| Season of Advent |
| The
liturgical year begins with the season of Advent in the Christmas Cycle,
a time of sacrifice and penitence spent anticipating the birth of Christ
(and His Second Coming!) and culminating in His Mass (Christmas). Advent
will always begin on a Sunday between 27 November and 3 December. Vestments
during this time will be violet, unless a specific Holy Day takes
precedence. |
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28
November: First Sunday of Advent |
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 On the first day of Advent ("Advent
Sunday" or the 4th Sunday before Christmas -- Advent always begins on Sunday),
Catholic families will often set up Advent candles, a set of 4 candles --
3 violet and 1 rose-colored -- arranged in a circle is the standard. While
often set into a wreath, the advent candle holder itself can be unadorned
and made of most anything -- wood, porcelain, metal, wire... There's a modern
option of having a white candle in the center that represents Christmas itself,
and lighting all of them on Christmas Eve, thereafter replacing the 4 colored
candles with white ones for use during Christmastide. A tradition is that
each candle/week represents one thousand years, to sum to the 4,000 years
from Adam and Eve until the Birth of the Savior.
The purple candles in particular symbolize the prayer, penance, and preparatory
sacrifices and goods works undertaken at this time. The rose candle is lit
on the third Sunday ("Gaudete Sunday") when the priest also wears rose vestments
at Mass, a day of rejoicing because the faithful have arrived at the midpoint
of Advent and anticipate Christmas. One candle is lit each week, the progressive
lighting of the candles symbolizing the expectation and hope surrounding
our Lord’s first coming into the world and the anticipation of His second
coming to judge the living and the dead.
The beginning of Advent is a good time to set up your crèche, too,
leaving the Baby Jesus to be put in the manger on Christmas Eve. (The first
crèche was created by St. Francis of Assisi when he recreated the
manger scene in a cave in the hills above Greccio, Italy.)
Another tradition is that of setting up an Advent Calendar. Advent calendars
are calendars, made mostly for kids, to count down the days 'til Christmas,
from 1 Dec to 25 December. They can be store-bought, homemade, 2-D, 3-D,
hung from walls or laid upon tables, shaped into anything from Christmas
trees to rectangles, created from paper, cloth, wood or whatever your imagination
dictates... A typical feature is that there is a little "door" or pouch for
each day behind which/in which is a trinket, candy, coin or scripture for
the child to reveal on that day and keep. |
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Note: December
is devoted to the Immaculate Conception |
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5
December: Second Sunday of Advent |
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After proper
prayers and Scripture, a second purple Advent candle is lit along with the
first week's candle. |
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4
December: St. Barbara |
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6
December: St. Nicholas |
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In many Catholic
homes, it's not Christmas Day that is for giving presents to children, but
the Feast of St. Nicholas (or the Feast of the Epiphany after Christmas).
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8
December: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception |
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This is a Holy
Day of Obligation devoted to the purity of Mary and the miracle of her being
filled with God's grace at her conception. Note that "The Immaculate Conception"
refers to Mary, not to the circumstances of Jesus' birth, a very common
misconception. Mary, as "the second Eve," was immaculate in that she was
conceived and born full of Grace. She is "the Immaculate Conception."
Vestments today will be white. |
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12
December: Third Sunday of Advent and Memorial of Our Lady of
Guadalupe |
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The third Sunday
("Gaudete Sunday" or "Rejoice Sunday"), the halfway point of Advent, is day
of rejoicing; vestments today will be rose. At home, after proper prayers
and Scripture, the rose Advent candle is lit along with the first two weeks'
candles. |
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13
December: St. Lucia |
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Note: the
Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after 13 December are known as "Advent
Embertide," one of 4 yearly time periods known as "Ember Days," from the
Latin Quatuor Tempora, meaning "four times." They were once days of
obligatory fasting and abstinence intended to thank God for the gifts He
gives us in nature, to teach us to use them in moderation, and to help the
poor (see Zecheriah 8:19), but the practices associated with them are now
left to individual bishops. |
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14
December: St. John of the Cross |
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19
December: Fourth Sunday of Advent |
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On this last
Sunday of Advent, after proper prayers, Scripture and blessings, all of the
(colored) Advent candles are lit. |
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22
December: Frances Xavier Cabrini ("Mother Cabrini") |
| Season of Christmas |
| A
season of rejoicing, vestment colors during the Twelve Days of Christmastide
are white. Christmas for Catholics lasts until the Feast of the Epiphany,
on 6 January traditionally (the "Twelfth Day of Christmas"), but now celebrated
in America on the Sunday that falls on/between 2 January and 8 January. The
first 8 days of Christmas are known as the "Octave of Christmas" (Christmas
itself is counted as the first day of the Octave). |
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24
December: Christmas Vigil |
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Common customs
include going to Midnight Mass and coming home to a very late meal (in Italy,
traditionally fish and other seafood) illuminated by all the Advent candles,
including the center white candle, if you used one. Another option is to
replace all the candles by white ones on this night. Traditionally, the Christmas
tree was put up on this evening where it remained until Twelfthnight (the
Eve of the Feast of the Epiphany). A modern concession to this might be to
leave the tree undecorated until Christmas Eve. Don't forget to put the Baby
Jesus in your crèche's crib!
