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General Roman Calendar

The General Roman Calendar is the liturgical calendar that indicates the dates of celebrations of saints and mysteries of the Lord (Jesus Christ) in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, wherever this liturgical rite is in use. These celebrations are a fixed annual date, or occur on a particular day of the week. Examples are the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord in January and the Feast of Christ the King in November.

Others relate to the date of Easter. Examples are the celebrations of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. National and diocesan calendars, including that of the diocese of Rome itself as well as the calendars of religious institutes and even of continents, add other saints and mysteries or transfer the celebration of a particular saint or mystery from the date assigned in the General Calendar to another date.

These liturgical calendars indicate the degree or rank of each celebration: memorial (which can be merely optional), feast, or solemnity. Among other differences, the Gloria is said or sung at the Mass of a feast but not at that of a memorial. The Creed is added on solemnities.

The last general revision of the General Roman Calendar was in 1969 and was authorized by the motu proprio Mysterii Paschalis of Paul VI. The motu proprio and the decree of promulgation were included in the book Calendarium Romanum, published in the same year by Libreria Editrice Vaticana. This contained the official document Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, and the list of celebrations of the General Roman Calendar. Both these documents are printed, in their present revised form, in the Roman Missal, after the General Instruction of the Roman Missal.

Selection of saints included

While canonization involves the addition of the saint's name to the Roman Martyrology, it does not necessarily involve the insertion of the saint's name into the General Roman Calendar, which mentions only a very limited selection of canonized saints. There is a common misconception that certain saints, (e.g., Christopher) were "unsainted" in 1969 or that veneration of them was "suppressed". Christopher is recognized as a saint of the Catholic Church, being listed as a martyr in the Roman Martyrology under 25 July.

In 1969, Paul VI issued the motu proprio Mysterii Paschalis. In it, he recognized that, while the written Acts of Saint Christopher are merely legendary, attestations to the veneration of the martyr date from ancient times. His change in the calendar of saints included "leaving the memorial of Saint Christopher to local calendars", because of the relatively late date of its insertion into the Roman calendar.

Liturgical year

In the liturgical books, the document General Roman Calendar, which lists not only fixed celebrations but also some moveable ones, is printed immediately after the document Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, which states that "throughout the course of the year the Church unfolds the entire mystery of Christ and observes the birthdays of the Saints". The birth of a saint to heaven is as a rule celebrated on a fixed day of the year. Sometimes they may be moved either to or from a Sunday. The mysteries of Christ are often celebrated on dates that always vary from year to year.

The Catholic Church's year combines two cycles of liturgical celebrations. One has been called the Proper of Time or Temporale, associated with the moveable date of Easter and the fixed date of Christmas. The other is associated with fixed calendar dates and has been called the Proper of Saints or Sanctorale. The General Roman Calendar includes celebrations that belong to the Proper of Time or Temporale and is not limited to those that make up the Proper of Saints or Sanctorale. An instance where two observances occur on the same date is called an occurrence.

Transfer of celebrations

Some celebrations listed in the General Roman Calendar are transferred to another date:

For the pastoral advantage of the people, it is permissible to observe on the Sundays in Ordinary Time those celebrations that fall during the week and have special appeal to the devotion of the faithful, provided the celebrations take precedence over these Sundays in the Table of Liturgical Days.

List of celebrations inscribed in the GRC

This list contains all celebrations currently inscribed in the General Roman Calendar. It is updated whenever the pope makes changes to the celebrations in the General Roman Calendar.

When no citation is provided for a particular celebration, it comes from Calendarium Romanum Generale (General Roman Calendar) as printed in the Latin original of Roman Missal, ed. typ. tertia (reimpressio emendata), released in 2008. Celebrations that are added or changed are cited from official decrees.

Celebration names are used from English Roman Missal (2018).

