Catholic Daily Planners and the Church Calendar

One of the frequent questions I am asked is how I keep track of the upcoming feast days, and whether or not I have a favorite planner.

Just the other day Annie left the following comment on my Keeping Track and Making Progress {Daily Checklists and Planners for the School Year} post from last year:

This post was very helpful to me! I switched to the checklists midyear, and it was so much easier. Thank you! I'm looking for a new calendar to keep track of feast day celebrations. Do you have a preference between the Tan one and The Catholic Daily Planner now that you've used both?

Since I actually just ordered a couple new planners for the next school year, I thought this would be a great time to revisit the topic and try to answer Annie's question.

When I recommend a Catholic Planner I always suggest either the Saints Calendar & 16-Month Planner published by TAN (I've been using this calendar for many years) or the Catholic Daily Planner by Michele Quigley (I just purchased my 3rd annual planner).  

[UPDATE:  You can visit TAN Books / Neumann Press via my new Affiliate link here!  Thank you!] 

Last year I was also given a review copy of the Holy Simplicity Planner (I blogged about it here.) but after discovering that the publisher practices *Sedevacantism and the planner follows the General Roman Calendar of 1954 (which is currently used by the Sedevantists and is not the current calendar used by Traditional Catholics in good standing with the Holy See)  I removed the links from my blog and can no longer recommend the Holy Simplicity planner in good conscious.

*Sedevacantism (derived from the Latin words sedes or "seat", and vacans or "vacant") is the position, held by a minority of Traditionalist Catholics, that the present occupant of the papal see is not truly Pope and that, for lack of a valid Pope, the see has been vacant since the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958. A tiny number of these claim the vacancy actually goes back to the death of Pope Pius X in 1914.  Sedevacantists believe that Paul VI (1963–1978), John Paul I (1978), John Paul II (1978–2005), Benedict XVI (2005–2013), and Francis (2013–present) have been neither true Catholics nor true Popes, by virtue of allegedly having espoused the heresy of Modernism, or of having otherwise denied or contradicted solemnly defined Catholic dogmas. Some of them classify John XXIII (1958–1963) also as a Modernist antipope.  Source: Wikipedia

My family is Catholic. While I agree that there are problems to resolve within the Church, Vatican I reminds us that we won't be left without successors to the throne of Peter. As much as I wish we had more frequent access to Traditional Latin Masses (approved by the Holy Father), I am very thankful that we still have all the sacraments, and trust that the Pope, Bishops, Priests, and Masses we have are valid. When choosing a Calendar to help my family follow and celebrate the liturgical year at home it is important for me to know that the one I am using does indeed follow the currently approved Church Calendar, whether it is the New (Novus Ordo) General Roman Calendar or the (Traditional/Extraordinary) General Calendar of 1962 (used, with permission, by the FSSP and other Traditionalists in good standing with the Holy See).

Now that I've become aware of some of the issues with other "Catholic" planners I very much appreciate that both the Tan Saints Calendar and Michele Quigley's Catholic Daily Planner both very cleary state the current Church Calendars on which their planners are based, and do so throughout the planners.

Saints Calendar:  This Saints Calendar and Daily Planner - 2013 includes both the New or Novus Ordo Sundays and feast days, and the Traditional Sundays and feast days (as of 1962).  These latter are observed when the Traditional Latin Mass is offered.  The Novus Ordo Sundays and feast days, which date from 1970 or later whenever they differ from the Traditional ones, are designated: (New). The Traditional Sundays and feast days, most of which go back centuries, are designated: (Trad.). Also included here are any feast days which no longer appear on either the New or the Traditional calendar (as of 1962) - such as the feasts of St. Philomena, St. Dismas (the Good Thief), St. Tarcisius, St. Gemma Galgani and St. Dominic Savio; these Historical feasts are designated: (Hist.). It should be noted that there was some moving around of feast days even before the New Calendar was introduced in 1970.  For example, St. Catherine of Sweden is shown in March 22 in a 1931 edition of Butler's Lives of the Saints but on March 24 in a 1956 edition of the same work. In this calendar, the date in parentheses after the name of a Saint is the year of the Saint's death.

Catholic Daily Planner:  It is built on the standard guidelines of both the Roman Missal promulgated by Paul VI in 1970 used in the Ordinary Form of the Latin Rite and the Roman Missal promulgated by St. Pius V and reissued by Bl. John XXIII in 1962 used in the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Rite, as well as the particular calendar for the United States of America.  It does not represent all possible variants.

Anyways, back to Annie's question... Do I have a preference between the Tan and the Catholic Daily Planner now that I've used both?  

