Understanding Ascensiontide: Ascension Thursday through Vigil of Pentecost

Of all the seasons that the Modern Novus Ordo Catholic Calendar has neglected to properly retain and celebrate, Ascensiontide has, like Epiphanytide, unfortunately, fallen by the wayside.  But, for those Catholics committed to the Sacred Traditions of the past, Ascensiontide holds a special length of time.

Ascentiontide lasts for 10 days and is part of Pascaltide. The first nine days of Ascensiontide include the traditional Octave of the Ascension. The last day in Ascentiontide is the Vigil of Pentecost. Pentecost Sunday, which traditionally has its own octave, follows. Trinity Sunday, the Sunday after Pentecost, officially begins the Season After Pentecost. The total length of Paschaltide, from Easter Sunday to the end of Whitsuntide is 56 days (inclusively). 

For this season of Ascensiontide, Catholics are welcomed and encouraged to immerse themselves in the devotions appropriate for the season.  For example, during this season there are special prayers for the time between Ascension and Pentecost.

Before the changes of Pope Pius XII in 1955, there was a liturgical octave for the Ascension, and remnants of the octave can be found in the Office as it now stands.  The appropriate texts for the minor hours (except for the collects) are set out in the psalter. For the collects, Lauds and Vespers however, you need to keep your ribbon on the page for the Ordinary of Ascensiontide. The key points to note are set out via Saints will Arise.

So what exactly is Ascensiontide and what customs do traditional Catholics observe during this time?

Ascension Thursday

Image Source: A Catholic Life Blog (c) 2019 of the Torre Dell'Orologio

Taking place 40 days after Easter Sunday, the Church celebrates Our Lord's Glorious Ascension into Heaven on Ascension Thursday. The Ascension has three principal parts: the departure of Jesus from earth, His going up into heaven, and taking His place at the right hand of the Father.

It was precisely on the fortieth day after our Lord's Resurrection that He ascended into Heaven.

On the Mount of Olives, the same mount where the Passion began, Our Lord physically ascended into Heaven. At the top of the mount is a chapel in honor of the Ascension and the ground still retains the depressions His sacred feet had left.

Fisheaters further shares some of the great regional customs for this Feast Day and Holy Day of Obligation in reference to the above image: "Something else wonderful happens in Italy on the Feast of the Ascension and the days following: in Venice, there is a clock tower in the Piazza San Marco. This marvelous clock, made in A.D. 1499 (and recently restored) indicates not only the minutes and hours, but the days, months, Zodiacal signs, and phases of the Moon as well. At the top of the tower are two large figures known as the Moors ("Mori"), who signal the hour by striking a large bell. Underneath them is a large, golden lion -- the symbol of St. Mark, patron of Venice. Underneath this is a niche which holds a figure of Our Lady and her Son. Twice a year -- on the Feast of the Epiphany and during the festivities surrounding the Ascension (known as "la Festa della Sensa" in Venice) -- doors on either side of Our Lady open up, and out come the three Magi, led by an angel. The angel and Kings make their way around Our Lady and Jesus, the angel regaling them with his trumpet, and the Kings bowing and removing their crowns."

Vigil of Pentecost

The Mass for Pentecost was formerly celebrated during the night and has since been anticipated.  It seems that the Vigil was modeled on that of Easter.  As on Holy Saturday, a vigil was kept during the night of Pentecost Sunday to prepare for the Sacrament of Baptism. Even before the changes in 1955, the Vigil of Pentecost, while not kept in the night, was still filled with rich symbolism and in many respects mirrored the Easter Vigil.

Octave of Pentecost

The Feast of Whitsun - the term Whitsunday is another name for Pentecost alluding to the white vestments of the neophytes - is as ancient as that of Easter.  The Saturday following the Octave of Pentecost officially begins the Season After Pentecost.

While the Novus Ordo calendar unfortunately only has 2 octaves, traditional Catholics will be familiar with the idea of multiple overlaping Octaves.  The practice of celebrating an Octave, while not only traced to the time spent by the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary awaiting the Paraclete, also has its origins in the Old Testament eight-day celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:36) and the Dedication of the Temple (2 Chronicles 7:9). Very truly, Christ did not come to abolish the Old Law but to fulfill it.

By the 8th century, Rome had developed liturgical octaves not only for Easter, Pentecost, and Christmas, but also for the Epiphany and the feast of the dedication of a church.

After 1568, when Pope Pius V reduced the number of octaves (since by then they had grown considerably), the number of Octaves was still plentiful.  Octaves were classified into several types. Easter and Pentecost had "specially privileged" octaves, during which no other feast whatsoever could be celebrated. Christmas, Epiphany, and Corpus Christi had "privileged" octaves, during which certain highly ranked feasts might be celebrated. The octaves of other feasts allowed even more feasts to be celebrated.

To reduce the repetition of the same liturgy for several days, Pope Leo XIII and Pope St. Pius X made further distinctions, classifying octaves into three primary types: privileged octaves, common octaves, and simple octaves. Privileged octaves were arranged in a hierarchy of first, second, and third orders. For the first half of the 20th century, octaves were ranked in the following manner, which affected holding other celebrations within their timeframes:

• Privileged Octaves
  • Privileged Octaves of the First Order
    • Octave of Easter
    • Octave of Pentecost
  • Privileged Octaves of the Second Order
    • Octave of Epiphany
    • Octave of Corpus Christi
  • Privileged Octaves of the Third Order
    • Octave of Christmas
    • Octave of the Ascension
    • Octave of the Sacred Heart
• Common Octaves
  • Octave of the Immaculate Conception of the BVM
  • Octave of the Solemnity of St. Joseph
  • Octave of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist
  • Octave of Saints Peter and Paul
  • Octave of All Saints
  • Octave of the Assumption of the BVM
• Simple Octaves
  • Octave of St. Stephen
  • Octave of St. John the Apostle
  • Octave of the Holy Innocents

As one can notice, the Octave of the Pentecost ranked even higher than the Octave of Christmas!

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Fast & Abstinence on the Vigil of Ss. Peter and Paul

Commemoration (1954 Calendar): June 28

The Vigil of Ss. Peter and Paul, like the vigils of the other apostles which used to be days of fasting and preparation, has fallen by the wayside after the changes to the Church's liturgical life even before Vatican II. This particular day of fasting is one of the few remnants of the Apostles Fast, which was instituted by Pope St. Leo the Great in 461.

Part of the reason for preparation was on account of the Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul being a Universal Holy Day of Obligation in many places. In fact, all of the feasts of the Apostles were Holy Days of Obligation on the Universal Calendar from 932 AD - as cited by Father Weiser on page 279 in his "Christian Feasts and Customs" - to 1911. However, most localities did not observe all of these feastdays as Holy Days. The Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul was the most commonly observed Holy Day among the feasts of the apostles.

