Concerning the Calendar

The Calendar of the Saints is a list of those holy men, women, and children whose lives the faithful are drawn to commemorate. A Saint is placed in the Calendar because he or she, by the grace of God, was made holy, a devout disciple of our Lord, of the kind that worshiped regularly, obeyed the Scriptures, and sought to lead the moral life of a Christian in witness to the risen Lord. Some gave their lives in witness to their faith. A Calendar should not include persons simply because of national importance or political prominence. Even notable good works are not a measure of holiness. To use the words of Mother Teresa, a Saint is a Christian who did ordinary things extraordinarily well.
    The Calendar of The Anglican Service Book is structured around the prayer book Calendar of 1979 with the additions that are commonly followed in the Episcopal Church today. All commemorations in Lesser Feasts & Fasts are italicized. Additional Saints, commemorated in many places, have been added from other Anglican Calendars, as well as Calendars of various Western and Eastern Churches. Notable events in the life of Our Lord and his Church are also included. Some parishes and individuals may wish to add their own local commemorations.
    For the most part, the Saints are celebrated on their “heavenly birthday,” that is to say, the day of death; this has been the custom from the earliest days. In a few cases, where that day and the days near it are filled with more ancient or prominent observances, a translation day is kept. In rare cases, still another day is appointed, such as an ordination day.
    This Calendar is put forth to provide the Church with a suitable plan for the faithful offering to God of the daily offices and the daily mass, and as a source for the spiritual growth of the faithful in Christ who are among the saints on earth, and members of his body.
 

The Calendar of the Church Year

The Church Year consists of two cycles of feasts and holy days: one is dependent upon the movable date of the Sunday of the Resurrection or Easter Day; the other, upon the fixed date of December 25, the Feast of our Lord's Nativity or Christmas Day.

Easter Day is always the first Sunday after the full moon that falls on or after March 21. It cannot occur before March 22 or after April 25.

The sequence of all Sundays of the Church Year depends upon the date of Easter Day. But the Sundays of Advent are always the four Sundays before Christmas Day, whether it occurs on a Sunday or a weekday. The date of Easter also determines the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday, and the feast of the Ascension on a Thursday forty days after Easter Day.

1. Principal Feasts

The Principal Feasts observed in this Church are the following:

These feasts take precedence of any other day or observance. All Saints' Day may always be observed on the Sunday following November I, in addition to its observance on the fixed date.

2. Sundays

All Sundays of the year are feasts of our Lord Jesus Christ. In addition to the dated days listed above, only the following feasts, appointed on fixed days, take precedence of a Sunday:

The Holy Name, January 1
The Presentation, February 2
The Transfiguration, August 6

The feast of the Dedication of a Church, and the feast of its patron or title, may be observed on, or be transferred to, a Sunday, except in the seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter.

All other Feasts of our Lord, and all other Major Feasts appointed on fixed days in the Calendar, when they occur on a Sunday, are normally transferred to the first convenient open day within the week. When desired, however, the Collect, Preface, and one or more of the Lessons appointed for the Feast may be substituted for those of the Sunday, but not from the Last Sunday after Pentecost through the First Sunday after the Epiphany, or from the Last Sunday after the Epiphany through Trinity Sunday.

With the express permission of the bishop, and for urgent and sufficient reason, some other special occasion may be observed on a Sunday.

3. Holy Days
The following Holy Days are regularly observed throughout the year. Unless otherwise ordered in the preceding rules concerning Sundays, they have precedence over all other days of commemoration or of special observance:

Other Feasts of our Lord

Other Major Feasts

Fasts

Ash Wednesday                           Good Friday

Feasts appointed on fixed days in the Calendar are not observed on the days of Holy Week or of Easter Week. Major Feasts falling in these weeks are transferred to the week following the Second Sunday of Easter, in the order of their occurrence.

Feasts appointed on fixed days in the Calendar do not take precedence of Ash Wednesday.

Feasts of our Lord and other Major Feasts appointed on fixed days, which fall upon or are transferred to a weekday, may be observed on any open day within the week. This provision does not apply to Christmas Day, the Epiphany, and All Saints' Day.

4. Days of Special Devotion

The following days are observed by special acts of discipline and self-denial:

Ash Wednesday and the other weekdays of Lent and of Holy Week, except the feast of the Annunciation.