An even more ancient custom than the Advent candles is the Christmas candle,
a large white candle decorated with holly and such, that is lit on Christmas
Eve and each night for the Twelve Days of Christmastide. |
† |
25
December: Christmas |
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26
December: Feast of Stephen |
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27
December: Feast of John the Evangelist |
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It is customary
for some Catholics to share wine on St. John's Day, toasting each other with,
"Drink the Love of St. John." The custom springs from St. John's having avoided
succumbing to the attempts on his life, one of which involved poisoned wine.
Vestments today will be white. |
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December: Feast of the Holy Innocents |
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Also called
"Childermas," this day commemorates the baby boys killed by Herod. Vestments
today will be red (as they are for the feast days of all martyrs). |
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December: St. Thomas Beckett and St. David |
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December: Feast of the Holy Family (also Pope St. Sylvester I) |
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The Feast of
the Holy Family is celebrated on the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas.
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Note: January
is devoted to the Holy Name of Jesus |
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1
January: Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God |
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Also known
as the Feast of the Circumcision, this is a Holy Day of Obligation. |
| Season of Epiphany (or "Septuagesima." Considered "Ordinary
Time") |
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2
January: Solemnity of the Epiphany (also St. Basil the Great) |
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Traditionally
celebrated on 6 January (the evening before known as 'Twelfthnight" as it's
the twelfth day of Christmas), the Feast of the Epiphany is now celebrated
in America on the Sunday that falls between 2 and 8 January. This Feast is
sometimes called the "Feast of the Holy Kings" or "Three Kings Day." This
is a day in memory of Jesus showing His glory in 3 ways: as an infant to
the Magi, at His baptism, and His first miracle at the wedding in Canaa.
In many Catholic
homes (especially Italian ones), it's not Christmas Day that is for giving
presents to children, but the Feast of Epiphany, where the gifts are given
in imitation of the Magi. Therefore, this Feast is often referred to as the
"Little Christmas."
It is traditional to bless your home on this day. The priest will take a
piece of blessed chalk (blessed on this day) and write the initials of the
three Wise Men and the year over the inside of your front door, all connected
with Crosses. It may look like this, for ex.:
20+G+M+B+03
with the first
20 being the millenium and century, the "G" standing for the first Wise Man,
Gaspar, the "M" standing for Melchior, the "B" standing for Belthasar, and
the 03 standing for the decade and year. If you can't get a priest to come
to your house, have him bless a piece of chalk and have the father of the
house do the blessing. The chalk remains over the door 'til Pentecost. Also
on this day there will be a blessing of water to make Holy Water for everyday
use in the church and home. |
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4
January: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton ("Mother Seton") |
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9
January: Feast of the Baptism of our Lord |
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The Sunday
after 6 January will always be the Baptism of our Lord. |
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17
January: St. Anthony the Abbot (also called "Anthony of the Desert," "Anthony
of Egypt," "Anthony the Great") |
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20
January: St. Sebastian |
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January: St. Agnes |
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The lamb, as
a symbol of purity, is one of the symbols of St. Agnes. In Rome on this day,
the Holy Father will bless two lambs at the Church of St. Agnes; the wool
of these lambs is used by nuns to weave the pallium worn by the Pope and
his Archbishops.