At the time of America's formation, the holydays of obligation, in addition to every Sunday, were as follows for the new country: the feasts of Christmas, Circumcision, Epiphany, Annunciation, Easter Monday, Ascension, Whitsun Monday, Corpus Christi, Ss. Peter and Paul, Assumption, and All Saints. The fasting days were the Ember Days of each of the seasons; the forty days Lent; Wednesdays and Fridays in Advent; and the vigils of Christmas, Pentecost, Ss Peter and Paul, and All Saints. Abstinence was required on days of fasting as well as Fridays and Saturdays throughout the year. Notice, the Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul as well as the Vigil of Ss. Peter and Paul on the list.

The Vigil of Ss. Peter and Paul ceased being a fast day in America by 1842. Pope Gregory XVI in 1837 dispensed all the dioceses then in the United States from the obligation as to Easter Monday and Whitsun Monday and in 1840 from that of the feast of St Peter and St Paul and the same Sovereign Pontiff relieved the faithful from the fast on Wednesdays in Advent.

Yet it remained as a Holy Day in many other places. Even after the significant changes made by Pope St. Pius X to the list of Holy Days in 1911, Ss. Peter and Paul remained a Holy Day of Obligation in the Universal Church, though it was not reestablished as such in the United States: "Where, however, any of the above feasts has been abolished or transferred, the new legislation is not effective. In the United States consequently the Epiphany and the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul are not days of precept" (Catholic Encyclopedia).

In Great Britain, Ireland, Australia, and Canada the Vigil of Ss. Peter and Paul remained a day of fasting and abstinence up until the 1917 Code of Canon law. In 1902, the Holy Father granted a special dispensation for Catholics in England from fasting on the Vigil of Ss. Peter and Paul in honor of the coronation of King Edward VII, illustrating historical proof of its observance in the early part of the 20th century.

Per the 1917 Code, fasting and abstinence were not observed should a vigil fall on a Sunday as stated in the code: "If a vigil that is a fast day falls on a Sunday the fast is not to be anticipated on Saturday, but is dropped altogether that year." However, beforehand, the fast was observed to the Saturday previous. As a result, in years when the Vigil of Ss. Peter and Paul (June 28th) falls on a Sunday, we can observe the fast and abstinence on Saturday. Other years, we can voluntarily observe June 28th as a day of fasting and abstinence to prepare for the Feast in honor of Ss. Peter and Paul.

The wisdom of Dom Gueranger, written in the late 1800s, can apply to us even today:

Let us, then, recollect ourselves, preparing our hearts in union with holy Church, by faithfully observing this vigil.  When the obligation of thus keeping up certain days of preparation previous to the festivals is strictly maintained by a people, it is a sign that Faith is still living amongst them; it proves that they understand the greatness of that which the holy liturgy proposes to their homage.  Christians in the West, we who make the glory of Saints Peter and Paul our boast, let us remember the Lent in honour of the Apostles begun by Greek schismatics on the close of the Paschal solemnities, and continued up to this day.  The contrast between them and ourselves will be of a nature to stir softness and ingratitude hold too large a share.  If certain concessions have, for grave reasons, been reluctantly made by the Church, so that the fast of this vigil is not longer observed, let us see therein a double motive for holding fast to her precious Tradition.  Let us make up by fervor, thanksgiving and love, for the severity lacking in our observance, which is yet still maintained by so many Churches notwithstanding their schismatic separation from Rome.

While the Vigils of the other Apostles were removed by Pope Pius XII in 1955, the Vigil of Ss. Peter and Paul remained and is preserved in the 1962 Missal. At the time of the formation of the Tridentine Calendar, the Vigil of Ss. Peter and Paul was commemorated on June 28th as it fell on the Feast of St. Leo II. In 1921, the Feast of St. Leo II was moved to July 3rd, and St. Irenaeus was added to the Universal Calendar on June 28th; the Vigil of Ss. Peter and Paul remained commemorated. However, in 1960, St. Irenaeus was moved to July 3rd, and St. Leo II disappeared from the Calendar to free up the 28th entirely for the Vigil. Sadly, the vigil disappeared altogether in the Novus Ordo 1969 Calendar. Therefore, how the Vigil is celebrated or commemorated on June 28th will depend on the year of the Missal. You can read more about the liturgical feasts on June 28th at the New Liturgical Movement.

Collect:

O Almighty God, let no disturbance upset us, for You have established us upon the rock of Your apostles. Through our Lord . . .

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Day of Fasting: Vigil of the Immaculate Conception (December 7)

 The Immaculate Conception by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
Besides being the feastday of St. Ambrose, today is the Vigil of the Immaculate Conception.  And, consequently, today is traditionally a day of fasting and partial abstinence from meat.

Day of Fast and Abstinence

Today, we as traditional Catholics are called upon to fast and to refrain from eating any flesh meat, except with the one principal meal allowed on a day of fasting.  Meat is considered to be the flesh and organs of mammals and fowl. Also forbidden are soups or gravies made from them. Salt and freshwater fish species, amphibians, reptiles, and shellfish are permitted.  On this day one, normal-sized meal and two smaller meals that do not equal the normal meal are allowed. Eating between meals, however, is prohibited although fruit juices and milk are allowed. The two smaller meals can not contain flesh meat.

History of the Vigil of the Immaculate Conception:

On November 30, 1879, Pope Leo XIII added the Vigil of the Immaculate Conception to the Universal Church's calendar, increasing the number of liturgical vigils from 16 to 17, which not including Holy Saturday, consisted of "the eves of Christmas, the Epiphany, the Ascension, Pentecost, the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption, the eight feasts of the Apostles, St. John the Baptist, St. Laurence, and All Saints." At this time, the Vigil of the Immaculate Conception was not yet a fast day. These 17 vigils mentioned were still in place at the time of the writing of the Catholic Encyclopedia in 1909.

On July 25, 1957, Pope Pius XII transferred the fast in the Universal Church from the Vigil of the Assumption to the Vigil of the Immaculate Conception on December 7, even though he had previously abrogated the Mass for the Vigil of the Immaculate Conception. Thus, today starting in 1957 was a day of mandatory fasting and abstinence. This is preserved in the laws in force in 1962 for instance.

By 1962, the laws of fasting and abstinence were as follows as described in "Moral Theology" by Rev. Heribert Jone and adapted by Rev. Urban Adelman for the "laws and customs of the United States of America" copyright 1961: "Complete abstinence is to be observed on all Fridays of the year, Ash Wednesday, the Vigils of Immaculate Conception and Christmas. Partial abstinence is to be observed on Ember Wednesdays and Saturdays and on the Vigil of Pentecost. Days of fast are all the weekdays of Lent, Ember Days, and the Vigil of Pentecost." If a vigil falls on a Sunday, the law of abstinence and fasting is dispensed that year and is not transferred to the preceding day. Father Jone adds additional guidance for the Vigil of the Nativity fast: "General custom allows one who is fasting to take a double portion of food at the collation on Christmas Eve (jejunium gaudiosum)."

The Importance of the Immaculate Conception:

The Immaculate Conception is a dogma of the faith stating that Mary was conceived sinless in the womb of her mother, St. Anne. The Blessed Virgin Mary remained without sin throughout her entire life. Remember, Mary is not just an average woman but the Mother of God; she is extraordinary (Luke 1:42). She is, by no means, divine in anyway, but she certainly is the greatest of all saints. She is the perfect model of charity. Let us try and imitate Mary by wearing her Brown Scapular and praying the Rosary. To imitate Mary, is to grow closer to Jesus Christ, Our Savior.

