November opens with the great feasts of All Saints and All Souls, and the whole month is dedicated to praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, the month’s devotion. From beloved saints like Martin de Porres and Mother Cabrini to the Solemnity of Christ the King, November is a tender, hope-filled season that reminds us Heaven is our true home.

Monthly Overview

Tap any feast below to jump straight to it. ↓

• Monthly Devotion: The Holy Souls in Purgatory

• Key Feast Days & Saint Celebrations:

  • November 1: All Saints’ Day

  • November 2: All Souls’ Day

  • November 3: St. Martin de Porres

  • November 11: St. Martin of Tours

  • November 13: St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

  • November 17: St. Elizabeth of Hungary

  • November 21: The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

  • November 22: St. Cecilia

  • Late November: The Solemnity of Christ the King

  • November 30: St. Andrew the Apostle

About the Monthly Devotion: The Holy Souls in Purgatory

November is dedicated to praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory—the faithful people who have died and are being lovingly prepared to enter the joy of Heaven. The Church teaches that our prayers, especially the Mass, can help them on their way to God. This devotion is a beautiful reminder that love does not end with death, and that Heaven is the true home God is preparing for all who love Him.

Family Ideas for November:

• Pray for family members and friends who have died.

• Visit a cemetery together and say a prayer.

• Light a candle in memory of a loved one.

• Keep a family list of loved ones in Heaven and pray for them by name.

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

November 1: All Saints’ Day

Fun Facts:

1. It honors all the saints in Heaven, even the ones we don’t know by name.

2. It is a Holy Day of Obligation.

3. The word “Halloween” means “the evening before All Hallows” (All Saints).

Ways to Celebrate:

• Attend Mass as a family.

• Dress up as your favorite saint.

• Learn about a brand-new saint.

• Ask the saints to pray for you.

• Make a “litany of saints” banner.

The Story:
On November 1, the Church celebrates All Saints’ Day, a joyful feast honoring every holy man, woman, and child who is now in Heaven with God—including countless saints whose names we will never know here on earth. It reminds us that being a saint isn’t just for a special few; it is God’s dream for all of us. The saints are our friends and heroes who cheer us on and pray for us. Because it is a Holy Day of Obligation, Catholics gather for Mass to celebrate this great family of God.

What Kids Can Learn from All Saints’ Day:
God wants everyone—including you—to become a saint. The saints in Heaven are our friends who pray for us and show us how to love God.

A Little Prayer:
All you holy saints of God, pray for us! Help our family to follow your example, to love God with all our hearts, and to hope for the joy of Heaven one day. Amen.

November 2: All Souls’ Day

Fun Facts:

1. On this day we pray for everyone who has died.

2. Our prayers help the Holy Souls on their way to Heaven.

3. Many families visit cemeteries to remember loved ones.

Ways to Celebrate:

• Pray for family members and friends who have died.

• Visit a cemetery and say a prayer.

• Light a candle in memory of a loved one.

• Write the names of loved ones in Heaven in a family book.

• Offer a decade of the Rosary for the Holy Souls.

The Story:
The day after All Saints’ Day, on November 2, the Church sets aside All Souls’ Day to pray for everyone who has died and is being prepared to enter Heaven. The Church calls this loving preparation “Purgatory,” and our prayers, especially the Mass, can help these souls. It is a gentle, hopeful day when families remember grandparents, relatives, and friends who have gone before us, trusting that death is not the end but a doorway to God.

What Kids Can Learn from All Souls’ Day:
Love doesn’t end when someone dies—we can still help those who have died by praying for them. Heaven is our true home.

A Little Prayer:
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.

November 3: St. Martin de Porres

Fun Facts:

1. He was from Lima, Peru.

2. He lovingly cared for sick people and even animals.

3. He is a patron saint of fairness and of people who work as barbers.

Ways to Celebrate:

• Be kind to an animal.

• Do a chore to help someone without being asked.

• Donate something to help the sick or the poor.

• Learn about Peru.

• Say a prayer for people who are treated unfairly.

His Story:
St. Martin de Porres was born in Lima, Peru, in 1579. Because of the color of his skin and his poor background, some people treated him unkindly, but Martin always answered with humility and love. He joined the Dominicans as a helper and spent his life caring for the sick, the poor, and even stray animals, becoming known for his gentleness and for wonderful healings. He is remembered as a saint of humility and fairness who saw every person and every creature as a beloved child of God.

