It's hard to believe, but March this year is the month not just of St. Patrick's Day, but also of Holy Week and Easter.

Normally, a column like this, about liturgical celebrations in March, would dwell on Perpetua and Felicity — virgin martyrs who landed a spot in the First Eucharistic prayer. It would remember St. Frances of Rome, who led a holy married life and a holy life as a nun. We would meet St. John of God — who lost God in his misspent youth and then wept aloud in church when the words of a missionary transformed his life. And we might even meet the Norwegian St. Ludger, who got in trouble for keeping a powerful king waiting while he finished his prayers.

However, Holy Week and Easter will have to supplant these holy men and women this time, along with a few feasts that just can't go unmentioned.

March 17, St. Patrick's Day. In our home, St. Patrick's Day always includes a showing of the old standby cartoon video about St. Patrick. You may still have time to get it, by calling CCC at (800) 935-2222. We've also recently acquired a wonderful audiotape drama about the life of St. Valentine and St. Patrick. It's great in the car! Order it (and lots of other lives of the saints) from Regina Martyrum Productions at (800) 565-3123.

March 19, St. Joseph, Husband of Mary. On this day we honor the fidelity and righteousness of St. Joseph. What better way than to make your husband's special dinner and say a few words about his own virtues, in front of the children? This way you can connect the “spiritual” aspects of the Church's celebration with the natural, “human” aspects. Click on the “Liturgical” button at www.kofc.org (the Knights of Columbus) to find some great Italian ways to celebrate St. Joseph's Day.

March 25, the Annunciation. This is a perfect time to teach your children an age-appropriate pro-life message. Let them know that the Church celebrates Christ's coming into the world on this day, exactly nine months before Christmas. It's like a little Christmas: It has the poor carpenter's wife, the angel, and the message that her son would be King of kings.

Holy Week. My husband and I had our first full Nativity set this year — we had only the stable last year, and tended to focus on Advent calendars for our four children before that. We were surprised at just how powerful the crèche was in speaking of the faith to our children. Our 3-year-old son was the most vociferous admirer of what he called the “entivity set.” He tells and retells the story of the infant who was “the king of God.”

Our plans this year are to have a Holy Week version of a Nativity set. We've done it before; this year we'll do it with gusto. My husband will take down all the religious pictures in the house and place them in the fireplace in a paper bag (we don't expect to be making fires this warm winter). Then he'll “roll” a “stone” in front of the fireplace (the fireplace cover with a gray blanket on it), just like Jesus' tomb.

In the past, we've done this on Good Friday; perhaps we will do it on Passion Sunday instead this year, to stretch it out. Then we'll pray our daily rosary (we've been faithful ever since the Pope asked for them!) in front of the visual representation of the season, and eagerly await the empty tomb of Easter.

April Hoopes writes from Hamden, Connecticut.