Ad Diem Illum Laetissimum:

An interval of a few months will again bring round that most happy day on which, fifty years ago, Our Predecessor Pius IX., Pontiff of holy memory, surrounded by a noble crown of Cardinals and Bishops, pronounced and promulgated with the authority of the infallible magisterium as a truth revealed by God that the Most Blessed Virgin Mary in the first instant of her conception was free from all stain of original sin. All the world knows the feelings with which the faithful of all the nations of the earth received this proclamation and the manifestations of public satisfaction and joy which greeted it, for truly there has not been in the memory of man any more universal or more harmonious expression of sentiment shown towards the august Mother of God or the Vicar of Jesus Christ. 

ENCYCLICAL OF POPE ST. PIUS X ON THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, FEBRUARY 2, 1904

Mary, Immaculate Virgin Mother of God, pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Collect:

O God, who didst wondrously preserve the mother of Thine only-begotten Son from original sin in her own conception, grant, we beseech Thee, that Thou mayest make us, strengthened by her intercession, to keep her festival with clean hearts. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Want to learn more about the history of fasting and abstinence? Check out the Definitive Guide to Catholic Fasting and Abstinence.

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Vigil of the Ascension

Rogation Day procession, circa 1945, at Portsmouth Abbey

Introit

He heard my voice from His holy temple, alleluia: and my cry before Him came into His ears, alleluia, alleluia. -- (Ps. 17. 2, 3). I will love Thee, O Lord, my strength: the Lord is my firmament, my refuge and my deliverer. V.: Glory be to the Father . . . -- He heard my voice from His holy temple . . .

Traditional Epistle (1962 Missal): Ephesians 4. 7-13

Brethren, To every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the giving of Christ. Wherefore He saith: Ascending on high, He led captivity captive; He gave gifts to men. Now, that He ascended, what is it, but because He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended above all the heavens, that He might fill all things. And He gave some Apostles, and some Prophets, and other some Evangelists, and other some Pastors and Doctors, for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, fo the edifying of the body of Christ; until we all meet into the unity of faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the age of the fulness of Christ

Gospel: John 17. 1-11

At that time, Jesus lifting up His eyes to heaven said: Father, the hour has come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son may glorify Thee, as Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He may give eternal life to all whom Thou hast given Him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. I have glorified Thee on the earth; I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do; and now glorify Thou Me, O Father, with Thyself, with the glory which I had, before the world was, with Thee. I have manifested Thy Name to the men whom Thou hast given Me out of the world. Thine they were, and to Me Thou givest them, and they have kept Thy word. Now they have known that all things which Thou hast given Me are from Thee: because the words which Thou gavest Me, I have given to them: and they have received them, and have known in very deed that I came out from Thee, and they have believed that Thou didst send Me. I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for them whom Thou hast given Me; because they are Thine: and all My things are Thine, and Thine are Mine: and I am glorified in them. And now I am not in the world, and these are in the world, and I come to Thee.

The Ascension of Christ painting by Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo

Reflection:

The Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday before Ascension Thursday are referred to as the Minor Rogation. These days have their origin back in 470 AD by Bishop Mamertus of Vienna.  In time, they were eventually adopted as part of the Church's Universal Calendar.

The Wikipedia entry for Rogation Days is rather correct when it states:

The word "Rogation" comes from the Latin verb rogare, meaning "to ask", and was applied to this time of the liturgical year because the Gospel reading for the previous Sunday included the passage "Ask and ye shall receive" (cf. John 16:24). The Sunday itself was often called Rogation Sunday as a result, and marked the start of a three-week period (ending on Trinity Sunday), when Roman Catholic and Anglican clergy did not solemnize marriages (two other such periods of marital prohibition also formerly existed, one beginning on the first Sunday in Advent and continuing through the Octave of Epiphany, or 13 January, and the other running from Septuagesima until the Octave of Easter, the Sunday after Easter).

For hundreds of years, the Faithful would observe these Minor Rogations - the 3rd of which occurs on the Vigil of the Ascension - by prayer and fasting (though Rome never mandated fasting during Pascaltide).  At this time, it is customarily to have the crops in one's fields blessed by a priest in violet-colored vestments.  Rogation Days were characterized by the Rogation procession in which parishioners, led by the minister, churchwarden, and choirboys, would proceed around the boundary of their parish and pray for its protection in the forthcoming year.

According to the great Church Father, St. Augustine, the Feast of the Ascension is of Apostolic origin.  As early as the fifth century, documentation of this feast is preserved.  The Pilgrimage of Aetheria speaks of the vigil of this feast and of the feast itself, as they were kept in the church built over the grotto in Bethlehem in which Christ was born

Since the 15th century (at the time of His Holiness Leo III) and up until the Second Vatican Council, the Ascension had an associated Octave attached to it for the Church – and the faithful – to prepare for the Feast of Pentecost.  Predating this octave is the long-established practice of having a Vigil for the Ascension. 

While the Feast of the Ascension – despite its high rank as one of the most important holy days in the year – has fallen into obscurity and lack of observance in many areas, it is still a public holiday in many countries.  In some countries (at least in Austria, Belgium, Colombia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany (since the 1930s), Haiti, Iceland, Indonesia, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Namibia, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and Vanuatu) it is a public holiday.

Today is a day of penance in preparation for our Lord’s triumphant entry into Heaven tomorrow and the coming conclusion of Pascaltide. 

As a final reminder for the importance of this Rogation Day, let us read from the words of the great liturgist Dom Guéranger, O.S.B.:

The Rogation days were instituted for another end besides this of averting the divine anger. We must beg our heavenly Father to bless the fruits of the earth; we must beseech Him, with all the earnestness of public prayer, to give us our daily bread. “The eyes of all,” says the psalmist, “hope in Thee, O Lord! And Thou givest them food in due season. Thou openest Thy hand, and fillest with blessing every living creature.” In accordance with the consoling doctrine conveyed by these words, the Church prays to God, that He would, this year, give to all living creatures on earth the food they stand in need of. She acknowledges that we are not worthy of the favour, for we are sinners. Let us unite with her in this humble confession; but, at the same time, let us join her in beseeching our Lord to make mercy triumph over justice. How easily could He frustrate the self-conceited hopes, and the clever systems of men! They own that all depends on the weather; and on whom does that depend? They cannot do without God. True, they seldom speak of Him, and He permits Himself to be forgotten by them; but “He neither sleepeth nor slumbereth, that keepeth Israel.” He has but to withhold His blessing, and all their progress in agricultural science, whereby they boast to have made famine an impossibility, is of no effect. Some unknown disease comes upon a vegetable; it causes distress among the people, and endangers the social order of a world that has secularized itself from the Christian law, and would at once perish, but for the mercy of the God it affects to ignore.