Good Friday and all other Fridays of the year, in commemoration of the Lord's crucifixion, except for Fridays in the Christmas and Easter seasons, and any Feasts of our Lord which occur on a Friday.

5. Days of Optional Observance

Subject to the rules of precedence governing Principal Feasts, Sundays, and Holy Days, the following may be observed with the Collects, Psalms, and Lessons duly authorized by this Church:

Commemorations listed in the Calendar
    Other Commemorations, using the Common of Saints
    The Ember Days, traditionally observed on the Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays after the First Sunday in Lent, the Day of Pentecost, Holy Cross Day, and December 13
    The Rogation days, traditionally observed on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Ascension Day Various Occasions

Provided, that there is no celebration of the Eucharist for any such occasion on Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday; and provided further, that none of the Propers appointed for Various Occasions is used as a substitute for, or as an addition to, the Proper appointed for the Principal Feasts.
 

January

1 THE HOLY NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
    (The Feast of The Circumcision of Christ)
2
3
4
5
6 THE EPIPHANY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
7
8
9 Julia Chester Emery, 1922
10 Bl. William Laud, Archbp. of Canterbury, B.M., 1645
11
12 St. Aelred of Rievaulx, Abt. C., 1167
13 St. Hilary of Poitiers, B.C.D., 367
14 St. Kentigern, B.C., 612
15 St. Paul of Thebes, First Hermit, C., c. 345
16
17 St. Antony of Egypt, Abt.C, 356
18 CONFESSION OF SAINT PETER THE APOSTLE
19 St. Wulfstan, B.C., 1095
20 St. Fabian, B.M., 250
21 St. Agnes, V.M., 304
22 St. Vincent, Dn.M., 304
23 Phillips Brooks, Bp. of Massachusetts, 1893
24 St. Francis de Sales, B.C.D., 1612
2S CONVERSION OF SA1NT PAUL THE APOSTLE
26 St. Timothy, B.M. (& St. Titus), 1st cent. (see Feb. 6)
27 St. John Chrysostom, Patr. of Constantinople, B.C.D., 407
28 St. Thomas Aquinas, Pr.C.D., 1274
29
30 Bl. Charles Stuart, K.M., 1649
31

February

1 St. Bridget of Kildare, V.Abs., c. 523
2 PRESENTATION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE (or the Purification of the B.V.M., or Candlemas)
3 St. Anskar, B. C., 865
    St. Blaise, B.M., 4th cent.
4 St. Cornelius the Centurion (prob. B.) C., 1st cent.
5 St. Agatha, V.M., c. 250
    Martyrs of Japan, 1597
6 St. Titus, B.C., 1st cent. (see Jan. 26)
7
8
9
10 St. Scholastica, V., S43
11
12
13 Absalom Jones, Pr. of Philadelphia, 1818
14 Ss. Cyril, Mk., & Methodius, B., CC., 9th cent.
15 Bl. Thomas Bray, Pr.C., 1730
16
17
18 St. Simeon of Jerusalem, B.M., 1st cent.
19
20
21 St. Peter Damian, B.C.D., 1072
22 St. Peter's Chair at Antioch
23 St. Polycarp, B.M., 156
24 SAINT MATTHIAS, Ap.M., 1st cent. (see May 14)
25 St. Ethelbert, K.C., 616
26
27 Bl. George Herbert, Pr.C., 1633
28 St. Oswald of York, B.Abt., c., 992
29

March

1 St. David of Wales, B. C., 544
2 St. Chad, B. C., 672
3 John and Charles Wesley, Prr., 1791, 1788
4
5
6
7 St. Perpetua, W.M. &: Compp. MM., 202
8 Bl. Edward King, of Lincoln, B.C., 1910
9 St. Gregory of Nyssa, B. C., 394
10
11
12 St. Gregory the Great, B.C.D., 604
13
14
16
17 St. Patrick, B. C., c. 461
18 St. Cyril of Jerusalem, B.C.D., 386
19 SAINT JOSEPH, SPOUSE OF THE B.V.M.
20 St. Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, B.C., 687
21 Bl. Thomas Ken, B.C., 1711
22 Bl. James DeKoven, Pr.C., 1879
23 St. Gregory the Illuminator, of Armenia, B.C., 332
24 St. Gabriel the Archangel
25 ANNUNCIATION OF THE B.V.M.
26
27 Charles Henry Brent, B.C., 1929
28
29 Bl. John Keble, Pr.C., 1866
31 Bl. John Donne, Pr.C., 1631

