Happy Friday! With the Labor Day weekend it was a short work week — but a busy one here at the Catholic Herald. Staff writers have been interviewing campus ministers and college students at local universities and employees at the diocesan Office of Youth Ministry in preparation for our special Youth and College Issue. Be sure to grab your copy or check back on the website next week to get the inside scoop on local youth and young adult happenings.

With the first day of autumn (Sept. 22) in sight, if not yet in the air, maybe it’s time to do some “fall cleaning.” Toss out the old and buy some new-to-you at Saturday’s Transitional Housing BARN Inc. yard sale. Proceeds support homeless mothers and their children. The sale will be held from 8 a.m. to noon at 9541 Linton Hall Rd. in Bristow.

To infuse some new energy into your spiritual life, there are two pilgrimages held at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington this weekend. (Staff Writer Katie Bahr will be writing a story on the power of pilgrimages for an upcoming issue.) Saturday at 1:30 p.m. is the Indian-American Catholic Association pilgrimage, which honors the 15th anniversary of the oratory of Our Lady of Good Health, Vailankanni. Sunday a Croatian pilgrimage, with Mass celebrated by Bishop Blase Cupich of Spokane, Wash., will be held at 2 p.m.

To enjoy a taste of culture, check out the Slavic-American festival — featuring traditional Slavic foods, church tours, art and music — on Sunday at Epiphany of Our Lord Church from noon to 6:30 p.m.

And for some food for thought, the Institute of Catholic Culture will host the lecture “Defending Priestly Celibacy and Understanding the Vocations Crisis” Sunday at St. Thomas à Becket Church at 7:30 p.m.

A peek at next week:

Two of my event picks for next week include a documentary on economic struggles in Virginia, “Blank Street,” Sept. 12, hosted by the Virginia Interfaith Center; and a panel discussion, “The Federal Budget: Priorities in Light of Catholic Social Teaching,” Sept. 15 at St. Mark Church from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The event includes a Mass celebrated by Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde.

If you have local events of Catholic interest that you’d like us to include in our print and online calendars, email events@catholicherald.com.

Have a fabulous weekend!