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Vigil of All Saints

Today is the Eve of All Saints Day (i.e., Halloween), and tomorrow is the Feast of All Saints, a Holy Day of Obligation in many countries. So, please remember to attend Holy Mass tomorrow. Failure to attend Mass without a good reason is a mortal sin. Prepare for Halloween the Catholic Way.

Also, many indulgences are available starting tomorrow, and some apply only to the souls in purgatory. Help the suffering souls! Gain indulgences for them. And learn about today's pre-1955 ways that Traditional Catholics observe to keep this ancient vigil alive.

The History of the Vigil of All Saints as a Day of Fasting and Abstinence

The Catholic Encyclopedia notes that the Vigil of All Saints (Halloween) is an ancient observance almost as old as the Feast of All Saints itself:

Gregory III (731-741) consecrated a chapel in the Basilica of St. Peter to all the saints and fixed the anniversary for 1 November. A basilica of the Apostles already existed in Rome, and its dedication was annually remembered on 1 May. Gregory IV (827-844) extended the celebration on 1 November to the entire Church. The vigil seems to have been held as early as the feast itself. The octave was added by Sixtus IV (1471-84).

Its observance as a fast day is ancient, as the Catholic Encyclopedia states: "Pope Nicholas I (d. 867), in his answer to the Bulgarians, speaks of the fast on the eves of Christmas and of the Assumption...The Synod of Seligenstadt in 1022 AD mentions vigils on the eves of Christmas, Epiphany, the feast of the Apostles, the Assumption of Mary, St. Laurence, and All Saints, besides the fast of two weeks before the Nativity of St. John."

This day of fasting would remain for centuries. Fasting and abstinence, along with Holy Days of Obligation, were, in practice, highly varied depending on each nation and territory. We see this liturgical diversity in the various colonies. For instance, Catholics in the colonies in Florida and Louisiana observed these fasting days:

“The fasting days were all days in Lent; the Ember days; the eves of Christmas, Candlemas, Annunciation, Assumption, All Saints, the feasts of the Apostles except St Philip and St James and St John, and the Nativity of St John the Baptist; all Fridays except within twelve days of Christmas and between Easter and Ascension, and the eve of Ascension.” 

Likewise, the western colonies under Spanish rule in modern-day Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California observed as fast days: 

“…all days in Lent except Sunday; eves of Christmas, Whit Sunday, St Mathias, St John the Baptist, St Peter and St Paul, St James, St Lawrence, Assumption, St Bartholomew, St Matthew, St Simon and St Jude, All Saints, St Andrew, and St Thomas.”

At the time of America’s founding, the fast days observed by the new Republic consisted of the Ember Days; the forty days Lent; Wednesdays and Fridays in Advent; and the vigils of Christmas, Whitsun Sunday (i.e., Pentecost), Saints Peter and Paul, and All Saints. Abstinence was practiced on all Fridays and Saturdays of the year unless a Holy Day of Obligation were to occur on them.

The Catholic Encyclopedia from 1909 in describing that fast immediately before the changes to occur under St. Pius X enumerates them as follows: 

“In the United States of America all the days of Lent; the Fridays of Advent (generally); the Ember Days; the vigils of Christmas and Pentecost, as well as those (14 Aug.) of the Assumption; (31 Oct.) of All Saints, are now fasting days. In Great Britain, Ireland, Australia, and Canada, the days just indicated, together with the Wednesdays of Advent and (28 June) the vigil of Saints Peter and Paul, are fasting days.”

The days of obligatory fasting as listed in the 1917 Code of Canon Law were the forty days of Lent (including Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday until noon); the Ember Days; and the Vigils of Pentecost, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, All Saints, and Christmas.

In 1951, the abstinence laws in America were again revised, as Father Ruff summarizes: 

“In 1951 the U.S. bishops standardized regulations calling for complete abstinence from meat on Fridays, Ash Wednesday, the vigils of Assumption and Christmas, and Holy Saturday morning for everyone over age seven. On the vigils of Pentecost and All Saints, meat could be taken at just one meal. Fast days, applying to everyone between 21 and 59, were the weekdays of Lent, Ember days, and the vigils of Pentecost, Assumption, All Saints, and Christmas. On these fast days only one full meal was allowed, with two other meatless meals permitted which together did not make up one full meal. Eating between meals was not permitted, with milk and fruit juice permitted. Health or ability to work exempted one.” 

As a result, the Vigil of All Saints was reduced to partial abstinence for American Catholics only in 1951.

Want to learn more about the history of fasting and abstinence? Check out the Definitive Guide to Catholic Fasting and Abstinence.

The Ancient Vigil of All Saints Fast Is Altered in the 1950s

1955 saw some of the most significant changes to the Church's liturgy since the Council of Trent. Pope Pius XII, in "Cum nostra hac aetate" on March 23, 1955, abolished 15 Octaves in addition to the Octave for the Dedication of a Church and particular octaves for patrons of various religious orders, countries, dioceses, etc. He also abolished roughly half of all vigils, leading to the removal of the liturgical vigils of the Immaculate Conception, Epiphany, All Saints, and All apostles except Ss. Peter and Paul. The total number of liturgical vigils was now reduced to 7.

Uncertainty existed on whether or not fasting was still required on October 31st, the Vigil of All Saints (commonly called Halloween). The US Bishops requested an official determination from Rome on whether the custom of fasting and abstinence on the suspended Vigil of All Saints had also been terminated. They received a pre-printed notice in a response dated March 15, 1957, stating: "The Decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites...looks simply to the liturgical part of the day and does not touch the obligation of fast and abstinence that are a penitential preparation for the following feast day." The US Bishop thereafter dispensed both the fast and partial abstinence law for the Vigil of All Saints.

However, for those who strive to retain our traditions, the Vigil of All Saints is still a worthwhile day to maintain a fast and keep as a day of abstinence in preparation for tomorrow's great feast.

Feastday of St. Wolfgang of Regensburg

Today is also the Feastday of St. Wolfgang of Regensburg, though it is not celebrated in the Liturgy. The following is taken from Catholic.org:

Wolfgang (d. 994) + Bishop and reformer. Born in Swabia, Germany, he studied at Reichenau under the Benedictines and at Wurzburg before serving as a teacher in the cathedral school of Trier. He soon entered the Benedictines at Einsiedeln (964) and was appointed head of the monastery school, receiving ordination in 971. He then set out with a group of monks to preach among the Magyars of Hungary, but the following year (972) was named bishop of Regensburg by Emperor Otto II (r. 973-983). As bishop, he distinguished himself brilliantly for his reforming zeal and his skills as a statesman. He brought the clergy of the diocese into his reforms, restored monasteries, promoted education, preached enthusiastically, and was renowned for his charity and aid to the poor, receiving the title Eleemosynarius Major (Grand Almoner). He also served as tutor to Emperor Henry II (r. 1014-1024) while he was still king. Wolfgang died at Puppingen near Linz, Austria. He was canonized in 1052 by Pope St. Leo IX (r. 1049-1054). Feast day: October 31.

