November is dedicated to praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, the month’s devotion, and it is filled with beloved friends in Heaven like St. Charles Borromeo and St. Cecilia. From Our Lady of Kibeho to St. Andrew the Apostle, November is a tender, hope-filled season that reminds us Heaven is our true home.

Monthly Overview

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• Monthly Devotion: The Holy Souls in Purgatory

• Key Feast Days & Saint Celebrations:

  • November 4: St. Charles Borromeo

  • November 22: St. Cecilia

  • November 28: Our Lady of Kibeho

  • 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 4: St. Charles Borromeo

Fun Facts:

1. He was made a cardinal when he was still a very young man.

2. He started classes to teach children about the faith.

3. He is a patron saint of catechists—people who teach the faith.

Ways to Celebrate:

• Make a drawing or card to thank your catechist or teacher.

• Learn a new prayer together, like the Glory Be.

• Make a paper bishop’s hat (a mitre) and take turns wearing it.

• Help gather food to give to a food pantry.

• Say a prayer for our priests and bishops.

His Story:
St. Charles Borromeo was born in Italy in 1538 into a wealthy, noble family. When he was still a young man, his uncle, Pope Pius IV, called him to Rome to help lead the Church, and Charles later became the Archbishop of Milan. He worked hard to help the Church grow holy again: he opened schools to train good priests and started classes so that children could learn about Jesus. When a terrible sickness called the plague spread through Milan, Charles did not run away. He stayed to care for the sick, prayed with them, and used his own money to feed the hungry. He is remembered as a brave and loving shepherd.

What Kids Can Learn from St. Charles Borromeo:
Learning about God is a wonderful gift, and so are the people who teach us. Like St. Charles, we can be brave helpers when others are sick or hungry.

A Little Prayer:
St. Charles Borromeo, you taught children about Jesus and cared for the sick when others were afraid. Help our family to love learning about God and to be brave, caring helpers. St. Charles, 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.

November 28: Our Lady of Kibeho

Fun Facts:

1. Our Lady appeared to schoolgirls in Kibeho, Rwanda, in Africa, beginning in 1981.

2. She called herself “Nyina wa Jambo,” which means “Mother of the Word.”

3. She asked people to pray the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows.

Ways to Celebrate:

• Find Rwanda on a map or globe.

• Pray a Hail Mary together.

• Sing a favorite song to Mary.

• Draw a picture of Mary as a loving mother.

• Say a prayer for children and families in Africa.

Her Story:
On November 28, 1981, a schoolgirl named Alphonsine was at her school in the small village of Kibeho, Rwanda, when she saw a beautiful Lady. The Lady called herself “Nyina wa Jambo,” which means “Mother of the Word.” Over the following months, Our Lady also appeared to other students. She asked everyone to turn their hearts back to God, to pray sincerely, and to love one another. She also asked them to pray the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows. In 2001, the local bishop, with the Vatican’s approval, declared the apparitions to three of the girls worthy of belief, making Kibeho the first Church-approved apparition of Mary in Africa.

What Kids Can Learn from Our Lady of Kibeho:
Mary is a loving mother who wants all of her children to come close to Jesus. We can answer her call by praying with our whole hearts and loving one another.

A Little Prayer:
Our Lady of Kibeho, Mother of the Word, you came to call your children back to God. Help our family to pray with sincere hearts and to love one another as Jesus loves us. Our Lady of Kibeho, pray for us. 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, St. Matthew, the Archangels & more.

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