April

1 Bl. Frederick Denison Maurice, Pr., 1872
2 Bl. James Lloyd Breck, Dn.C., 1816
3 St. Richard of Chicester, B.C., 1253
4 St. Isidore of Seville, B.C.D., 636
5 St. Vincent Ferrer, Pr.C., 1419
6
7 St. John Baptiste de la Salle, C., 1719
8 Bl. William Augustus Muhlenberg, Pr.C., 1811
9 Bl. William Law, Pr.C., 1161
10
11 Bl. George Augustus Selwyn, B.C., 1818
12 St. Zeno of Verona, B.C., 371
13
14
15
16
17
18
19 St. Alphege, Archbp. of Canterbury, B.M., 1012
20
21 St. Anselm, B.C.D., 1109
22
23 St. George, M. 303
24 St. Mellitus, First B. of London, B.C., 624
25 SAINT MARK, Ev.M.
26
27
28
29 St. Catherine of Siena, V.D., 1380
30 Ss. Abtt. of Cluny, 10-11th cent.

May

1 SAINT PHILIP AND SAINT JAMES, App. Mm., 1st cent.
2 St. Athanasius, B.C.D., 373
3 Finding of the Holy Cross, 335
4 St. Monnica, W., 387
5 Conversion of St. Augustine
6 St. John Before the Latin Gate
7 St. John of Beverley, B.C., 721
8 Bl. Dame Julian of Norwich, V., c. 1417
9 St. Gregory of Nazianzus, B.C.D., 389
10
11
12
13
14 St. Pachomius, Abt. C., 346
15
16
17
18
19 St. Dunstan, Archbp. Canterbury, B.C., 988
20 St. Alcuin, Dn.Abt.C., 804
21
22
23 St. Vincent of Lerins, Pr.C., 450
24 Bl. Jackson Kemper, B.C., 1870
25 Venerable St. Bede, Pr.C.D., 735
26 St. Augustine of Canterbury, B.C., 605
27
28
29
30
31 VISITATION OF THE B.V.M.

June

1 St. Justin, M., c. 161
2 Martyrs of Lyons, 171
3 Martyrs of Uganda, 1886
4
5 St. Boniface of Mainz, B.M., 754
6 St. Norbert, Archbp. of Magdeburg, B.C., 1134
7
8 St. William, Archbp. of York, B.C., 1154
9 St. Columba of Iona, Abt.C., 591
10 St. Ephrem of Edessa, Dn.C.D., 313
11 SAINT BARNABAS, Ap.M., 1st cent.
12
13 St. Antony of Padua. Pr.C.D., 1231
14 St. Basil the Great, B.C.D., 319
15 Bl. Evelyn Underhill, Mat., 1941
16 Bl. Joseph Butler, B. C., 1152
17
18 Bl. Bernard Mizeki, Catechist M., 1896
19
20 Trans. St. Edward, K.M., 980
21
22 St. Alban, Protomartyr of England, 209
23 St. Etheldreda, Q.V.Abs., 679
24 NATIVITY OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPT1ST
25
26
27 St. Cyril of Alexandria, B.C.D., 444
28 St. lrenaeus of Lyons, B.M., 202
29 SAINT PETER AND SAINT PAUL, App.MM., 1st cent.
30 Protomartyrs of the Church of Rome, 1st cent.

July

1 Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ
2
3
4 INDEPENDENCE DAY, 1776
5 St. Vladimir of Kiev, K.C., 1015
6 St. Sexburga, Q.W.Abs., 679
7 St. Paladius, Apostle of Ireland, B.C., 5th cent.
8 Ss. Aquila, C., & Priscilla, Mat., 1st cent.
9
10
11 St. Benedict, Abt. of Monte Casino, C., c. 540
12
13 St. Silas, M., 1st cent.
14 St. Bonaventure, B.C.D., 1274
15 Trans. St. Swithun, B.C., 862
16 Our Lady of Mount Carmel
17 William White, Bp. of Pennsylvania, 1836
18
19
20
21
22 SAINT MARY MAGDALENE, Penit., 1st cent.
23
24 Bl. Thomas a Kempis, Pr.C., 1471
2S SAINT JAMES THE GREAT, Ap.M., 44
26 Parents of B.V.M. (Ss. Joachim &: Anne), 1st cent.
27 Bl. William Reed Huntington, Pr.C., 1909
28 St. Samson of Dol, B.Aht.C., 565
29 Ss. Martha &: Mary of Bethany, VV., 1st cent.
30 Bl. William Wilberforce, C., 1833
31 St. Joseph of Arimathea, C., 1st cent.