January

1 January: Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God – solemnity
2 January: Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church – memorial
3 January: The Most Holy Name of Jesus – optional memorial
6 January: The Epiphany of the Lord – solemnity^a
7 January: Saint Raymond of Penyafort, Priest – optional memorial
13 January: Saint Hilary, Bishop and Doctor of the Church – optional memorial
17 January: Saint Anthony, Abbot – memorial
20 January: Saint Fabian, Pope and Martyr – optional memorial
20 January: Saint Sebastian, Martyr – optional memorial
21 January: Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr – memorial
22 January: Saint Vincent, Deacon and Martyr – optional memorial
24 January: Saint Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church – memorial
25 January: The Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle – feast
26 January: Saints Timothy and Titus, Bishops – memorial
27 January: Saint Angela Merici, Virgin – optional memorial
28 January: Saint Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church – memorial
31 January: Saint John Bosco, Priest – memorial
Sunday after 6 January: The Baptism of the Lord – feast^b

^a The solemnity of Epiphany of the Lord is always celebrated on 6 January in the General Roman Calendar, however, in particular calendars, it might by transferred to Sunday on or after 6 January.

^b When the solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord is transferred to Sunday, which occurs on 7 or 8 January, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on the following Monday. (Ubi sollemnitas Epiphaniæ ad dominicam transfertur, quæ die 7 vel 8 ianuarii occurrit, festum Baptismatis Domini celebratur feria secunda sequenti.)

February

2 February: The Presentation of the Lord – feast
3 February: Saint Blaise, Bishop and Martyr – optional memorial
3 February: Saint Ansgar, Bishop – optional memorial
5 February: Saint Agatha, Virgin and Martyr – memorial
6 February: Saints Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs – memorial
8 February: Saint Jerome Emiliani – optional memorial
8 February: Saint Josephine Bakhita, Virgin – optional memorial
10 February: Saint Scholastica, Virgin – memorial
11 February: Our Lady of Lourdes – optional memorial
14 February: Saints Cyril, Monk, and Methodius, Bishop – memorial
17 February: The Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order – optional memorial
21 February: Saint Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church – optional memorial
22 February: The Chair of Saint Peter the Apostle – feast
23 February: Saint Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr – memorial
27 February: Saint Gregory of Narek, Abbot and Doctor of the Church – optional memorial^a

^a On 25 January 2021, Pope Francis inscribed Saint Gregory of Narek, Abbot and Doctor of the Church, in the General Roman Calendar.

March

4 March: Saint Casimir – optional memorial
7 March: Saints Perpetua and Felicity, Martyrs – memorial
8 March: Saint John of God, Religious – optional memorial
9 March: Saint Frances of Rome, Religious – optional memorial
17 March: Saint Patrick, Bishop – optional memorial
18 March: Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop and Doctor of the Church – optional memorial
19 March: Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary – solemnity
23 March: Saint Turibius of Mongrovejo, Bishop – optional memorial
25 March: The Annunciation of the Lord – solemnity

April

2 April: Saint Francis of Paola, Hermit – optional memorial
4 April: Saint Isidore, Bishop and Doctor of the Church – optional memorial
5 April: Saint Vincent Ferrer, Priest – optional memorial
7 April: Saint John Baptist de la Salle, Priest – memorial
11 April: Saint Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr – memorial
13 April: Saint Martin I, Pope and Martyr – optional memorial
21 April: Saint Anselm, Bishop and Doctor of the Church – optional memorial
23 April: Saint George, Martyr – optional memorial
23 April: Saint Adalbert, Bishop and Martyr – optional memorial
24 April: Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen, Priest and Martyr – optional memorial
25 April: Saint Mark, Evangelist – feast
28 April: Saint Peter Chanel, Priest and Martyr – optional memorial
28 April: Saint Louis Grignon de Montfort, Priest – optional memorial
29 April: Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church – memorial
30 April: Saint Pius V, Pope – optional memorial

May

1 May: Saint Joseph the Worker – optional memorial
2 May: Saint Athanasius, Bishop and Doctor of the Church – memorial
3 May: Saints Philip and James, Apostles – feast
10 May: Saint John of Ávila, Priest and Doctor of the Church – optional memorial^a
12 May: Saints Nereus and Achilleus, Martyrs – optional memorial
12 May: Saint Pancras, Martyr – optional memorial
13 May: Our Lady of Fatima – optional memorial
14 May: Saint Matthias, Apostle – feast
18 May: Saint John I, Pope and Martyr – optional memorial
20 May: Saint Bernardine of Siena, Priest – optional memorial
21 May: Saint Christopher Magallanes, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs – optional memorial
22 May: Saint Rita of Cascia, Religious – optional memorial
25 May: Saint Bede the Venerable, Priest and Doctor of the Church – optional memorial
25 May: Saint Gregory VII, Pope – optional memorial
25 May: Saint Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, Virgin – optional memorial
26 May: Saint Philip Neri, Priest – memorial
27 May: Saint Augustine of Canterbury, Bishop – optional memorial
29 May: Saint Paul VI, Pope – optional memorial^b
31 May: The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – feast
Monday after Pentecost: Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church – memorial^c
First Sunday after Pentecost: The Most Holy Trinity – solemnity
Thursday after Holy Trinity:^d The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ – solemnity