What Kids Can Learn from St. Martin de Porres:
Every person deserves to be treated with love and respect. We can be like St. Martin by serving others humbly and caring for those in need.

A Little Prayer:
St. Martin de Porres, you cared for the sick, the poor, and all of God’s creatures with a humble heart. Help our family to be kind, fair, and gentle to everyone. St. Martin, pray for us. Amen.

November 11: St. Martin of Tours

Fun Facts:

1. He was a soldier before becoming a bishop.

2. He famously cut his cloak in half to share it with a freezing beggar.

3. That night he dreamed he saw Jesus wearing the half-cloak.

Ways to Celebrate:

• Share something warm—a coat, blanket, or gloves—with someone in need.

• Act out the story of the cloak.

• Do a secret act of kindness.

• Talk about how soldiers can serve God too.

• Thank someone who protects others.

His Story:
St. Martin of Tours lived in the 300s and was a Roman soldier while he was still learning about Jesus. One freezing winter day he met a poor beggar shivering at the city gate, so Martin drew his sword and cut his own warm cloak in two to share it. That night he dreamed of Jesus wearing the very half-cloak he had given away, and he heard the Lord say the beggar was really Him. Martin was baptized, later became the Bishop of Tours, and spent the rest of his life serving God and the poor.

What Kids Can Learn from St. Martin of Tours:
When we are kind to those in need, we are really being kind to Jesus Himself. Even a small act of sharing can be a beautiful gift to God.

A Little Prayer:
St. Martin of Tours, you shared your cloak and saw Jesus in the poor. Help our family to be generous and to see Jesus in everyone we meet. St. Martin, pray for us. Amen.

November 13: St. Frances Xavier Cabrini

Fun Facts:

1. She is lovingly known as “Mother Cabrini.”

2. She was the first citizen of the United States to become a saint.

3. She started schools, hospitals, and orphanages to help immigrants.

Ways to Celebrate:

• Do something kind for someone new to your school or neighborhood.

• Pray for immigrants and people far from home.

• Learn about Italy, where she was born.

• Thank a nurse, teacher, or helper.

• Talk about being brave and hardworking for God.

Her Story:
St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, lovingly called “Mother Cabrini,” was born in Italy in 1850. Though she was often sick and small, she had a big heart and a strong trust in God. She traveled to America to help Italian immigrants who were poor and far from home, and she founded dozens of schools, hospitals, and orphanages across the country. In 1946 she became the first citizen of the United States to be declared a saint. Mother Cabrini shows us that trusting God can turn even our weaknesses into great works of love.

What Kids Can Learn from St. Frances Cabrini:
God can do amazing things through us when we trust Him, even if we feel small or weak. We are called to welcome and help those who are far from home.

A Little Prayer:
St. Frances Cabrini, you crossed the world to care for those in need. Help our family to welcome others with love and to trust God to do great things. Mother Cabrini, pray for us. Amen.

November 17: St. Elizabeth of Hungary

Fun Facts:

1. She was a princess who loved to help the poor.

2. A beautiful legend says the bread she carried to the poor turned into roses.

3. She used her riches to build a hospital.

Ways to Celebrate:

• Bake bread or share a treat with someone.

• Give away toys or clothes you no longer need.

• Make a paper rose.

• Do a kind deed for someone who is sick.

• Learn about Hungary.

Her Story:
St. Elizabeth of Hungary was a princess born in 1207 who could have lived only for herself, but instead she gave her heart to the poor and the sick. A beloved legend tells that once, when she was secretly carrying bread to the hungry, her husband asked what was hidden in her cloak—and when she opened it, the bread had turned into roses. Elizabeth used her royal riches to build a hospital and cared for the suffering with her own hands. She died young, but her love for the poor has made her a beloved saint for centuries.

What Kids Can Learn from St. Elizabeth of Hungary:
God gives us good things so we can share them with others. No matter how much or how little we have, we can always be generous.

A Little Prayer:
St. Elizabeth of Hungary, you shared everything you had with the poor. Help our family to be generous and to find Jesus in those who are in need. St. Elizabeth, pray for us. Amen.

November 21: The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Fun Facts:

1. This feast remembers Mary being brought to the Temple as a young girl.

2. It celebrates Mary’s whole life being given to God.

3. It is a very old and beloved feast in the Church.

Ways to Celebrate:

• Visit a church and thank God for it.

• Offer a small gift or chore to God today.

• Say a Hail Mary as a family.