Old medieval folklore (note: this is superstition, not Church teaching!)
says that on St. Agnes Eve, girls who fast and conduct certain rituals (which
vary from place to place) will have a vision of their future husband. See
Keats's poem, "Eve of St. Agnes" |
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25
January: Conversion of St. Paul |
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Vestments today
will be white. Note that the Sunday closest to this Feast Day is the traditional
date when "Peter's Pence" is collected at Mass -- a voluntary donation for
the support of the works of the Holy Father. It may take place at a different
time of the year, however. |
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26
January: Sts. Timothy and Titus |
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January: St. Thomas Aquinas |
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31
January: St. John Bosco ("Don Bosco") |
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Note: February
is devoted to the Holy Family |
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1
February: St. Brigid of Ireland |
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2
February: Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord (Candlemas) |
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This Feast
is also called "The Feast of the Purification" or "Presentation of the Child
in the Temple." This day commemorates the day that Mary went to the Temple
to be purified after the birth of Jesus, in obedience to Jewish law. Simeon
saw Jesus there and called Him the "Light unto the nations," hence the blessing
of candles takes place on this day, an event which gives this Feast yet another
name, "Candlemas," (pronounced "CAN'-dul-mus"). |
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3
February: St. Blaise |
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On this day,
our throats are blessed: two candles are blessed and pressed against the
throat as the blessing is said. |
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5
February: Saint Agatha |
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10
February: St. Scholastica |
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February: Our Lady of Lourdes |
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14
February: Saint Valentine |
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February: Feast of the Chair of St. Peter |
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Vestments todaay
will be white. |
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February: St. Polycarp |
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Note: March
is dedicated to St. Joseph |
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6
March: Shrove Monday |
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Not exactly
a liturgical feast, but I thought I'd throw in that the Monday and Tuesday
before Ash Wednesday are known as "Shrovetide," from an old English word
"shrive", meaning "to confess". |
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7
March: Shrove Tuesday |
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See above.
Also known as "Mardi Gras" (French for "Fat Tuesday") or "Carnivale," in
England it is known as "Pancake Tuesday" because fats in the house had to
be used up before Lent began and making pancakes was a good way to do it.
Shrove Tuesday has become a secular party day in preparation for the abstinence
and somber spirit of Lent. |
| Season of Lent ("The Great Fast") |
Lent
is a time of penance and reflection. Its mood is somber, its liturgical color
is violet. After the hour of None on the Saturday before Passion Sunday,
the most somber time of Lent, Crosses, statues, and icons are covered, draped
in violet, until the beginning of the Easter Vigil. Holy Water fonts are
emptied with the idea that Lent is the season of preparation for Baptism
-- a Sacrament without which we are empty and dry, tomb-like. The Alleluia
is not sung during this Season. The only obligatory Fast Days remaining in
the modern Latin calendar for American Catholics are Ash Wednesday and Good
Friday (which require both fasting and abstinence), but fasting the entire
season is recommended. The Fridays throughout Lent are at least days of
abstinence ("Fish Fridays").
A traditional food made as early as the Christians in the Roman Empire is
the pretzel, made without fat, milk or eggs. The Latins called them "bracellae"
and their shape is meant to symbolize two arms crossed in prayer. The oldest
known picture of a pretzel can be seen in a manuscript from the fifth century
in the Vatican. |
FA |
8
March: Ash Wednesday |
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The day to
remember our mortality. Ashes, which come from palms blessed on Palm Sunday
the year before are placed on our foreheads to remind us of the dust from
which we came and to which we'll return, and symbolizing our penitence in
the manner of the Ancients (Esther 4:1, Daniel 9:3, Jonah 3:5-6, etc.). This
is a day of abstinence and fasting. Vestment colors will be black. |
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9
March: St. Gregory of Nyssa |
A |
10
March: First Friday of Lent ("Fish Friday") |
A |
12
March: First Sunday of Lent |
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Note: the
Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after the first Sunday of Lent are known
as "Lenten Embertide," one of 4 yearly time periods known as "Ember Days,"
from the Latin Quatuor Tempora, meaning "four times." They were once
days of obligatory fasting and abstinence intended to thank God for the gifts
He gives us in nature, to teach us to use them in moderation, and to help
the poor (see Zecheriah 8:19), but the practices associated with them are
now left to individual bishops. |
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17
March: St. Patrick |
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Because St.
