins while people were dying. He spent his life traveling on foot across Europe, preaching the Gospel with warmth and joy and answering confusion with patient truth. In 1216 he founded the Order of Preachers—the Dominicans—to carry the light of Christ to the world. Tradition holds that Our Lady entrusted him with the Holy Rosary as a way to draw hearts back to her Son, a prayer his order still shares with every corner of the earth today.

What Kids Can Learn from St. Dominic:
Sharing our faith doesn’t have to be complicated or scary. It can be as simple as praying the Rosary, telling the truth with kindness, and being generous to people in need.

A Little Prayer:
St. Dominic, you gave everything to bring Jesus’ light to others. Help our family love the truth, pray the Rosary with joy, and share God’s love with everyone we meet. St. Dominic, pray for us. Amen.

August 15: The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Fun Facts:

1. Celebrates Mary being taken body and soul into Heaven at the end of her earthly life.

2. It is a Holy Day of Obligation in many countries, including the U.S.

3. The Assumption points to our own hope of resurrection in Christ.

4. Pope Pius XII formally defined this dogma in 1950.

5. Many cultures celebrate with processions, flowers, and Marian hymns.

Ways to Celebrate:

• Attend Mass as a family for this Holy Day.

• Place fresh flowers before a statue of Mary.

• Sing or listen to a Marian hymn like “Hail, Holy Queen.”

• Have a special family meal to honor the day, including a Marian dessert (like a blue and white cake).

• Read the Magnificat (Luke 1:46–55) and talk about Mary’s “yes” to God.

The Story:
On August 15, the Church celebrates the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary—the truth that, at the end of her earthly life, Mary was taken up body and soul into the glory of Heaven. Because she was preserved from sin from the first moment of her life and gave herself completely to God, she was raised to be with her Son rather than left to the grave. Pope Pius XII solemnly proclaimed this teaching as a dogma of the faith in 1950, though the Church had celebrated it with love for many centuries before. The Assumption is a joyful promise to all of us: what God did for Mary, He desires to do for every faithful soul at the resurrection.

What Kids Can Learn from the Assumption:
Mary said “yes” to God with her whole heart, and God brought her home to Heaven. Her Assumption reminds us that Heaven is real, and that God always keeps His promises to those who love Him.

A Little Prayer:
Blessed Mother, assumed body and soul into Heaven, pray for our family. Help us to say “yes” to God like you did, and lead us one day to the joy of Heaven with you and Jesus. Amen.

August 23: St. Rose of Lima

Fun Facts:

1. First canonized saint of the Americas.

2. Known for her life of prayer and penance in Peru.

3. Loved caring for the poor and sick at home.

4. Wore a hidden crown of thorns as an act of sacrifice.

5. Patron saint of florists and gardeners.

Ways to Celebrate:

• Plant flowers or make a floral crown for Mary.

• Bake rose-shaped treats or decorate with edible flowers.

• Share one secret act of kindness as a family.

• Tell her story to inspire simple, hidden acts of holiness.

Her Story:
St. Rose of Lima was born in Peru in 1586, and as a baby she was so lovely that her family lovingly called her “Rose.” She loved Jesus deeply from a young age and chose a quiet, hidden life of prayer and penance, caring for the sick, the poor, and the elderly right in her own home. Inspired by St. Catherine of Siena, she became a Third Order Dominican and offered small daily sacrifices out of love for God. In 1671 she became the first person born in the Americas to be declared a saint. Today she is honored as the patroness of Peru, and of gardeners and florists.

What Kids Can Learn from St. Rose of Lima:
Holiness isn’t about being famous or doing big, showy things—it’s about doing small things with great love. Even the hidden kindnesses no one else sees are treasured by God.

A Little Prayer:
St. Rose of Lima, you loved Jesus in quiet, hidden ways. Help our family serve others with love, offer our little sacrifices to God, and find joy in doing small things well. St. Rose, pray for us. Amen.

August 24: St. Bartholomew

Fun Facts:

1. Also known as Nathanael in the Gospels.

2. Jesus praised him as a man “without guile” (John 1:47).

3. He spread the Gospel in India and Armenia.

4. Patron saint of tanners, plasterers, and Armenia.

5. Martyred for his unwavering faith.

Ways to Celebrate:

• Read John 1:45–51 together.

• Talk about honesty and living with integrity.

• Make a “mission map” of the Apostles’ journeys.