^a On 25 January 2021, Pope Francis inscribed Saint John of Avila, Priest and Doctor of the Church, in the General Roman Calendar.

^b On 25 January 2019, Pope Francis inscribed Saint Paul VI, Pope, in the General Roman Calendar.

^c On 11 February 2018, Pope Francis inscribed Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, in the General Roman Calendar. In years when the memorial of the Mother of the Church coincides with another obligatory memorial, only the memorial of the Mother of the Church will be celebrated for that year.

^d The solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ can be transferred to the following Sunday in particular calendars.

June

1 June: Saint Justin, Martyr – memorial
2 June: Saints Marcellinus and Peter, Martyrs – optional memorial
3 June: Saints Charles Lwanga and Companions, Martyrs – memorial
5 June: Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr – memorial
6 June: Saint Norbert, Bishop – optional memorial
9 June: Saint Ephrem, Deacon and Doctor of the Church – optional memorial
11 June: Saint Barnabas, Apostle – memorial
13 June: Saint Anthony of Padua, Priest and Doctor of the Church – memorial
19 June: Saint Romuald, Abbot – optional memorial
21 June: Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, Religious – memorial
22 June: Saint Paulinus of Nola, Bishop – optional memorial
22 June: Saints John Fisher, Bishop, and Thomas More, Martyrs – optional memorial
24 June: The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist – solemnity
27 June: Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Bishop and Doctor of the Church – optional memorial
28 June: Saint Irenaeus, Bishop, Martyr and Doctor of the Church – memorial^a
29 June: Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles – solemnity
30 June: The First Martyrs of Holy Roman Church – optional memorial
Friday after the Second Sunday after Pentecost: The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus – solemnity^b
Saturday after the Second Sunday after Pentecost: The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary – memorial^c

^a The title Doctor of the Church was conferred to Saint Irenaeus by Pope Francis on 21 January 2022.

^b In 2022, the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus coincided with the solemnity of the Nativity of John the Baptist. The Holy See kept the solemnity of the Sacred Heart on 24 June and brought forward the Nativity of John the Baptist to 23 June, except in locations where John the Baptist is the patron saint, where the reverse applied.

^c In years when the memorial of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary coincides with another obligatory memorial, both must be considered optional for that year.

July

3 July: Saint Thomas, Apostle – feast
4 July: Saint Elizabeth of Portugal – optional memorial
5 July: Saint Anthony Zaccaria, Priest – optional memorial
6 July: Saint Maria Goretti, Virgin and Martyr – optional memorial
9 July: Saint Augustine Zhao Rong, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs – optional memorial
11 July: Saint Benedict, Abbot – memorial
13 July: Saint Henry – optional memorial
14 July: Saint Camillus de Lellis, Priest – optional memorial
15 July: Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church – memorial
16 July: Our Lady of Mount Carmel – optional memorial
20 July: Saint Apollinaris, Bishop and Martyr – optional memorial
21 July: Saint Lawrence of Brindisi, Priest and Doctor of the Church – optional memorial
22 July: Saint Mary Magdalene – feast^a
23 July: Saint Bridget, Religious – optional memorial
24 July: Saint Sharbel Makhluf, Priest – optional memorial
25 July: Saint James, Apostle – feast
26 July: Saints Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary – memorial
29 July: Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus – memorial^b
30 July: Saint Peter Chrysologus, Bishop and Doctor of the Church – optional memorial
31 July: Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Priest – memorial

^a Pope Francis raised the rank of the celebration of Saint Mary Magdalene to feast on 3 June 2016.