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Catholic Feast Days

Introduction:

Catholic Feastdays are days set aside to remember important people and events through the course of the Faith from the time of Mary's birth all the way through today honoring the saints. The calendar of saints has been changed throughout Church history to remove some saints in order that others may be celebrated too. One of these changes occurred in 1969, which greatly altered (arguably in a very bad way), the calendar.

Today, some Traditional Catholics like to follow the pre-1955 Calendar, some prefer the 1955 Calendar, and some prefer the 1962 Calendar.  These three calendars are very similar. The exceptions are noted below

The following calendar lists the General Roman Catholic Calendar.  Many saints are not on the General Calendar and some are only on specific calendars of specific orders or for specific areas of the world.  Yet, all saints have a feast day in the year, even if it is not universally celebrated on the General Calendar.

Temporal vs. Sanctoral Cycle:

This page concerns the Proper of Saints, called the Sanctoral Cycle, which is the annual cycle of feasts not necessarily connected with the seasons. We commemorate and ask the intercession of those holy men and women who set a marvelous example that we should all strive to imitate. We also commemorate various events and mysteries of the faith in the Sanctoral Cycle.

There is also the Proper of Seasons, called the Temporal Cycle, traces the earthly life of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It consists mainly of Sundays related to the various liturgical seasons. This maps onto the 7 liturgical seasons contained in the two cycles we previously discussed: the Christmas Cycle and the Easter Cycle. It starts with Advent then goes through Christmas, Epiphany, Septuagesima, Lent, Easter, and Time after Pentecost. For that reason, when you go to Mass on Sundays you likely will not hear the readings for the saints mentioned here. You should refer to the Traditional Sunday Propers for the Sunday readings since in most cases, the temporal cycle takes precedence over the Sanctoral Cycle.

Recommended Volumes of Meditation on the Catholic Liturgical Year:

The Liturgical Year (15 Volume Set) by Father Dom Gueranger (A MUST READ!)

Pre-1954 vs 1962 Calendar:

The following list by month indicates the Liturgical Year according to the General Roman Catholic Calendar as of 1954.  In 1954, Pope Pius XII instituted the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen on May 31, and to make room for it, he moved the feast of St. Angela Merici to June 1. That was the final change before significant changes occurred in 1955. Besides the drastic changes and alterations to the Holy Week Liturgies in 1955 as part of the temporal cycle, there were a few other noteworthy changes. With the advent of the 1955 Calendar, Pope Pius XII instituted the feast of "St. Joseph the Worker" on May 1 (moving the feast of "Saints Philip and James" from May 1, where it had been since the sixth century, to May 11th, and suppressing the Patronage of St. Joseph that, since Pope Pius IX's decree of September 10, 1847, had been celebrated on the second Wednesday after the Octave of Easter).  

Additional changes that occurred in 1960 under John XXIII include the removal of most saints who were on the calendar twice. For instance, the Feast of the Finding of the Holy Cross, the 2nd feast of St. Agnes commemorating her apparition to her parents, and the Feast of St. John before the Latin Gate were all removed. These changes were incorporated in the 1962 Missal, however, a priest may still choose to offer a votive Mass for those saints on those traditional feastdays.

Some of the Movable Feasts (Some are part of the Temporal Cycle but included here for easy reference):

• The Holy Name of Jesus
• The Holy Family of Our Lord
• Ash Wednesday
• Our Lady of Sorrows in Lent (Friday after Passion Sunday)
• Lazarus Saturday
• Palm Sunday
• Holy Thursday
• Good Friday
• Easter Sunday 
• Patronage of St. Joseph (Eastertide Feast of St. Joseph)
• Ascension Thursday
• Octave Day of the Ascension
• Vigil of Pentecost
• Pentecost
• Trinity Sunday
• Corpus Christi
• Octave Day of Corpus Christi
• Sacred Heart
• Octave Day of the Sacred Heart
• Christ the King

Movable Masses in Some Places (Relating more to the temporal cycle but included here for easy reference):

• The Prayer of Christ (Tuesday after Septuagesima. This was kept by the Dominicans, who had separate feasts for most of the Mysteries of the Rosary not already on the general calendar.)
• Commemoration of the Passion of Christ (Tuesday after Sexagesima. This was a Passionist Feast)
• Feast of Reparation of Insults Offered to the Most Holy Sacrament (Thursday after Sexagesima)
• Votive Feast of the Holy Face of Our Lord Jesus Christ Deformed in the Passion (Tuesday after Quinquagesima. Mass said in reparation for the sins of Marti Gras)
• The Sacred Crown of Thorns (Friday after Ash Wednesday. This was kept at Notre Dame in Paris and also at St Peter's, which has two of the thorns)
• The Sacred Lance and Nails (Friday after the First Sunday in Lent. This was very popular in late medieval Germany and the Low Countries, under the title "Arma Domini", but usually kept in Eastertide, on the Friday after Low Sunday)
• The Holy Shroud (Friday after the Second Sunday in Lent. This was kept in Turin, Italy)
• The Five Holy Wounds (Friday after the Third Sunday in Lent)
• The Precious Blood (Friday after the Fourth Sunday in Lent. This was the original date for the Precious Blood Fathers and also for Westminster Cathedral.)
• Our Lady Queen of the Apostles (Saturday after the Ascension)
• The Eucharistic Heart of Jesus (Thursday the Sacred Heart)
• The Most Pure Heart of Our Lady (Second Saturday after Corpus Christi)
• Our Lady Mother of Mercy (Saturday after the 4th Sunday of July)
• Our Lady of Consolation (Saturday after the Feast of St. Augustine)
• Our Lady Help of the Sick (Saturday before the last Sunday in August)
• Our Lady Mother of Divine Providence (Saturday before the 3rd Sunday in November)

Traditional Calendar (1954)

Differences related to different calendars are noted in italics.  Some Masses that were only celebrated in certain places at this time and were not on the Universal Calendar are noted as "Mass in Some Places". In the Month of November, various locations or orders keep special feasts of their own saints. Those are noted as well.

 January:

• Jan 1st Feast of the Circumcision of Jesus
• Jan 2nd Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus;(**) Octave Day of St. Stephen Protomartyr
• Jan 3rd Octave Day of St. John (Change in the 1962 Calendar: Feria)
• Jan 4th Octave Day of the Holy Innocents (Change in the 1962 Calendar: Feria)
• Jan 5th Vigil of the Epiphany; Com. of St. Telesphorus (Change in the 1962 Calendar: Feria)
• Jan 6th The Epiphany of Our Lord
• Jan 7th Within the Octave of the Epiphany (Change in the 1962 Calendar: Feria)
• Jan 8th Within the Octave of the Epiphany (Change in the 1962 Calendar: Feria)
• Jan 9th Within the Octave of the Epiphany (Change in the 1962 Calendar: Feria)
• Jan 10th Within the Octave of the Epiphany (Change in the 1962 Calendar: Feria)
• Jan 11th Within the Octave of the Epiphany; Com. of St. Hyginus
• Jan 12th Within the Octave of the Epiphany (Change in the 1962 Calendar: Feria)
• Jan 13th Octave Day of the Epiphany (Change in the 1962 Calendar: Commemoration of the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ)
• Jan 14th St. Hilary of Poitiers; Com. of St. Felix of Nola
• Jan 15th St. Paul the first Hermit; Com. of St. Maurus
• Jan 16th St. Marcellus I
• Jan 17th St. Anthony of Egypt
• Jan 18th St. Peter's Chair at Rome and Com. of St. Paul; Com. of Prisca [Begin Octave of Unity Prayers]
• Jan 19th Sts. Marius, Martha, Audifax, and Abachum; Com. of St Canute
• Jan 20th St. Fabian; St. Sebastian
• Jan 21st St. Agnes
• Jan 22nd Sts. Vincent and Anastasius; [Day of Penance for Violations Against Human Life in the United States]
• Jan 23rd St. Raymond of Peñafort; Com. of St. Emerentiana; Betrothal of the Virgin Mary with St. Joseph (Mass in Some Places); St. Ildephonsus (Mass in Some Places)
• Jan 24th St. Timothy
• Jan 25th Conversion of St. Paul
• Jan 26th St. Polycarp
• Jan 27th St. John Chrysostom
• Jan 28th St. Peter Nolasco; Com. of St. Agnes
• Jan 29th St. Francis De Sales
• Jan 30th St. Martina
• Jan 31st St. John Bosco

