New Liturgical Calendar

With the promulgation of the Missale Romanum (third typical edition) in 2000, a host of new celebrations is officially recorded in the liturgical calendar. The feasts of new saints, like Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, can actually be celebrated throughout the world immediately after their canonization, but Mass propers are now being included in the liturgical books. The new blesseds, like Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, have a feast day established in the calendar, but celebrations of that day are generally restricted to local churches and the order associated with the blessed.

Since the English translation of the Missale Romanum will likely be several years off, we present here the revised calendar which incorporates the new feast days for the Universal Church and particular celebrations for the United States. The solemnities, feasts, obligatory memorials, optional memorials and commerorations are all listed with their proper titles and spellings as they occur in official books, some of which have changed from the previous edition.

January

  1   The Octave Day of Christmas: The Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God   solemnity

  2   Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory Nazianzen, bishops & doctors   memorial

  3   The Most Holy Name of Jesus   optional memorial

  4   Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, religious   memorial

  5   Saint John Neumann, bishop   memorial

  6   Blessed André Bessette, religious   optional memorial

  7   Saint Raymond of Peñafort, priest   optional memorial

13   Saint Hilary, bishop & doctor   optional memorial

17   Saint Anthony, abbot   memorial

20   Saint Fabian, pope & martyr   optional memorial

       Saint Sebastian, martyr   optional memorial

21   Saint Agnes, virgin & martyr   memorial

22   Saint Vincent, deacon & martyr   optional memorial

24   Saint Francis de Sales, bishop & doctor   memorial

25   The Conversion of Saint Paul, apostle   feast

26   Saint Timothy and Saint Titus, bishops   memorial

27   Saint Angela Merici, virgin   optional memorial

28   Saint Thomas Aquinas, priest & doctor   memorial

31   Saint John Bosco, priest   memorial

 

Sunday between January 2 and January 8 (inclusive)   The Epiphany of the Lord   solemnity

 

Sunday after Epiphany *   The Baptism of the Lord   feast

    * When Epiphany is celebrated on January 7 or 8, this feast occurs on the next day (Monday).

February

  2   The Presentation of the Lord   feast

  3   Saint Blase, bishop & martyr   optional memorial

       Saint Ansgar, bishop   optional memorial

  5   Saint Agatha, virgin & martyr   memorial

  6   Saint Paul Miki and his companions, martyrs   memorial

  8   Saint Jerome Emiliani, priest   optional memorial

       Saint Josephine Bakhita, religious   optional memorial

10   Saint Scholastica, virgin   memorial

11   Our Lady of Lourdes   optional memorial

14   Saint Cyril, monk, and Saint Methodius, bishop   memorial

17   The Seven Founders of the Order of Servites   optional memorial

21   Saint Peter Damian, bishop & doctor   optional memorial

22   The Chair of Saint Peter, apostle   feast

23   Saint Polycarp, bishop & martyr   memorial

 

    During Lent, all memorials take on the rank of commemorations.

March

  3   Saint Katharine Drexel, religious   optional memorial

  4   Saint Casimir [prince]   optional memorial

  7   Saint Perpetua and Saint Felicity, martyrs   memorial

  8   Saint John of God, religious   optional memorial

  9   Saint Frances of Rome, religious   optional memorial

17   Saint Patrick, bishop   optional memorial

18   Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, bishop & doctor   optional memorial

19   Saint Joseph   solemnity

23   Saint Toribio de Mogrovejo, bishop   optional memorial

25   The Annunciation of the Lord   solemnity

 

    During Lent, all memorials take on the rank of commemorations.

 

If the solemnities of Saint Joseph (March 19) or The Annnuciation of the Lord (March 25) fall within Holy Week or The Octave of Easter, they would be transfered to the first available day after the Second Sunday of Easter.

April

  2   Saint Francis of Paola, hermit   optional memorial

  4   Saint Isidore, bishop & doctor   optional memorial

  5   Saint Vincent Ferrer, priest   optional memorial

  7   Saint John Baptist de la Salle, priest   memorial

11   Saint Stanislaus, bishop & martyr   memorial

13   Saint Martin I, pope & martyr   optional memorial

21   Saint Anselm, bishop & doctor   optional memorial

23   Saint George, martyr   optional memorial

       Saint Adalbert, bishop & martyr   optional memorial

24   Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen, priest & martyr   optional memorial

25   Saint Mark, evangelist   feast

28   Saint Peter Chanel, priest & martyr   optional memorial

       Saint Louis Mary de Montfort, priest   optional memorial

29   Saint Catherine of Siena, virgin & doctor   memorial

30   Saint Pius V, pope   optional memorial

 

    During Lent, all memorials take on the rank of commemorations.

 

Sunday after the first Full Moon after March 21   Easter Sunday: The Resurrection of the Lord

From the date of Easter are calculated the following: Ash Wednesday (Wednesday before 1st Sunday of Lent), First Sunday of Lent (6 Sundays before Easter), Second Sunday of Lent (5 Sundays before Easter), Third Sunday of Lent (4 Sundays before Easter), Fourth Sunday of Lent: Lætare (3 Sundays before Easter), Fifth Sunday of Lent (2 Sundays before Easter), Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion (Sunday before Easter), Holy Thursday (Thursday before Easter), Good Friday (Friday before Easter), Easter Vigil (night before Easter Sunday), Octave of Easter (Monday through Saturday after Easter), Ascension (Thursday of the 6th Week of Easter or transfered to the 7th Sunday of Easter in western regions of the U.S.), Pentecost (7 Sundays after Easter)

Sunday after Easter Sunday   Divine Mercy Sunday

May

  1   Saint Joseph the Worker   optional memorial

  2   Saint Athanasius, bishop & doctor   memorial

  3   Saint Philip and Saint James, apostles   feast

10   Blessed Damien Joseph de Veuster of Moloka'i, priest   optional memorial

12   Saint Nereus and Saint Achilleus, martyrs   optional memorial

       Saint Pancras, martyr   optional memorial

13   Our Lady of Fátima   optional memorial

14   Saint Matthias, apostle   feast

18   Saint John I, pope & martyr   optional memorial

20   Saint Bernardine of Siena, priest   optional memorial

21   Saint Christopher Magallanes, priest & martyr; and his companions, martyrs   optional memorial

22   Saint Rita of Cascia, religious   optional memorial

25   Saint Bede the Venerable, priest & doctor   optional memorial

       Saint Gregory VII, pope   optional memorial

       Saint Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi, virgin   optional memorial

26   Saint Philip Neri, priest   memorial

27   Saint Augustine of Canterbury, bishop   optional memorial

31   The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary   feast

 

Sunday after Pentecost   The Most Holy Trinity   solemnity

 

Second Sunday after Pentecost   The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ   solemnity

 

Friday after Second Sunday after Pentecost   The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus   solemnity

 

Saturday after Second Sunday after Pentecost   The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary   memorial