^b Pope Francis decreed on 26 January 2021 that Saints Mary and Lazarus of Bethany are to be celebrated alongside of Saint Martha.

August

1 August: Saint Alphonsus Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church – memorial
2 August: Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, Bishop – optional memorial
2 August: Saint Peter Julian Eymard, Priest – optional memorial
4 August: Saint Jean Vianney, Priest – memorial
5 August: The Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major – optional memorial
6 August: The Transfiguration of the Lord – feast
7 August: Saint Sixtus II, Pope, and Companions, Martyrs – optional memorial
7 August: Saint Cajetan, Priest – optional memorial
8 August: Saint Dominic, Priest – memorial
9 August: Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Virgin and Martyr – optional memorial
10 August: Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr – feast
11 August: Saint Clare, Virgin – memorial
12 August: Saint Jane Frances de Chantal, Religious – optional memorial
13 August: Saints Pontian, Pope, and Hippolytus, Priest, Martyrs – optional memorial
14 August: Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Priest and Martyr – memorial
15 August: The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – solemnity
16 August: Saint Stephen of Hungary – optional memorial
19 August: Saint John Eudes, Priest – optional memorial
20 August: Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church – memorial
21 August: Saint Pius X, Pope – memorial
22 August: The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary – memorial
23 August: Saint Rose of Lima, Virgin – optional memorial
24 August: Saint Bartholomew, Apostle – feast
25 August: Saint Louis – optional memorial
25 August: Saint Joseph Calasanz, Priest – optional memorial
27 August: Saint Monica – memorial
28 August: Saint Augustine of Hippo, Bishop and Doctor of the Church – memorial
29 August: The Passion of Saint John the Baptist, Martyr – memorial

September

3 September: Saint Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church – memorial
8 September: The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary – feast
9 September: Saint Peter Claver, Priest – optional memorial
12 September: The Most Holy Name of Mary – optional memorial
13 September: Saint John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church – memorial
14 September: The Exaltation of the Holy Cross – feast
15 September: Our Lady of Sorrows – memorial
16 September: Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs – memorial
17 September: Saint Robert Bellarmine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church – optional memorial
17 September: Saint Hildegard of Bingen, Virgin and Doctor of the Church – optional memorial^a
19 September: Saint Januarius, Bishop and Martyr – optional memorial
20 September: Saints Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest, Paul Chong Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs – memorial
21 September: Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist – feast
23 September: Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest – memorial
26 September: Saints Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs – optional memorial
27 September: Saint Vincent de Paul, Priest – memorial
28 September: Saint Wenceslaus, Martyr – optional memorial
28 September: Saint Lawrence Ruiz and Companions, Martyrs – optional memorial
29 September: Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels – feast
30 September: Saint Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church – memorial

^a On 25 January 2021, Pope Francis inscribed Saint Hildegard of Bingen, Virgin and Doctor of the Church, in the General Roman Calendar.

October

1 October: Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church – memorial
2 October: The Holy Guardian Angels – memorial
4 October: Saint Francis of Assisi – memorial
5 October: Saint Faustina Kowalska, Virgin – optional memorial^a
6 October: Saint Bruno, Priest – optional memorial
7 October: Our Lady of the Rosary – memorial
9 October: Saint Denis, Bishop, and Companions, Martyrs – optional memorial
9 October: Saint John Leonardi, Priest – optional memorial
11 October: Saint John XXIII, Pope – optional memorial^b
14 October: Saint Callistus I, Pope and Martyr – optional memorial
15 October: Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church – memorial
16 October: Saint Hedwig, Religious – optional memorial
16 October: Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin – optional memorial
17 October: Saint Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop and Martyr – memorial
18 October: Saint Luke, Evangelist – feast
19 October: Saints John de Brébeuf, Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions, Martyrs – optional memorial
19 October: Saint Paul of the Cross, Priest – optional memorial
22 October: Saint John Paul II, Pope – optional memorial^c
23 October: Saint John of Capistrano, Priest – optional memorial
24 October: Saint Anthony Mary Claret, Bishop – optional memorial
28 October: Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles – feast

^a On 18 May 2020, Pope Francis inscribed Saint Faustina Kowalska, Virgin, in the General Roman Calendar.