** Feast of the Holy Name: Sunday between the Circumcision and Epiphany [or January 2, when no such Sunday occurs]

February

• Feb 1st St. Ignatius of Antioch
• Feb 2nd Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Feb 3rd St. Blase
• Feb 4th St. Andrew Corsini
• Feb 5th St. Agatha
• Feb 6th St. Titus; Com. of St. Dorothy
• Feb 7th St. Romuald
• Feb 8th St. John of Matha
• Feb 9th St. Cyril of Alexandria; Com. of St. Apollonia
• Feb 10th St. Scholastica
• Feb 11th Apparition of Our Lady at Lourdes
  
• Feb 12th Seven Founders of the Servite Order
• Feb 13th Feria
• Feb 14th St. Valentine
• Feb 15th Sts. Faustinus and Jovita
• Feb 16th Feria
• Feb 17th Feria; Flight into Egypt (Mass in Some Places)
• Feb 18th St. Simeon
• Feb 19th Feria
• Feb 20th Feria
• Feb 21st Feria
• Feb 22nd Saint Peter's Chair at Antioch; Com. of St. Paul
• Feb 23rd St. Peter Damian; Com. of the Vigil of St. Matthias
• Feb 24th St. Matthias
• Feb 25th Feria
• Feb 26th Feria; St. Margaret of Cortona (Mass in Some Places)
• Feb 27th St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows
• Feb 28th Feria

Note: In a leap year, the Vigil of St. Matthias is kept on February 24, and any Feasts usually occurring from February 24 through 28 are kept one day later.

March

• Mar 1st Feria
• Mar 2nd Feria
• Mar 3rd Feria
• Mar 4th St. Casimir of Poland; Com. of Saint Lucius I
• Mar 5th Feria
• Mar 6th Ss. Perpetua and Felicity
• Mar 7th St. Thomas Aquinas
• Mar 8th St. John of God
• Mar 9th St. Frances of Rome
• Mar 10th The Forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste
• Mar 11th Feria
• Mar 12th St. Gregory the Great
• Mar 13th Feria
• Mar 14th Feria
• Mar 15th Feria
• Mar 16th Feria
• Mar 17th St. Patrick of Ireland
• Mar 18th St. Cyril of Jerusalem
• Mar 19th St. Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Mar 20th Feria
• Mar 21st St. Benedict
• Mar 22nd Feria; St. Catherine of Genoa (Mass in Some Places); St. Isidore the Farmer (Mass in Some Places)
• Mar 23rd Feria
• Mar 24th St. Gabriel the Archangel
• Mar 25th The Annunciation of the Lord
• Mar 26th Feria
• Mar 27th St. John Damascene
• Mar 28th St. John of Capistrano
• Mar 29th Feria
• Mar 30th Feria
• Mar 31st Feria

April

• Apr 1st Feria
• Apr 2nd St. Francis of Paola
• Apr 3rd Feria
• Apr 4th St. Isidore of Seville
• Apr 5th St. Vincent Ferrer
• Apr 6th Feria
• Apr 7th Feria
• Apr 8th Feria
• Apr 9th Feria
• Apr 10th Feria
• Apr 11th St. Leo the Great
• Apr 12th Feria
• Apr 13th St. Hermenegild
• Apr 14th St. Justin; Com. of Sts. Tiburtius, Valerian, and Maximus
• Apr 15th Feria
• Apr 16th Feria; St. Benedict Joseph Labre (Mass in Some Places)
• Apr 17th St. Anicetus
• Apr 18th Feria
• Apr 19th Feria
• Apr 20th Feria
• Apr 21st St. Anselm
• Apr 22nd Sts. Soter and Caius
• Apr 23rd St. George
• Apr 24th St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen
• Apr 25th St. Mark the Evangelist; Greater Litanies (Major Rogation Day)
• Apr 26th Sts. Cletus and Marcellinus; Our Lady of Good Counsel (Mass in Some Places)
• Apr 27th St. Peter Canisius
• Apr 28th St. Paul of the Cross; Com. of St. Vitalis
• Apr 29th St. Peter of Verona
• Apr 30th St. Catherine of Siena

Wednesday after the II Sunday after Easter: Solemnity of St. Joseph, C - Double of the I Class
Wednesday after the III Sunday after Easter: Octave Day of St. Joseph, C - Greater Double

May

• May 1st Sts. Philip and James; (Change in the 1962 Calendar: St. Joseph, the Worker)
• May 2nd St. Athanasius
• May 3rd Finding of the Holy Cross; Com. of St. Alexander I, Sts. Eventius and Theodulus, and St. Juvenal (Change in the 1962 Calendar: Feria; Com. of St. Alexander I and Companions)
• May 4th St. Monica
• May 5th St. Pius V
• May 6th St. John before the Latin Gate (Change in the 1962 Calendar: Feria)
• May 7th St. Stanislaus
• May 8th Apparition of St. Michael the Archangel (Change in the 1962 Calendar: Feria)
• May 9th St. Gregory Nazianzen
• May 10th St. Antoninus; Com. of Sts. Gordian and Epimachus
• May 11th Feria; (Change in the 1962 Calendar: Sts. Philip and James)
• May 12th Sts. Nereus, Achilleus, Domitilla and Pancras
• May 13th St. Robert Bellarmine
• May 14th St Boniface of Tarsus 
  
