May Feast Days (Our Lady of Fatima, St. Isidore the Farmer, St. Dymphna + More)
Apr 29, 2025May bursts with flowers and grace, and the Church dedicates the whole month to the Blessed Virgin Mary, our heavenly Mother. Along with Mary’s month, May brings a wonderful company of saints. These feast days are a simple, joyful way to keep Christ—and His Mother—at the center of your family’s spring.
๐จ Celebrate Mary’s month with the saints!
Celebrate the saints the easy way. Our free Catholic Creativity Corner is full of ready-to-print saint activities, coloring pages, and feast day crafts for your family, homeschool, or parish group. Sign up once for instant access, plus new free printables every month.
Monthly Overview
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Monthly Devotion: The Blessed Virgin Mary
Key Feast Days & Saint Celebrations:
May 13: Our Lady of Fatima
May 14: St. Matthias the Apostle
May 15: St. Isidore the Farmer
May 29: St. Yves (Ives)
May 30: St. Dymphna
About the Monthly Devotion: The Blessed Virgin Mary
May is the month of Mary, our heavenly Mother. All over the world, Catholic families crown statues of Mary with flowers, pray the Rosary, and draw close to her loving heart. Mary always leads us straight to her Son, Jesus, and this month is a beautiful time to honor her and ask her to watch over our families.
Family Ideas for May:
Crown a statue or picture of Mary with real or paper flowers (a “May crowning”).
Pray a decade of the Rosary together each evening.
Make a little “Mary garden” with flowers named for Our Lady.
Offer Mary a “spiritual bouquet”—small prayers and good deeds given in her honor.
Bring the May devotion into your mornings. Our Catholic Morning Menu features a beautiful cover and tracing page for each month’s traditional devotion—including May’s devotion to the Blessed Virgin 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 →
May 3: Sts. Philip & James, Apostles
Fun Facts:
St. Philip was one of the first apostles Jesus called.
Philip introduced his friend Nathanael (Bartholomew) to Jesus.
St. James is called “the Lesser,” likely because he was younger or smaller than the other Apostle James.
James became the first Bishop of Jerusalem.
The Letter of James in the Bible is connected with him.
Ways to Celebrate:
Re-enact the calling of the apostles using simple costumes.
Design apostle “shields” or crests as a craft.
Pray the Apostles’ Creed as a family.
Make apostle fact cards to learn and share.
Practice saying “come and see!” by inviting a friend to something good.
Their Story:
Sts. Philip and James the Lesser were two of the twelve Apostles, celebrated together on the same day. Philip was one of the first to follow Jesus, and he quickly brought his friend Nathanael to meet the Lord, saying, “Come and see!” James is called “the Lesser,” probably because he was younger or shorter than the other Apostle named James. He became the first bishop of Jerusalem and is connected with the Letter of James in the Bible. Though these apostles are quieter figures, they gave their whole lives to spreading the Good News of Jesus.
What Kids Can Learn from Sts. Philip & James:
Every follower of Jesus has a part to play, even the quiet ones. Like Philip, we can say “come and see!” and bring our friends to Jesus.
A Little Prayer:
Sts. Philip and James, you followed Jesus and helped others find Him too. Help our family to know Jesus and to bring our friends closer to Him. Sts. Philip and James, pray for us. Amen.
May 13: Our Lady of Fatima
Fun Facts:
Mary appeared to three shepherd children: Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco.
She visited them six times between May and October 1917.
She asked for the daily Rosary.
Thousands witnessed the amazing “Miracle of the Sun.”
Jacinta and Francisco are now saints!
Ways to Celebrate:
Pray a decade of the Rosary as a family.
Make a “Mary garden” with flowers like lilies or roses.
Read the story of Fatima in a child-friendly picture book.
Make a “sun craft” to remember the Miracle of the Sun.
Hold a mini Marian procession with flowers and hymns.
The Story:
In 1917, in Fatima, Portugal, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three young shepherd children—Lucia, Jacinta, and Francisco—six times between May and October. Mary asked them to pray the Rosary every day for peace and to turn their hearts to God. At her final visit, thousands of people saw an astonishing “Miracle of the Sun,” as the sun seemed to dance in the sky. Two of the children, Jacinta and Francisco, are now saints. Our Lady of Fatima reminds us that Mary loves us and calls us to pray.
What Kids Can Learn from Our Lady of Fatima:
Mary asks us to pray, especially the Rosary, and to trust God. Like the little shepherds of Fatima, even children can bring great peace to the world through prayer.
A Little Prayer:
Our Lady of Fatima, you asked us to pray the Rosary and turn to God. Help our family to pray each day and to bring peace wherever we go. Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us. Amen.
May 14: St. Matthias the Apostle
Fun Facts:
He was chosen to take the place of Judas among the Twelve.
He had followed Jesus from the very beginning.
Tradition says he preached the Gospel in far-off lands, even Ethiopia.
He gave his life for his faith.
Ways to Celebrate:
Trace a “mission map” of where the apostles preached after Pentecost.
Bake “Matthias muffins” and talk about God’s special call for each of us.
Have kids draw themselves as apostles, ready to follow Jesus.