^b On 29 May 2014, Pope Francis inscribed Saint John XXIII, Pope, in the General Roman Calendar.

^c On 29 May 2014, Pope Francis inscribed Saint John Paul II, Pope, in the General Roman Calendar.

November

1 November: All Saints – solemnity
2 November: The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed – ranked with solemnities
3 November: Saint Martin de Porres, Religious – optional memorial
4 November: Saint Charles Borromeo, Bishop – memorial
9 November: The Dedication of the Lateran Basilica – feast
10 November: Saint Leo the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church – memorial
11 November: Saint Martin of Tours, Bishop – memorial
12 November: Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr – memorial
15 November: Saint Albert the Great, Bishop and Doctor of the Church – optional memorial
16 November: Saint Margaret of Scotland – optional memorial
16 November: Saint Gertrude, Virgin – optional memorial
17 November: Saint Elizabeth of Hungary, Religious – memorial
18 November: The Dedication of the Basilicas of Saints Peter and Paul, Apostles – optional memorial
21 November: The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – memorial
22 November: Saint Cecilia, Virgin and Martyr – memorial
23 November: Saint Clement I, Pope and Martyr – optional memorial
23 November: Saint Columban, Abbot – optional memorial
24 November: Saints Andrew Dung-Lac, Priest, and Companions, Martyrs – memorial
25 November: Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr – optional memorial
30 November: Saint Andrew, Apostle – feast
Last Sunday in Ordinary Time: Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe – solemnity

December

3 December: Saint Francis Xavier, Priest – memorial
4 December: Saint John Damascene, Priest and Doctor of the Church – optional memorial
6 December: Saint Nicholas, Bishop – optional memorial
7 December: Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church – memorial
8 December: The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary – solemnity
9 December: Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin – optional memorial
10 December: Our Lady of Loreto – optional memorial^a
11 December: Saint Damasus I, Pope – optional memorial
12 December: Our Lady of Guadalupe – optional memorial
13 December: Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr – memorial
14 December: Saint John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church – memorial
21 December: Saint Peter Canisius, Priest and Doctor of the Church – optional memorial
23 December: Saint John of Kanty, Priest – optional memorial
25 December: Nativity of the Lord – solemnity
26 December: Saint Stephen, the First Martyr – feast
27 December: Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist – feast
28 December: The Holy Innocents, Martyrs – feast
29 December: Saint Thomas Becket, Bishop and Martyr – optional memorial
31 December: Saint Sylvester I, Pope – optional memorial
Sunday within the Octave of Christmas, or, if there is no such Sunday, 30 December: The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph – feast

^a On 31 October 2019, Pope Francis inscribed Our Lady of Loreto in the General Roman Calendar.

Particular calendars

The General Calendar is printed, for instance, in the Roman Missal and the Liturgy of the Hours. These are up to date when printed, but additional feasts may be added later. For that reason, if those celebrating the liturgy have not inserted into the books a note about the changes, they must consult the current annual publication, known as the "Ordo", for their country or religious congregation.

These annual publications, like those that, disregarding the feasts that are obligatory in the actual church where the liturgy is celebrated, list only celebrations included in the General Calendar, are useful only for the current year, since they omit celebrations impeded because of falling on a Sunday or during periods such as Holy Week and the Octave of Easter.

This distinction is made in application of the decision of the Second Vatican Council: "Lest the feasts of the saints should take precedence over the feasts which commemorate the very mysteries of salvation, many of them should be left to be celebrated by a particular Church or nation or family of religious; only those should be extended to the universal Church which commemorate saints who are truly of universal importance."

Institutional and societal calendars

National calendars

Personal jurisdiction calendars

Diocesan and parish calendars

The calendar for a diocese is typically based on a national calendar, with a few additions. For instance, the anniversary of the dedication of the cathedral is celebrated as a solemnity in the cathedral church and as a feast in all the other churches of the diocese. The feast day of the principal patron saint of the diocese is celebrated as a feast throughout the diocese.

References

External links

"General Roman Calendar as applied to a specific year".
"Full text of the General Roman Calendar in Latin". 17 September 2015.

Text submitted to CC-BY-SA license. Source: General Roman Calendar by Wikipedia (Historical)

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