August

1 St. Peter's Chains
    (Lammas Day)
2
3 St. Nicodemus, C., 1st cent.
4 St. John Vianney, Pr.C., 1859
5 St. Oswald of Northumbria, K.M., 642
6 TRANSFIGURATION OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
7 Bl. John Mason Neale, Pr.C., 1866
8 St. Dominic, Pr.C., 1221
9
10 St. Laurence of Rome, Dn.M., 258
11 St. Clare of Assisi, V.Abs., 1253
12 St. Hippolytus, B.M., 235
13 Bl. Jeremy Taylor, B.C.D., 1667
14 Bl. Maximillian Kolbe, Pr.M., 1941
15 B.V.M. IN GLORY (or Assumption) [St. Mary the Virgin in the Episcopal Calendar]
16 St. Stephen of Hungary, K.C., 1038
17
18 St. Helena, Q.W., 330
     Bl. William Porcher DuBose, Pr., 1918
19
20 St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Abt.C.D., 1153
21 St. Abraham of Smolensk, Pr. Abt.C., 1221
22 Queenship B.V.M.
23 St. Rose of Lima, V., 1611
24 SAINT BARTHOLOMEW, Ap.M., 1st cent.
25 St. Louis of France, K.C., 1270
26
21 Thomas Gallaudet & Henry Winter Syle, Prr., 1902, 1890
28 St. Augustine of Hippo, B.C.D., 430
29 BEHEADING OF SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST, 1st cent.
30 Bl. Charles Chapman Grafton, B.C., 1912
31 St. Aidan of Lindisfarne, B.C., 651

September

1 St. Giles, Abt.C., c. 708
    Bl. David Pendleton Oakerhater, Dn.C., 1931
2 Martyrs of New Guinea, 1942
3 St. Phoebe, V.Dns., 1st cent.
4
5 Ss. Boris & Gleb (Romanus & David), Princes MM., 1015
6
7
8 NATIVITY OF B.V.M.
9 Bl. Constance of Memphis, V. & Compp. MM., 1878
10
11
12 Bl. John Henry Hobart, B. C., 1830
13 St. Cyprian of Carthage, B.M., 258
14 EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS
15 Seven Sorrows of the B.V.M.
16 St. Ninian, B. C., c. 430
17 St. Lambert of Maastricht, B.M., c. 70S
18 Bl. Edward Bouverie Pusey, Pr.C., 1882
19 St. Theodore of Tarsus, Archbp. of Canterbury, B.C., 690
20 Bl. John Coleridge Patteson, B. of Melanesia, M., & Compp. MM., 1871
21 SAINT MATTHEW. Ap.Ev.M., 1st cent.
22
23
24
25 St. Sergius of Moscow, Abt. C., 1392
26 Bl. Lancelot Andrewes of Winchester, B. C., 1626
27 St. Vincent de Paul, Pr.C., 1660
28 St. Wenceslaus of Bohemia, Duke M., 929
St. Lioba of Bischofsheim, V.Abs., 782
29 SAINT MICHAEL & ALL ANGELS
30 St. Jerome, Pr.C.D., 420

