What if your family calendar followed the rhythm of the Church year? Jim and Meghan welcome Kendra Tierney Norton, author with Ignatius Press and founder of Catholic All Year, to share how liturgical living shapes the rhythm of family life. From feast-day menus and “sneaky catechesis” to simple prayers around the table, Kendra explains how her family has embraced traditions that root daily life in the seasons of the Church. Her story offers encouragement for parents who want to bring joy and meaning into their homes through Catholic practices that are both simple and lasting.
What’s in this episode:
- Why “keeping Catholicism weird” makes the faith memorable for kids
- How family dinner became the heart of liturgical living at home
- Simple, scalable feast-day ideas tied to saints and seasons
- “Sneaky catechesis” through food, crafts, and celebration
- Michaelmas with a “devil piñata” and the power of joyful ritual
- Using parish missals and seasonal rhythms to guide the year
- Hospitality, community, and evangelization through holidays
- Practical encouragement for overwhelmed parents to start small
- One resource every Catholic family should know: In Conversation with God (Relevant Radio)
- Book she’s currently reading: Lord of the World by Robert Hugh Benson
- Favorite book: Around the Year with the Von Trapp Family by Maria Augusta von Trapp
- Advice to her younger self: Take baby steps, trust God, and let traditions grow over time
- Final wisdom for listeners: Don’t try to do everything, choose a few feasts, keep it joyful, and be faithful
Resources Mentioned:
In Conversation with God – Daily meditations available on the Relevant Radio app
Around the Year with the Von Trapp Family by Maria Augusta von Trapp – Classic family guide to the liturgical year
The Year and Our Children by Mary Reed Newland – Practical family traditions for feasts and seasons
Catholic All Year – Kendra’s apostolate with books and tools for liturgical living
Lord of the World by Robert Hugh Benson – Catholic dystopian novel Kendra is currently reading
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