This is really a tough question for me to answer since I do (and plan to continue) use both planners each year!  My husband's mother always gives us each a copy of the Saints Calendar for Christmas, and I use it for the Calendar Year (Jan-Dec).   I also purchase a copy of The Catholic Daily Planner to go along with our school year (July-August) though I do believe Michele also sells a Calendar Year version as well.  

Since I've been using the Saints Calendar from Tan for so long, it is still my preference for planning our Saint Day Celebrations.   I love that it includes the New, Traditional, and Historical Feast Days for every day of the year.  I love that it highlights a saint each week.  It also includes lists of all the Saints' Days & Non Moveable Feasts, Patron Saints, and so much more.  This planner sits on my desk year round and is the calendar I reference when I am working on organizing the archives at Catholic Cuisine, writing my submissions for the Quiet Moments & Celebrate section at Catholic Digest, or planning our own family feast day celebrations.    (You can see some sample photos in this post. The Saints Calendar is currently sold out for 2013.)

There are also some things that I really love about the Catholic Daily Planner!  There are pages to include Personal Information, Friends & Contacts, and even a Web Log to easily remember all your favorite websites and blogs (like Shower of Roses, right? lol)! Since it does not include a featured saint for each week, there is more room for recording our daily plans and activities.  There is a 5 page section with Daily Prayers and inspiring quotes included throughout the planner.  I also love that it includes the Papal Prayer Intentions for each month!  

You can also customize the Catholic Daily Planner with your choice from a number of lovely cover options. You can also choose between a Full-Size or Half-Size Planner,  and you can add optional Lesson and/or Menu Planners to the back!  In the past I have always chosen the cover option 3LI (Bouguereau's L'Innocence), which is definitely my favorite, but this year I went with 5AG for a change. They are all beautiful!  I also prefer the Half-Sized Planner, which can easily fit inside my purse, since I do use it to keep track of all our appointments and extra-curricular activities.  And even though I have added the Menu-Planner in the past, I think the new separate Full-Size Menu Planner will be perfect for me. 

In summary, here is what works for me:

• Saints Calendar & 16-Month Planner (for all Feast Day Celebrations and Plans)
• Half-Sized Catholic Daily Planner  (for all Appointments, School Plans, etc)
• Full-Sized Menu Planning Booklet (Menu Planning)
• Color-Coded Check Lists (Lesson Plans & Goals - Mom)
• Weekly Check Lists (Lesson Plans - Children - We've tried other lessons planners in the past, but always come back to our own modifiable weekly check lists.)
• Magnetic Saints Calendar (Feast Day Calendar Magnets for the children, based on the 1962 calendar)

I really don't think you can go wrong with either the Saints Calendar or the Catholic Daily Planner.  They are both excellent planners which I highly recommend!   Hopefully the above descriptions will help you decide which is the best fit for you and your family.  

Altar Boy Resources

As promised last year, my husband did write a post on Altar Boy Resources!  

You can find it over on his personal blog, Unam Ecclesiam.

You can also see all the pictures from our Second Latin Mass on Facebook.

A Few More Pictures From Our Latin Mass

Preparing to sing the Chant before Mass

Our sleepy little Rose

Handing out Missals before Mass

Having a very difficult time cutting the cake... Note to self: Next time bring my own cake knife! lol

Pictures taken by Marc Salvatore, posted with permission.  Thank you Marc! 

Our First Latin Mass :: Quinquagesima Sunday

COLLECT

WE BESEECH THEE, O Lord, mercifully hear our prayers, that being loosed from the bonds of our sins, we may be defended by Thee against all adversity.  Through our Lord.

GRADUAL

THOU ART THE GOD that alone dost wonders: Thou hast made Thy power known among the nations. With Thy arm Thou hast delivered Thy people, the children of Israel and of Joseph. 

TRACT

SING JOYFULLY TO GOD that alone dost wonders: Thou hast made Thy power known among the nations.  With Thy arm Thou hast delivered Thy people, the children of Israel and of Joseph.  

COMMUNION

THEY DID EAT, and were filled exceedingly, and the Lord gave them their desire: they were not defrauded of that which they craved.

POSTCOMMUNION

WE BESEECH THEE, almighty God, that we who have received this heavenly nourishment, may be strengthened by it against all adversities.  Through our Lord. 

Quinquagesima Sunday:  When the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar was revised in 1969, the three pre-Lenten Sundays were removed; they are now denominated simply as Sundays in Ordinary Time. Septuagesima, Sexagesima, and Quinquagesima are all still observed in the celebration of the traditional Latin Mass.