Say a prayer asking God to help you follow Him faithfully.
His Story:
After Jesus returned to Heaven, the apostles needed someone to take the place of Judas, who had betrayed Jesus. They prayed and then chose St. Matthias, a faithful follower who had been with Jesus from the very beginning. Though we don’t know many details of his life, tradition says he preached the Gospel far away, even in Ethiopia, and gave his life for his faith. St. Matthias reminds us that God sees the quiet, faithful people and calls them to great things.
What Kids Can Learn from St. Matthias:
God calls each of us, even those no one notices. Like St. Matthias, we can be faithful in the small things and be ready when God calls.
A Little Prayer:
St. Matthias, you were chosen to follow Jesus closely and to share His Good News. Help our family to be faithful, ready, and willing to say yes to God. St. Matthias, pray for us. Amen.
May 15: St. Isidore the Farmer
Fun Facts:
He lived in the 12th century near Madrid, Spain.
He went to Mass every morning before work.
A legend says angels helped him plow the fields.
He is the patron saint of farmers and rural workers.
Ways to Celebrate:
Plant seeds or start a small garden.
Make a bird feeder to honor his care for animals.
Pray for farmers and everyone who grows our food.
Go on a nature walk and thank God for creation.
His Story:
St. Isidore lived near Madrid, Spain, in the 12th century and worked hard as a simple farmer. He loved God so much that he went to Mass every single morning before heading to the fields. A beautiful legend says that when he prayed, angels came to help him plow. Isidore and his wife—who is also a saint—shared their food with the poor and cared for animals with great gentleness. He is the patron saint of farmers, and he reminds us that ordinary work, done with love, can make us holy.
What Kids Can Learn from St. Isidore:
We can make our everyday work holy by offering it to God with love. Like St. Isidore, we can pray, work hard, and share with those in need.
A Little Prayer:
St. Isidore, you loved God and worked hard in the fields with a prayerful heart. Help our family to pray, to work with love, and to care for those in need. St. Isidore, pray for us. Amen.
May 29: St. Yves (Ives)
Fun Facts:
He was a French priest and lawyer known as the “Advocate of the Poor.”
He was born in Brittany, France, in 1253.
He used his knowledge of the law to defend people in need.
He is the patron saint of lawyers and the wrongly accused.
Ways to Celebrate:
Play a pretend “kindness courtroom” where kids settle disputes fairly.
Draw pictures of helping someone in need.
Donate to a food bank or clothing drive as a family.
Pray for those who defend justice and truth.
His Story:
St. Ives was a French priest and lawyer in the 1200s who became known as the “Advocate of the Poor.” He used his knowledge of the law to defend people who had no one else to help them, and he never took money from those who were poor. Fair, honest, and generous, he gave away much of what he had and cared for the sick and the hungry. He is the patron saint of lawyers and of people who are treated unfairly.
What Kids Can Learn from St. Ives:
God calls us to stand up for what is fair and to help those who have no one else. Like St. Ives, we can be honest, generous, and kind to those in need.
A Little Prayer:
St. Ives, you defended the poor and stood up for what was right. Help our family to be fair, honest, and generous to everyone we meet. St. Ives, pray for us. Amen.
May 30: St. Dymphna
Fun Facts:
Tradition says she was an Irish princess who lived in the 600s.
Her mother was a Christian who taught her to love Jesus.
She promised to give her whole heart to Jesus.
She is honored especially in the town of Gheel, Belgium.
She is the patron saint of people with mental illness, anxiety, and worried hearts.
Ways to Celebrate:
Pray for anyone who feels sad, worried, or afraid.
Make a “calm-down corner” with a picture of St. Dymphna and a favorite prayer.
Practice slow “prayer breaths”: breathe in “Jesus,” breathe out “I trust in You.”
Draw or color a lily, a flower often shown with St. Dymphna.
Make a card or small gift for someone who needs cheering up.
Her Story:
Tradition says St. Dymphna was a princess in Ireland in the 600s. Her mother was a Christian who taught her to love Jesus, and Dymphna promised to give her whole heart to Him. After her mother died, her father’s mind and heart became very troubled, and he asked Dymphna to do something she knew was wrong. With the help of a kind priest named Gerebernus, she bravely crossed the sea to Gheel, in Belgium. There, tradition says, she gave her life for her faith and went home to Jesus. Over the years, many people who were suffering in mind and heart found comfort through her prayers, and the people of Gheel became famous for lovingly welcoming and caring for them in their own homes. Today she is the patron saint of all who struggle with anxiety, sadness, and mental illness.
What Kids Can Learn from St. Dymphna:
Jesus is with us even when we feel scared, sad, or worried. Like St. Dymphna, we can stay brave and faithful, and we can be gentle and kind to people whose hearts and minds are hurting.
A Little Prayer:
St. Dymphna, you trusted Jesus even when life was hard and scary. Help our family to bring all our worries to God and to be gentle with everyone who is hurting. St. Dymphna, 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:
April Feast Days — St. Richard, St. Gemma Galgani, St. Bernadette & more.
June Feast Days — St. Kizito, Bl. Yolanda of Poland, St. Peter & 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.
Make May’s feasts simple—with free printables โจ
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