• May 15th St. John Baptist de la Salle; (Change in the 1962 Calendar: St. Isidore the Farmer (Mass in Some Places)
• May 16th St. Ubaldus; St. John Nepomucene (Mass in Some Places)
• May 17th St. Paschal Baylon
• May 18th St. Venantius of Camerino
• May 19th St. Peter Celestine; Com. of St. Pudentiana
• May 20th St. Bernardine of Siena
• May 21st Feria
• May 22nd Feria; St. Rita of Cascia (Mass in Some Places)
• May 23rd Feria; St. John Baptist de Rossi (Mass in Some Places)
• May 24th Feria; Our Lady Help of Christians (Mass in Some Places)
• May 25th St. Gregory VII; Com. of St. Urban I
• May 26th St. Phillip Neri; Com. of St. Eleutherius
• May 27th St. Bede the Venerable; Com. of Saint John I
• May 28th St. Augustine of Canterbury
• May 29th St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi
• May 30th St. Felix I; St. Ferdinand III (Mass in Some Places); St. Joan of Arc (Mass in Some Places)
• May 31st Queenship of Mary; Com. of St. Petronilla; Our Lady Queen of All Saints and Mother of Fair Love (Mass in Some Places); Our Lady Mediatrix of All Graces (Mass in Some Places)

June

• June 1st St. Angela Merici
• June 2nd Sts. Marcellinus, Peter, and Erasmus
• June 3rd Feria
• June 4th St. Francis Caracciolo
• June 5th St. Boniface, Bishop and Martyr
• June 6th St. Norbert
• June 7th Feria
• June 8th Feria
• June 9th Sts. Primus and Felician; Our Lady Mother of Grace (Mass in Some Places)
• June 10th St. Margaret
• June 11th St. Barnabas
• June 12th St. John of San Facondo; Com. of Sts. Basilides, Cyrinus, Nabor, and Nazarius
• June 13th St. Anthony of Padua
• June 14th St. Basil the Great
• June 15th Sts. Vitus, Modestus, and Crescentia
• June 16th Feria; St. John Francis Regis (Mass in Some Places)
• June 17th Feria; (Change in 1962 Calendar: Gregory Barbarigo)
• June 18th St. Ephrem; Com. of Sts. Mark and Marcellianus
• June 19th St. Juliana Falconieri; Com. of Sts. Gervase and Protase
• June 20th St. Silverius
• June 21st St. Aloysius Gonzaga
• June 22nd St. Paulinus
• June 23rd Vigil of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist
• June 24th Nativity of St. John the Baptist
• June 25th St. William; Com. of Octave of St. John the Baptist
• June 26th Sts. John and Paul; Com. of Octave of St. John the Baptist
• June 27th Within the Octave of St. John the Baptist; Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Mass in Some Places)
• June 28th St. Irenaeus of Lyons; Com. of Octave of St. John the Baptist; Com. of Vigil of Sts. Peter and Paul; (Change in 1962 Calendar: Vigil of Sts. Peter and Paul)
• June 29th Sts. Peter and Paul
• June 30th Commemoration of Saint Paul; Com. of Saint Peter; Com of Octave of Saint John the Baptist

July

• July 1st The Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ, Com. of the Octave day of St. John the Baptist.
• July 2nd Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Com. of Ss Processus and Martinian
• July 3rd St. Leo II; Commemoration of Octave of Sts. Peter and Paul; (Change in 1962 Calendar: St. Irenaeus of Lyons)
• July 4th Within the Octave of Sts. Peter and Paul; All Holy Popes (Mass in Some Places) 
• July 5th St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria; Commemoration of Octave of Sts. Peter and Paul
• July 6th Octave Day of Ss Peter and Paul
• July 7th Sts. Cyril and Methodius; St. Lawrence of Brindisi (Mass in Some Places)
• July 8th St. Elizabeth of Portugal
• July 9th Feria; St. Veronica of Giuliani (Mass in Some Places)
• July 10th Seven Holy Brothers; Sts. Rufina and Secunda
• July 11th St. Pius I
• July 12th St. John Gualbert; Com. of Sts. Nabor and Felix
• July 13th St. Anacletus (Change in the 1962 Calendar: Feria)
• July 14th St. Bonaventure
• July 15th St. Henry II
• July 16th Our Lady of Mount Carmel
• July 17th St. Alexius; Humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Mass in Some Places)
• July 18th St. Camillus of Lellis; Com. of Sts. Symphorosa and Companions
• July 19th St. Vincent de Paul
• July 20th St. Jerome Emiliani; Com. of St. Margaret
• July 21st St. Praxedes; (Change in 1962 Calendar: St. Lawrence of Brindisi, Comm. of St. Praxedes)
• July 22nd St. Mary Magdalene
• July 23rd St. Apollinaris; Com. of St. Liborius
• July 24th Vigil of St. James the Greater; Com. of St. Christina
• July 25th St. James the Greater; Com. of St. Christopher
• July 26th St. Anne
• July 27th St. Pantaleon
• July 28th Sts. Nazarius and Celsus; St. Victor I; St. Innocentius I
• July 29th St. Martha; Com. of Sts. Felix II and Companions
• July 30th Sts. Abdon and Sennen
• July 31st St. Ignatius of Loyola

August

• Aug 1st St. Peter's Chains; Com. of St. Paul and the Holy Maccabees  (Change in 1962 Calendar: Feria; Com. of Holy Maccabees)
• Aug 2nd St. Alphonsus Liguori; Com. of Saint Stephen I
• Aug 3rd Finding of St. Stephen (Change in 1962 Calendar: Feria)
• Aug 4th St. Dominic
• Aug 5th Dedication of Our Lady of the Snows (St. Mary Major)
• Aug 6th Transfiguration of Our Lord Jesus Christ; Com. of Sts. Xystus II, Felicissimus, and Agapitus
• Aug 7th St. Cajetan; Com. of St. Donatus
• Aug 8th Sts. Cyriacus, Largus, and Smaragdus; (Change in 1962 Calendar: St. John Vianney)
• Aug 9th St. John Vianney; Com. of the Vigil of Saint Laurence & St. Romanus; St. Emygdius (Mass in Some Places); (Change in 1962 Calendar: Vigil of Saint Laurence & Comm. of St. Romanus)
• Aug 10th St. Laurence
• Aug 11th Sts. Tiburtius and Susanna; St. Philomena (Mass in Some Places)
• Aug 12th St. Clare of Assisi
• Aug 13th Sts. Hippolytus and Cassian; Our Lady Refuge of Sinners (Mass in Some Places); St. John Berchmans (Mass in Some Places)
• Aug 14th Vigil of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Com. of St. Eusebius
• Aug 15th Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Aug 16th St. Joachim; Within the of Octave of the Assumption; St. Roch (Mass in Some Places)
• Aug 17th St. Hyacinth of Poland; Com. of Octave of the Assumption; Octave Day of Saint Laurance
• Aug 18th Within the Octave of the Assumption; Com. of St. Agapitus; Empress Helena (Mass in Some Places)
• Aug 19th St. John Eudes; Com. of Octave of the Assumption
• Aug 20th St. Bernard of Clairvaux; Com. of Octave of the Assumption
• Aug 21st St. Jane Frances de Chantal; Com. of Octave of the Assumption
• Aug 22nd Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary; (Octave Day of the Assumption) Com. of Sts. Timothy, Hippolytus and Symphorian
• Aug 23rd St. Philip Benizi; Com. of the Vigil of St. Bartholomew
• Aug 24th St. Bartholomew
• Aug 25th St. Louis IX
• Aug 26th St. Zephyrinus
• Aug 27th St. Joseph Calasanctius
• Aug 28th St. Augustine of Hippo; Com. of Saint Hermes
• Aug 29th Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist; Com. of Saint Sabina
• Aug 30th St. Rose of Lima; Com. of Sts. Felix and Adauctus
• Aug 31st St. Raymond Nonnatus