October

1 Bl. Remigius, Apostle of the Franks, B.C., c. 530
2 Holy Guardian Angels
3 St. Therese of Lisieux, V., 1897
4 St. Francis of Assisi, C., 1226
6 St. Bruno, Pr.Abt.C., 1101
    William Tyndale, Pr., 1536
7 Holy Rosary B.V.M.
8
9 Bl. Robert Grosseteste, B.C., 1253
10 St. Paulinus of York, B.C., 644
11 Motherhood of the B.V.M.
     St. Philip the Evangelist, Dn.C., 1st cent.
12 St. Wilfred, B.C., 709
13 Trans. St. Edward, K.C.
14 St. Teresa of Avila, V.D., 1582 (from Oct. 15th)
15 Our Lady of Walsingham
     Bl. Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky, B.C., 1906
16 St. Gall, Her. c., 630
     H. Latimer, B., 1555, N. Ridley, B., 1555, T. Cranmer, Archbp., 1556
17 St. Ignatius of Antioch, B.M., c. 115
     St. Frideswide of Oxford, V.Abs., 735
18 SAINT LUKE, Ev.M., 1st cent.
19 Bl. Henry Martyn, Pr.C., 1812
20
21
22
23 SAINT JAMES OF JERUSALEM, "THE JUST", KINSMAN OF OUR LORD, B.M., c. 62
24 St. Raphael the Archangel
25
26 St. Alfred, K.C., 899
27
28 SAINT SIMON AND SAINT JUDE, App.MM., 1st cent.
29 Bl. James Hannington, B.M. & Compp.MM., 1885
30
31 Vigil of All Saints

November

1 ALL SAINTS' DAY
2 All Souls' Day
3 Bl. Richard Hooker, Pr.C.D., 1600
4 St. Charles Borromeo, Archbp. of Milan, B.C., 1584
5 Ss. Elizabeth, Mat., & Zechariah, C., 1st cent.
6
7 St. Wilibrord, Apostle of Frisia, B. C., 739
8 Saints & Martyrs of the Anglican Communion
9
10 St. Leo the Great, B. C.D., 461
11 St. Martin of Tours, B.C., 397
12 Bl. Charles Simeon, Pr.C., 1836
13
14 Bestowal of the American Episcopate, 1784
15 St. Albert the Great, B.C.D., 1280
16 St. Margaret of Scotland, Q. W., 1093
17 St. Hugh of Lincoln, B.C., 1200
18 St. Hilda of Whitby, V.Abs., 680
19 St. Elizabeth of Hungary, Q.W., 1231
20 St. Edmund, King of East Anglia, M., 870
21 Presentation B.V.M.
22 St. Cecilia, V.M., c. 230
23 St. Clement of Rome, B.M., c. 100
24
2S Bl. James Otis Sargent Huntington, Pr.Abt.C., 1935
26
27
28 Bl. Emma of Hawaii, Q. W., 1885
29
30 SAINT ANDREW, Ap.M.

December

1 Bl. Nicholas Ferrar, Dn.C., & Compp., 1631
2 Channing Moore Williams, B., 1910
3 St. Francis Xavier, Pr.C., 1552
4 St. John of Damascus, Pr.C.D., c. 760
5 St. Clement of Alexandria, Pr. C.D., c. 210
6 St. Nicholas of Myra, B. C., c. 342
7 St. Ambrose of Milan, B. C.D., 391
8 CONCEPTION OF THE B.V.M.
9
10
11
12 St. Jane Frances de Chantal, W., 1641
13 St. Lucy of Syracuse, V.M., 304
14 St. John of the Cross, Pr.C.D., 1591
15
16 O Sapientia
17 Raising of St. Lazarus, C., 1st cent. (or Sept. 2)
18
19
20
21 SAINT THOMAS, Ap.M., 1st cent.
22
23
24
25 NATIVITY OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST (Christmas)
26 SAINT STEPHEN, Dn.M., 1st cent.
27 SAINT JOHN, Ap.Ev., 1st cent.
28 HOLY INNOCENTS, Martyrs, 1st cent.
29 St. Thomas of Canterbury, B.M., 1170
30 Bl. Josephine Elizabeth Butler, Mat., 1906
31 St. Sylvester, B.C., 335

 
Note: The Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ is observed on the First Sunday after the Feast of the Epiphany. The Feast of Corpus Christi is observed on the Thursday following Trinity Sunday; the Feast of the Sacred Heart is observed on the Friday of the following week.

Key to Abbreviations

Abs. abbess
Abt. abbot
Ap. Apostle
Archbp. Archbishop
B. Bishop
B.V.M. Blessed Virgin Mary
C. Confessor
Compp. Companions
D. Doctor
Dn. Deacon
Dns. Deaconess
Ev. Evangelist
Her. Hermit
K. King
M. Martyr
MM. Martyrs
Mat. Matron
Pr. Priest
Q. Queen
V. Virgin
W. Widow