Patrick is the one who converted Ireland to Catholicism in the 5th c., his
Feast Day is a special one for the Irish and Irish-Americans. Traditional
foods are Irish fare: corned beef and cabbage, soda bread, beer, etc. In
New York City, a big St. Patrick's Day parade is held. |
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19
March: Solemnity of St. Joseph |
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St. Joseph's
Day is a big Feast for Italians because St. Joseph is one of the patrons
of Italy (along with Catherine of Sienna, Francis of Assisi, and various
manifestations of Our Lady). In the Middle Ages, God, through St. Joseph's
intercessions, saved the Sicilians from a very serious drought, so today,
after Mass, a big table ("la tavola di San Giuse") is laden with food contributed
by everyone. Different Italian regions celebrate this day differently, but
all involve a special food, such as Sfinge di San Giuseppe or
minestrone. |
A |
24
March: Second Friday of Lent ("Fish Friday") |
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25
March: Feast of the Annunciation |
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Also called
"Lady Day," this Feast celebrates Gabriel's announcement to Mary that she
will have a baby |
A |
31
March: Third Friday of Lent ("Fish Friday") |
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Note: April
is devoted to the Blessed Sacrament |
A |
7
April: Fourth Friday of Lent ("Fish Friday") |
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9
April: Laetare Sunday (The Fourth Sunday of Lent) |
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The fourth
Sunday of Lent is called "Laetare Sunday" and marks the half-way point between
the season and is a joyous "break" from the penitential mood of Lent. The
vestements for this day will be rose, a custom originating in the fact that,
as a symbol of joy, popes used to carry a golden rose in their right hand
when returning from the celebration of Mass on this day (way back in 1051,
Pope Leo IX called this custom an "ancient institution.") Originally it was
a single rose of natural size, but since the fifteenth century it has consisted
of a cluster or branch of roses wrought of pure gold in brilliant workmanship
by famous artists. The popes bless it every year, and often they confer it
upon churches, shrines, cities, or distinguished persons as a token of esteem
and paternal affection. In case of such a bestowal, a new rose is made during
the subsequent year. The golden rose represents Christ in the shining splendor
of His majesty, the "flower sprung from the root of Jesse." |
A |
14
April: Fifth Friday of Lent ("Fish Friday") |
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16
April: Palm Sunday (also the Feast of Saint Bernadette Soubirous of
Lourdes) |
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Holy Week (or
"Passion Week" or "Passiontide") begins with Palm Sunday, also known as "Passion
Sunday." This day commemorates Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Palms
are blessed and distributed on this day. Catholics from different cultures
do different things with the palms, making crosses out of them (Irish), hanging
them over picture frames (Italian), etc. Bits of palm, too, are burned throughout
the year during natural disasters, bad storms, etc. Palms blessed on this
day will be burned to make the ashes for next year's Ash Wednesday.
Passiontide ends on Holy Saturday at the Easter Vigil. Vestments during Passion
Week are red by default. |
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18
April: Holy Wednesday ("Spy Wednesday") |
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This day is
also known as "Spy Wednesday" because it recalls the night that Judas betrayed
Christ. |
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19
April: Holy Thursday, the First Day of the Sacred Triduum |
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Also known
as "Maundy Thursday" or "Passion Thursday," this day commemorates Christ's
Last Supper and the initiation of the Eucharist. Many ceremonies are carried
out this day: the baptism of neophytes, the reconciliation of penitents,
the consecration of the holy oils at the Bishop's morning Chrism Mass, the
washing of the feet, and the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper followed by
the commemoration of the Blessed Eucharist. Vestment colors will be white
or red.
During this Holy Triduum, especially on Good Friday, you might wish to attend
the haunting Tenebrae service meant to give us a visceral knowledge of what
our world would be like without Jesus. One by one, the candles are extinguished
in the Church, leaving the congregation in total darkness, and in a silence
that is punctuated by the strepitus meant to evoke the sound of the
tomb door closing. |
FA |
20
April: Good Friday, The Second Day of the Triduum and the Last Friday of
Lent |
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The day of
Jesus' crucifixion. It is customary to make the Stations of the Cross today.
This is a day of fasting and abstinence.