• Talk about giving our whole hearts to God.

• Light a candle before an image of Mary.

The Story:
The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on November 21, remembers a beautiful tradition that Mary’s parents, St. Joachim and St. Anne, brought her to the Temple as a young girl to be given completely to God. Even as a child, Mary belonged entirely to the Lord, preparing her heart for the day she would say “yes” to becoming the mother of Jesus. This feast invites each of us to offer our whole lives to God, just as Mary did.

What Kids Can Learn from the Presentation of Mary:
We can give our whole hearts to God, starting when we are young. Nothing we offer to God is ever too small.

A Little Prayer:
Blessed Mother, you gave your whole life to God from the very beginning. Help our family to offer our hearts to God each day and to follow your loving example. Mother Mary, pray for us. Amen.

November 22: St. Cecilia

Fun Facts:

1. She is the patron saint of music and musicians.

2. She loved to “sing in her heart” to God.

3. She lived in the very early days of the Church in Rome.

Ways to Celebrate:

• Sing a song of praise to God together.

• Play or listen to beautiful music.

• Make a simple instrument like a shaker.

• Learn a new hymn.

• Say a prayer for musicians and choirs.

Her Story:
St. Cecilia was a young woman in Rome in the early days of the Church who loved God with her whole heart. Tradition says that even during the noise and music of her own wedding, she “sang in her heart to the Lord,” and so she became the beloved patron saint of music and musicians. She bravely gave her life for her faith and helped others come to know Jesus. Whenever we lift our voices to praise God, we join the song St. Cecilia loved so much.

What Kids Can Learn from St. Cecilia:
Singing and music are wonderful gifts we can offer back to God. We can praise Him with joyful hearts every day.

A Little Prayer:
St. Cecilia, you sang to God with your whole heart. Help our family to praise God with joy and to offer Him the music of our lives. St. Cecilia, pray for us. Amen.

Late November: The Solemnity of Christ the King

Fun Facts:

1. It celebrates that Jesus is the King of all creation.

2. It falls on the last Sunday of the Church’s year, right before Advent.

3. Jesus is a King of love, not a king with a worldly crown.

Ways to Celebrate:

• Make a crown to remember Jesus is King.

• Talk about how Jesus rules with love.

• Do something kind to serve others, as Jesus did.

• Sing a song about Jesus the King.

• Give Jesus the “throne” of your heart in prayer.

The Story:
On the last Sunday of the Church’s year—usually in late November, right before Advent begins—we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King. This feast reminds us that Jesus is the King of the whole universe, but He is a very different kind of king: instead of a golden throne, He wore a crown of thorns, and instead of ruling with power, He rules with love, mercy, and service. The feast invites us to make Jesus the King of our own hearts and families.

What Kids Can Learn from Christ the King:
Jesus is the King of everything, and He rules with love. We can crown Him King of our hearts by loving God and serving others.

A Little Prayer:
Jesus, King of love, we give You the throne of our hearts. Help our family to follow You, to serve others as You did, and to love You as our King forever. Amen.

November 30: St. Andrew the Apostle

Fun Facts:

1. He was one of Jesus’ twelve Apostles and St. Peter’s brother.

2. He was a fisherman before Jesus called him.

3. A beloved Advent prayer, the “St. Andrew Christmas Novena,” begins on his feast.

Ways to Celebrate:

• Begin the St. Andrew Christmas Novena as a family.

• Learn about fishing, Andrew’s first job.

• Bring a friend to something good, as Andrew brought people to Jesus.

• Draw a fish, an early symbol of Christians.

• Thank God for brothers, sisters, and friends.

His Story:
St. Andrew was a fisherman who became one of the very first Apostles of Jesus. As soon as Andrew met the Lord, he hurried to find his brother Simon Peter and brought him to Jesus too—so Andrew is remembered as someone who loved to bring others to Christ. He preached the Gospel far and wide after the Resurrection and gave his life for his faith on an X-shaped cross. His feast on November 30 stands right at the doorway of Advent, helping us begin to get ready for Christmas.

What Kids Can Learn from St. Andrew:
One of the best things we can do is bring the people we love to Jesus. Like Andrew, we can share the joy of knowing God.

A Little Prayer:
St. Andrew, you followed Jesus right away and brought others to Him. Help our family to love Jesus and to share Him with the people around us. St. Andrew, 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:

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

• December Feast Days — Christmas, St. Nicholas, St. Lucy, Our Lady of Guadalupe & 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.