Quinquagesima  means "fiftieth." It is 49 days before Easter, or 50 if you count Easter itself. (Similarly, Pentecost Sunday is said to be 50 days after Easter, but the number is calculated by including Easter in the count.)  Quinquagesima Sunday is the final Sunday before the start of Lent (the Sunday beforeAsh Wednesday), which makes it the seventh Sunday before Easter.

The color of the Mass is violet.   I had hoped to pre-order a custom cake with violet (and a Latin quote from the Mass) but I wasn't able to get to town to do so.   I was so excited that they had one with at least some violet!  :)



I loved having my copy of Laudamus Te (The Magazine of the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Liturgy of the Roman Rite) to follow along during the Mass.  (Thank you to my dear mother-in-law for my gift subscription!)

Mass was packed, absolutely beautiful and Father's homily was incredibly inspiring as we prepare to begin Lent this coming week! Our oldest two boys were able to serve, my husband sang in the choir, and I managed to still take a few pictures to share with you all, despite the squirmy little boy in my arms.   (Our friend Marc took additional pictures which he'll be sharing soon!)

We are so very thankful for our Pastor's hard work and willingness to accommodate my husband's request for this Latin Mass and the quarterly Masses that will follow!  (Though we will continue to pray for more frequent Latin Masses. In the meantime I am very thankful that we are able to have these, since it usually requires us having a baby to have a Latin Mass in the Extraordinary Form here! lol) We are so very thankful to Father Kotas for driving over 2 hours each way to offer this Mass for us!   And I am also thankful to all of my visitors here at Shower of Roses who have been praying for this intention of ours as well!  May God Reward you all!

Deo Gratias! 

Our New Archbishop!

Today's News From the Vatican Information Service:

Vatican City, 29 January 2013 (VIS) – Today, the Holy Father appointed Bishop Alexander King Sample as archbishop of the archdiocese of Portland (area 76,937, population 3,296,705, Catholics 412,725, priests 300, permanent deacons 72, religious 653), Oregon, USA. Bishop Sample, previously bishop of Marquette, Michigan, USA, was born in Kalispell, Montana, USA, in 1960, was ordained to the priesthood in 1990, and received episcopal ordination in 2006. In the national bishops’ conference he currently serves on the Subcommittees on Native American Catholics and on the Catechism. He is also vice-postulator for the cause for canonisation of Venerable Frederic Baraga, first bishop of the Diocese of Marquette. He succeeds Archbishop John George Vlazny, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

We are so excited to welcome our new Archbishop and couldn't be happier to hear this wonderful news today!  We were even more pleased to see that he is supportive of the Extraordinary Form and is known to celebrate it regularly!  What an incredible blessing for our diocese!

A few of the articles I've been reading today:

New Archbishop of Portland: Alexander Sample! (WDTPRS)

Contraception a ‘clear factor’ in decline of church numbers: Michigan bishop (Lifesite News)

Portland's new archbishop known for his emphasis on vocations, catechesis (Catholic World Report)

New Archbishop fueled by 'New Evangelization' (Catholic Sentinel)

New Archbishop of Portland in Oregon! (Unam Ecclesiam) 

I'll definitely be praying today's Rosary (in thanksgiving!) for the Bishop!  

Deo Gratias!!!

{pretty, happy, funny, real} :: On Christmas Eve

I have so many pictures to post from this week, I hardly know where to start !  We have really been enjoying Christmas, spending time with extended family, a few fun outings, and lots of of time just relaxing (and very little time online).  It's been so nice!  I hope you are all having a very Merry Christmas too! 

{pretty}

Getting ready for Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve...

{happy}

Julianna, Jessica, JoAnn, and Mary

I was so happy to have some of my family in town and over on Christmas Eve!  

My mom and brother Kevin were traveling back from a golf tournament in Georgia on Christmas Eve, and Jennifer hadn't made it to town yet either, but we had my Dad, brother Brian and his family, Julianna, JoAnn (home from college), Mary (home from Texas), and David over on Christmas Eve!  I'll be sure to share more Christmas Eve pictures soon...  

{funny} 

Any guesses on what Rascal created instead of a Gingerbread house this year? He is so creative! 

(You can find the answer here.) 

{real}

I took my camera to Midnight Mass, but only took this one blurry picture of Father preaching the homily in a candlelit church.   (The lights were shut off during the homily.) Sean sang with the choir, which was just a small group, but they did a beautiful job singing traditional hymns and even chant!  (Very rare for our area!)  We have been feeling so very blessed lately!