Vestment colors today will be black or red, though no Mass is celebrated
either today (or tomorrow); instead a liturgy called the "Mass of the
Presanctified" (though, again, it's not a Mass), also known as ""Celebration
of the Lord's Passion," is conducted. It consists of liturgy of the Word,
veneration of the Cross, and Communion (the Eucharist having been consecrated
the day before, in Holy Thursday's Mass). It's believed that Christ spent
40 hours in His tomb (from 3 PM Good Friday until 7 AM Pascha morning --
a span covering 3 separate Jewish days as even a part of one day is counted
as "a day"). From the very earliest Christian times, it's been customary
for some to fast and keep vigil during this entire period, which is known
as "40 Hours' Devotion." |
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21
April: Holy Saturday, the Third and Last Day of the Triduum |
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We remember
Christ in His tomb. This is the day of the Easter Vigil, a preparation for
the Feast of Easter and the literal beginning of the Easter Season. During
the vigil, a candle is lit from the fire blessd in the "Blessing of the New
Fire" ceremony. The candle, a symbol of Christ, is first brought to the priest
who cuts into it a cross and the numbers of the current year. Into the cuts
of the cross he puts 5 grains of incense which symbolize the 5 wounds of
Christ. The candle is kept on the Gospel side of the altar until The Feast
of the Ascension. The Alleluia returns to the Mass at this time. Between
the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, Catechumens are
baptized into the Church. Before or after the Vigil Mass, some parishes will
have a blessing of Easter baskets brought by parisiohers, baskets containing
special Easter foods, such as foods forbidden during Lent (eggs, meats,
etc.). |
| Season of Paschaltide |
| The
fifty sacred days from Paschal Sunday to Pentecost are celebrated in joy
as one "great Sunday." The Sundays of this season rank as the Paschal Sundays
and, after Pascha itself, are called the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth,
and Seventh Sundays of Easter. The first 8 days of Pascha (Easter) are known
as the "Octave of Easter" (Easter itself is counted as the first day of the
Octave). During this season, it is customary for Christians to greet each
other with "Christ is risen!" The reply is "Indeed He is risen!" |
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22
April: Easter Sunday |
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HE IS RISEN!
The greatest Feast of all. It is customary in many places to eat lamb on
this day, as a reminder of the first Passover lambs. "Pascha" comes from
the Hebrew word "Pesach" -- Passover -- and the word "Easter" is actually
a word rooted in the name of a Teutonic goddess (Estre) and is only used
in the English language. It came into use because the month of April was
known in Anglo-Saxon countries as easter-monadh. Other countries call
Easter "Pascha" (Latin and Greek), "Pasqua" (Italian), "Pascua" (Spanish),
"Paschen" (Dutch), etc., the point being that the claim that "Easter is a
pagan holiday" is ridiculous. The English word for it might have pagan origins,
but the Solemnity is rooted in the Old Testament Pesach which was fulfilled
in the Resurrection.
Eggs had always been symbols of Spring and were items of wonderment to pagans
-- a seemingly inanimate object out of which comes life. For Christians,
they became the perfect symbol of the tomb Christ conquered. In addition,
they were special because they were forbidden during Lent, so Christians
brought out eggs once again and decorated them in different ways (dyed red
as a symbol of Christ's blood in Greece, Syria and Chaldea; dyed various
colors in Germany and Austria; painstakingly and exquisitely designed in
the Ukraine). Lamb is traditionally eaten to commemorate the Paschal lamb.
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23
April: St. George |
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25
April: Feast of St. Mark |
Note: 25 April,
along with the three days before the Feast of the Ascension, are known as
"Rogation Days" or "Rogationtide" -- 25 April being "Major Rogation" (once
marked by the "Great Liturgy"), and the three days before Ascension known
as "Minor Rogation." Once days of special public intercession for the purpose
of beseeching God for our needs, and marked by litanies and processions,
their celebration is now left to the national conferences of bishops. Their
liturgical color is violet. |
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29
April: Solemnity of Mercy (and Saint Catherine of Siena) |
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The Sunday
following Easter, also called "Low Sunday," is "Divine Mercy Sunday", a
celebration initiated in 2000 and based on the vision of Jesus had by the
Polish Saint, Sister Maria Faustina |
Note: May is
dedicated to Mary, who's often called "The Queen of May." Someone, usually
a young girl, crowns a statue of Mary with a wreath of flowers in a ceremony
called the "May Crowning." |
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2
May: St. Athanasius |
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3
May: Feast of James the Lesser (aka James the Younger) and Philip the
Apostle |
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14
May: Feast of Matthias the Apostle |
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May: St. Rita of Cascia |
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30
May: Saint Joan of Arc |
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May: St. Philip Neri |
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31
May: Feast of the Visitation |
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This day
commemorates Mary's visit to her cousin Elizabeth just after the Annunciation.
Eliabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost when she saw Mary and cried out "Blessed
art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb" (the "Hail Mary"
prayer). Mary responded with "The Magnificat" (see Luke 1:46-55). |
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Note: June is
dedicated to the Sacred Heart (the Heart of Jesus) |
Note: The three
days before the Ascension, along with 25 April, are known as "Rogation Days"
or "Rogationtide" -- 25 April being "Major Rogation," and the three days
before Ascension known as "Minor Rogation." Their liturgical color is violet,
but the celebration of these days is left to the national conference of
bishops. |
† |
1
June: Solemnity of the Ascension (also St. Justin Marytr) |
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Sometimes called
"Ascension Thursday" because this Feast had always comes 40 days after Easter,
some US provinces have moved its celebration to the 7th Sunday of Easter.
This day Commemorates Christ's Ascension into Heaven after His resurrection.
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9
June: St. Columba |
| Time After Pentecost ("Ordinary Time") |
| We
are outside of the times of Christ's incarnation (or its imminence) and the
glory of His resurrection: we are now in a time that reminds us we are in
the "Church Age," awaiting the Second Coming by also awating the memorial
of His First Coming (Advent). |
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11
June: The Solemnity of Pentecost |
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The Pentecost,
also known as "Whitsunday," takes place 7 weeks after Easter (the earliest
possible date for this Feast is 10 May). This day celebrates the coming of
the Holy Ghost upon the disciples and marks the beginning of the week known
as Whitsuntide. Vestments on Whitsunday are red.
The Christian Pentecost corresponds to the Jewish Pentecost, Shavu'ot (also
called "Hag Matan Torateinu" or "Festival of Weeks"), which celebrates the
Giving of Torah on Mt. Sinai. The Jewish festival is also called Hag ha-Bikkurim
(the Festival of the First Fruits) and also commemorates the bringing of
the first fruits harvested to Temple. Both the Catholic and Jewish Pentecosts
fall 50 days after our respective Passovers.
(Today is the day you wipe away the chalk from the blessing of your home
on the Feast of the Epiphany)
Note: the Wednesday,
Friday, and Saturday after Pentecost Sunday are known as "Whit Embertide,"
one of 4 yearly time periods known as "Ember Days," from the Latin Quatuor
Tempora, meaning "four times." They were once days of obligatory fasting
and abstinence intended to thank God for the gifts He gives us in nature,
to teach us to use them in moderation, and to help the poor (see Zecheriah
8:19), but the practices associated with them are now left to individual
bishops. |
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13
June: St. Anthony of Padua |
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18
June: Solemnity of the Trinity ("Trinity Sunday") |
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Trinity Sunday
comes one week after Pentecost and celebrates the Most Holy Trinity. |
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22
June: Solemnity of Corpus Christi (and St. Thomas More) |
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Corpus Christi
comes one week after Trinity Sunday. |
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June: St. Lazarus [of Luke 16:19-31] ("San Lazaro") |
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24
June: Solemnity of the Birth of John the Baptist |
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In some areas
of the world, such as Ireland, St. John's Day is a major feast and the day
before is known as "St. John's Eve" or "Bonfire Night." On this Eve, huge
bonfires are made (and are used to burn old sacramentals). Vestments today
will be white. |
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27
June: Our Lady of Perpetual Help |
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28
June: St. Iranaeus (of Lyons) |
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June: Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul |
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30
June: Sacred Heart |
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The Feast of
the Sacred Heart (Jesus' heart) always comes the Friday after Corpus Christi.
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Note: July is
dedicated to the Precious Blood |
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1
July: Immaculate Heart |
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The Saturday
after the Feast of the Sacred Heart is dedicated to the Immaculate Heart
(Mary's heart). |
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3
July: Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle |
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16
July: Our Lady of Mount Carmel |
|
22
July: Mary Magdalene |
|
25
July: Feast of Saint James the Greater (and Christopher) |
|
26
July: Saints Anne and Joachim, Grandparents of Jesus |
|
29
July: St. Martha, Sister of Saints Lazarus and Mary of Bethany |
|
31
July: St. Ignatius of Loyola |
|
Note: August
is devoted to the Immaculate Heart of Mary |
|
4
August: St. John Mary Vianney |
|
6
August: Feast of the Transfiguration |
|
|
This day
commemorates the Divine Light shining from the body of Christ, a manifestation
of His divinity, witnessed by Peter, James and John on the mountain Tabor
in Galilea. |
|
8
August: St. Dominic |
|
11
August: Saints Clare and Philomena |
|
9
August: St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (née Edith Stein) |
† |
15
August: Solemnity of the Assumption |
|
|
Commemorates
the Assumption of Mary into Heaven. This is a Holy Day of Obligation. Note
that Mary was assumed into Heaven -- ie, she was taken up.