• Pray for modern-day missionaries.

His Story:
St. Bartholomew was one of the twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus, and he is often identified with Nathanael in the Gospels. When his friend Philip first told him about Jesus, Bartholomew was doubtful—but the moment he met the Lord, Jesus praised him as a man “without guile,” meaning he was honest and true of heart. He followed Jesus faithfully, and after the Resurrection he carried the Gospel far from home, traveling as a missionary to distant lands such as India and Armenia. He loved Christ so much that he gave his very life for the faith as a martyr, and he is remembered today as the patron saint of Armenia.

What Kids Can Learn from St. Bartholomew:
Jesus loves an honest heart. St. Bartholomew shows us that it’s okay to ask sincere questions about our faith—and that truly meeting Jesus can change everything.

A Little Prayer:
St. Bartholomew, you followed Jesus with an honest and faithful heart. Help our family to be truthful, to be brave in sharing our faith, and to love Jesus above all. St. Bartholomew, pray for us. Amen.

August 28: St. Moses the Strong

Fun Facts:

1. Former bandit and gang leader turned desert monk.

2. Lived in the Egyptian desert, embracing a life of prayer.

3. Famous for his humility and forgiveness.

4. A powerful example of repentance and transformation.

5. Venerated in Coptic and Catholic traditions.

Ways to Celebrate:

• Share a family story about forgiveness and second chances.

• Light a candle to symbolize God’s mercy.

• Encourage kids to forgive someone they’ve struggled with.

• Discuss how God can transform any heart.

His Story:
St. Moses the Strong—also called St. Moses the Black—lived in Egypt in the 300s. As a young man he was the leader of a band of robbers, powerful and feared by everyone around him. But after he took shelter among the monks of the desert, his heart was completely changed by God’s mercy. He gave up his old life, became a gentle and humble monk, and grew so full of love that he refused to judge anyone else’s faults. Near the end of his life, when his monastery was attacked, he chose not to fight back, living out Jesus’ call to peace. His story remains one of the Church’s most beautiful reminders that no one is ever beyond God’s forgiveness.

What Kids Can Learn from St. Moses the Strong:
No matter what we’ve done, God is always ready to forgive us and give us a fresh start. Real strength is found in humility, mercy, and choosing peace.

A Little Prayer:
St. Moses, God turned your whole life around with His love. Help our family to forgive others, to say sorry when we are wrong, and to trust that God can make all things new. St. Moses the Strong, pray for us. Amen.

August 28: St. Augustine

Fun Facts:

1. Famous Doctor of the Church and theologian.

2. Author of Confessions and City of God.

3. Known for a dramatic conversion after a wild youth.

4. His mother, St. Monica, is a model of persistent prayer.

5. Patron of theologians and printers.

Ways to Celebrate:

• Share a short story of conversion or answered prayer.

• Read a quote from Confessions as a family reflection.

• Thank God for mentors and parents who nurture faith.

• Let children illustrate one of St. Augustine’s famous sayings.

His Story:
St. Augustine was born in North Africa in 354 to a devoted Christian mother, St. Monica, who prayed for him faithfully for many years. As a young man he was brilliant but restless, chasing after worldly pleasures and drifting far from God. Through his mother’s tears and prayers—and the preaching of St. Ambrose—his heart was finally opened, and he gave his life fully to Christ. He was baptized, became the Bishop of Hippo, and grew into one of the greatest thinkers in the history of the Church, writing beloved books such as the Confessions and the City of God. He is honored as a Doctor of the Church, and his most famous words still speak to every heart: “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You.”

What Kids Can Learn from St. Augustine:
God never gives up on us, and the prayers of those who love us are powerful. True happiness is only found when we rest our hearts in God.

A Little Prayer:
St. Augustine, you searched for happiness everywhere until you found it in God. Help our family to seek Jesus first, and thank you for the parents and loved ones who pray for us. St. Augustine, pray for us. Amen.

More Monthly Feast Day Guides

Looking ahead or catching up? Explore more of our monthly feast day guides for Catholic families:

• July Feast Days — Precious Blood of Jesus, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, St. Kateri Tekakwitha & more.

• September Feast Days — Our Lady of Sorrows, the Nativity of Mary, the Archangels & more.

Want to build your own family rhythms around the liturgical year? Start with Create Feast Day Traditions Based on Your Love Languages and Liturgical Living Made Simple.