I haven't mentioned it here yet, since it still wasn't a for sure thing, but we are finally going to have a LATIN MASS in our area!!!!  (Thank you all so much for your prayers for this intention of ours!) We spoke with our pastor when we had him over for dinner, but one of the challenges at that time was finding a priest that was capable of offering the Mass.  When we attended Mass over at the coast in August the priest there offered to come over on a monthly basis to offer it for us, without us even asking!   Over the past few months Sean has met and spoken with both our Pastor and the priest from the coast a number of times and we will be having our first  (quarterly) Latin Mass in February!   This is an answer to many many years of prayer!   We can still hardly believe that it is official, and that it will be offered at the little mission church just 5 miles from our home!   We will be praying for its success, and that someday we will be able to have it on a more frequent basis.  Deo Gratias!! 

Visit Like Mother, Like Daughter for more pictures of contentment.

A Votive Mass for Our Lady

This past Friday we were so very blessed with a Latin Votive Mass for Our Lady!  It was the first time Father Carmelo (a retired priest in our area) has agreed to offer Mass in Latin for us.  It wasn't the extraordinary form, but still so very beautiful and (as a friend mentioned) we must celebrate these small victories in our liberal diocese.

The little historic church, which usually just has our family and a handful of other people attending on Fridays, was packed on this particular weekday morning during the first week of school.   We also had the lovely local Schola Choir singing in the loft. Who says that there isn't enough interest in Latin Masses around here?!

Following Mass, the Legion of Mary invited us to stay for a little reception.  It was such a beautiful and joy filled morning!  We are hoping that Father will agree to offer Mass in Latin more often... Perhaps for our annual All Souls Mass this year?!?  :)

I spent the rest of Friday preparing for our Mother/Daughter Tea Party on Saturday, which was so much fun!  I have tons of pictures to share with you all, but they will have to wait... My online time is extra limited at the moment, while we work on establishing some good routines for our new school year.    I'll be back soon!

A Sunday Drive

Subtitled:  A Latin Mass, Whale Watching, and fun at the Beach! 

Our family loves the Latin Mass.  The only problem is, it is rather hard to come by where we live.  In fact, we usually have to have a baby in order to get a Latin Mass around here! (ie: My brother-in-laws' fly out to baptize the new little one, offering Mass while they are in town.)   The closest parishes that offer the Latin Mass (or rather, Extraordinary Form) are 3 hours north and 5 hours south, with a couple mountain passes to cross each direction.  As much as my husband would love to move, it just doesn't seem to be in God's plan for our family at this time.

Recently we found out that there is a priest about 2 1/2 hours away, in another state and diocese, that is now offering a Latin Mass every Sunday!  The only problem is that it begins at 8 a.m.  Rather early, when you have that far to drive with an over full van load of kiddos and a baby that doesn't sleep through the night.  We discussed making the drive again this past Saturday, but I just said I don't know how it could even be possible, without going over the night before, so we didn't even bother to prepare or set the alarm... However, amazingly, the baby woke us up at 4:25 yesterday morning, Rascal was already awake as well, Hubby felt abnormally rested, and we decided to give it a shot.  We woke the rest of the kids up, got dressed for Mass, packed a bag with extra clothes and snacks, and were on our way by 5:45.   We made it to Mass with 15 minutes to spare!

As we pulled up to the church, not seeing another car or person in sight and wondering if they still offered the Latin Mass, the pastor walked out of the rectory with a visiting missionary priest (who is headed to Bolivia today) and welcomed our family!   We had been expecting a low Mass, but the visiting priest was able to play the organ and sing the responses, so we were blessed with a beautiful sung Mass!

After Mass we visited some more with the pastor and he invited us back to the hall, following his English Mass, to attend a reception for their newly ordained deacon and to meet some of the other parishioners.   In the meantime we went to pick up a couple coffees and breakfast for the kids.

After attending the cake reception at the Church, some of us changed from our Mass clothes, and headed to the beach.  A trip to the ocean was on our "Summer Bucket List" and we were all so happy to finally be able to check that off our list!   When we pulled off the highway we couldn't believe our luck when we spotted a whale just off the shoreline!!  (What a perfect way to kick off our new school year, and our study of Swimming Creatures!) 

If you look closely at the following pictures you can see a little glimpse of the whale spray/blow in the first two pictures, and the top of the whale in the third.   I wasn't successful with getting a picture of the tail when diving, but the kids were so excited to see that.   This was the first time any of them actually got to see a whale that wasn't in captivity!  Very exciting, for sure!

We then spent the rest of the afternoon having a blast on the beach!   And, yes, I am going to share a whole ton of pictures, as usual... It was Bud's first trip to the ocean, after all!  :)

We spent  a little more time watching the whale before it was time to head home... The kids were all sad to leave - even if they were quite tired! 

Hopefully it won't be too long before we are able to make the trip again... However, with the cost of gas and over crowded mini-van we won't be able to go too often.  In the meantime, we will just continue praying for a local (and frequent) Latin Mass.