Christ ascended into Heaven of His own power. The "Ascension" refers
to Christ's going to Heaven; the "Assumption" refers to Mary's going to Heaven.
|
|
20
August: St. Bernard of Clairvaux |
|
21
August: Pope St. Pius X |
|
28
August: St. Augustine |
|
24
August: Feast of Bartholomew the Apostle (Nathanael) |
|
27
August: St. Monica |
|
29
August: Beheading of John the Baptist |
|
Note: September
is dedicated to the Seven Dolours (Sorrows) of Mary |
|
3
September: Pope St. Gregory the Great |
|
8
September: Feast of the Birth of Mary |
|
13
September: St. John Chrysostom |
|
14
September: Feast of the Triumph of the Cross ("Holy Cross Day") |
|
|
Note: the
Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday after 14 September are known as "Michaelmas
Embertide," one of 4 yearly time periods known as "Ember Days," from the
Latin Quatuor Tempora, meaning "four times." They were once days of
obligatory fasting and abstinence intended to thank God for the gifts He
gives us in nature, to teach us to use them in moderation, and to help the
poor (see Zecheriah 8:19), but the practices associated with them are now
left to individual bishops. |
|
15
September: Our Lady of Sorrows |
|
|
This day is
for pondering the 7 Sorrows of Our Lady: the Prophecy of Simeon, the Flight
into Egypt, the Loss of Jesus in the Temple, the Meeting of Jesus and Mary
on the Way of the Cross, the Crucifixion, the Taking Down of the Body of
Jesus from the Cross, Jesus laid in the Tomb. |
|
19
September: San Genarro (aka Saint Januarius) |
|
|
San Genarro
is the patron saint of Napoli, beheaded in 305 by Diocletian for refusing
to worship pagan idols. Ever since the 13th Century his dried blood liquifies
18 times a year in Napoli (or, if it doesn't, disaster is said to follow).
In New York City, there's a huge San Genarro celebration in Little Italy.
|
|
21
September: Feast of St. Matthew |
|
23
September: Padre Pio |
|
27
September: St. Vincent de Paul |
|
29
September: The Feast of the Archangels |
|
|
Also known
as "Michaelmas" (pronounced "MICK'-ul-mus"), this day celebrates Michael,
Gabriel, and Raphael. In Italy, it's traditional to eat gnocchi on this day.
In England and Ireland, it's customary to eat goose. |
|
30
September: St. Jerome |
|
Note: October
is dedicated to the Holy Rosary |
|
1
October: Sainte Thérèse de Lisieux (the "Little Flower")
|
|
2
October: Feast of the Holy Guardian Angels |
|
4
October: Saint Francis of Assisi |
|
5
November: St. Elizabeth, Mother of John the Baptist |
|
7
October: Our Lady of the Rosary |
|
9
October: St. Denis, Martyred First Bishop of Paris |
|
15
October: St. Teresa of Avila |
|
17
October: St. Ignatius of Antioch, the Theophoros |
|
18
October: Feast of St. Luke |
|
28
October: Feast of Saints Jude Thaddeus and Simon the Zealot |
|
Note: November
is dedicated to the Holy Souls in Purgatory |
† |
1
November: Feast of All Saints |
|
|
Also known
as "All Hallows Day," this day celebrates all the Saints. This is a Holy
Day of Obligation. Vestments today will be white. |
|
2
November: All Souls Day |
|
|
This day is
for remembering and praying for the souls of the dead. Known in Mexico as
"Day of the Dead" ("El Dio de Los Muertos"), it is common for many Catholics
to visit the graves of loved ones on this day (especially in Latin countries).
|
|
9
November: Feast of the Dedication of St. John Lateran |
|
12
November: Saint Nilus |
|
17
November: Saint Elizabeth of Hungary |
|
21
November: The Presentation of Mary |
|
22
November: Saint Cecilia |
|
26
November: Solemnity of Christ the King |
|
|
Christ the
King falls on the last Sunday of Ordinary Time. |
|
30
November: Feast of Saint Andrew |