September

• Sep 1st St. Giles; Com. of Holy Twelve Brothers
• Sep 2nd St. Stephen, King of Hungary
• Sep 3rd St. Pius X
• Sep 4th Feria; St. Rose of Viterbo (Mass in Some Places)
• Sep 5th St. Laurence Justinian
• Sep 6th Feria
• Sep 7th Feria
• Sep 8th Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Com. of St. Adrian
• Sep 9th St. Gorgonius; St. Peter Claver (Mass in Some Places)
• Sep 10th St. Nicholas of Tolentino
• Sep 11th Sts. Protus and Hyacinth
• Sep 12th Holy Name of Mary
• Sep 13th Feria
• Sep 14th Exaltation of the Holy Cross
• Sep 15th Our Lady of Sorrows; Com. of St. Nicomedes
• Sep 16th Sts. Cornelius and Cyprian; Com. of Ss Euphemia, Lucy, and Geminianus
• Sep 17th Holy Stigmata of Saint Francis
• Sep 18th St. Joseph of Cupertino
• Sep 19th St. Januarius; Our Lady of La Salette Reconciliatrix of Sinners (Mass in Some Places)
• Sep 20th St. Eustace and Companions; Com. of Vigil of St. Matthew
• Sep 21st St. Matthew
• Sep 22nd St. Thomas of Villanova; Com. of Sts. Maurice and Companions
• Sep 23rd St. Linus; Com. of St. Thecla
• Sep 24th Our Lady of Ransom
• Sep 25th Feria
• Sep 26th Sts. Cyprian and Justina; North American Martyrs (Mass in Some Places)
• Sep 27th Sts. Cosmas and Damian
• Sep 28th St. Wenceslaus
• Sep 29th Dedication of Saint Michael the Archangel
• Sep 30th St. Jerome

October

• Oct 1st St. Remigius; St. Gregory the Illuminator (Mass in Some Places)
• Oct 2nd Holy Guardian Angels
• Oct 3rd St. Therese of Lisieux
• Oct 4th St. Francis of Assisi
• Oct 5th St. Placid and Companions
• Oct 6th St. Bruno
• Oct 7th Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Com. of St. Mark, Sts. Sergius and Bacchus, Sts. Marcellus and Apuleius
• Oct 8th St Bridget of Sweden
• Oct 9th St. John Leonard, Com. of St. Denis
• Oct 10th St. Francis Borgia
• Oct 11th The Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Oct 12th Feria; Our Lady of the Pillar (Mass in Some Places)
• Oct 13th St. Edward, King of England
• Oct 14th St. Callistus I
• Oct 15th St. Teresa of Avila
• Oct 16th St. Hedwig; Purity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Mass in Some Places)
• Oct 17th St. Margaret Mary Alacoque
• Oct 18th St. Luke the Evangelist
• Oct 19th St. Peter of Alcantara
• Oct 20th St. John of Kanty (i.e. St. John Cantius)
• Oct 21st St. Hilarion; Com. of St. Ursula and Companions
• Oct 22nd Feria
• Oct 23rd Feria; Feast of the Most Holy Redeemer (Mass in Some Places); Change in 1962 Calendar: St. Anthony Mary Claret)
• Oct 24th St. Raphael the Archangel
• Oct 25th Sts. Chrysanthus and Daria
• Oct 26th St. Evaristus
• Oct 27th Vigil of Sts. Simon and Jude
• Oct 28th Sts. Jude and Simon
• Oct 29th Feria
• Oct 30th Feria; St. Alphonsus Rodriguez (Mass in Some Places)
• Oct 31st Vigil of All Saints

November

• Nov. 1st All Saints
• Nov. 2nd Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed (All Souls)
• Nov. 3rd Within the Octave of All Saints
• Nov. 4th St. Charles Borromeo; Com. of Octave of All Saints; Com. of Sts. Vitalis and Agricola
• Nov. 5th Within the Octave of All Saints; (All Saints of the Society of Jesus); The Sacred Relics (Mass in Some Places);
• Nov. 6th Within the Octave of All Saints; (All Saints of Ireland)
• Nov. 7th Within the Octave of All Saints
• Nov. 8th Octave Day of All Saints; Com. of the Holy Four Crowned Martyrs; (All Saints of England)
• Nov. 9th Dedication of the Basilica of our Saviour (St. John Lateran), Com. of St. Theodore
• Nov. 10th St. Andrew Avellino, Com. of Sts. Tryphon, Respicius, and Nympha
• Nov. 11th St. Martin of Tours; Com. of St. Mennas
• Nov. 12th St. Martin I;  (All Saints of the Dominican Order)
• Nov. 13th St. Didacus; (Change in the 1962 Calendar for the USA: St. Frances Xavier Cabrini with a Comm. of St. Didacus); (Feast of All Saints of the Benedictine Order); (All Dominican Souls); (All Saints of the Augustinian Order); (All Norbertine Saints)
• Nov. 14th St. Josaphat; (All Saints of the Carmelite Order); (All Benedictine Souls)
• Nov. 15th St. Albert the Great; (All Carmelite Souls)
• Nov. 16th St. Gertrude the Great; (All Saints of the Servite Order)
• Nov. 17th St. Gregory Thaumaturgus; (All Souls of the Servite Order)
• Nov. 18th Dedication of the Basilicas of Sts. Peter and Paul
• Nov. 19th St. Elizabeth of Hungary; Com. of St. Pontianus; (All Saints of the Order of Malta)
• Nov. 20th St. Felix of Valois
• Nov. 21th Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Nov. 22th St. Cecilia
• Nov. 23th St. Clement; Com. of St. Felicitas
• Nov. 24th St. John of the Cross; Com. St. Chrysogonus
• Nov. 25th St. Catherine of Alexandria
• Nov. 26th Saint Sylvester; Com. of St. Peter of Alexandria; St. Leonard of Port Maurice (Mass in Some Places)
• Nov. 27th Feria; Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal (Mass in Some Places)
• Nov. 28th Feria
• Nov. 29th Vigil of St. Andrew; Com. of St. Saturninus; (Feast of All Saints of the Franciscan Order)
• Nov. 30th St. Andrew

December

• Dec. 1st Feria
• Dec. 2nd St. Bibiana
• Dec. 3rd St. Francis Xavier
• Dec. 4th St. Peter Chrysologus; Com of St. Barbara
• Dec. 5th Com. of St. Sabbas
• Dec. 6th St. Nicholas of Myra
• Dec. 7th St. Ambrose; Com. of the Vigil of the Immaculate Conception
• Dec. 8th Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Dec. 9th Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception
• Dec. 10th Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception; St. Melchiades; Holy House of Loreta (Mass in Some Places)
• Dec. 11th St. Damasus I; Com. of the Octave of the Immaculate Conception
• Dec. 12th Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception; Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mass in Some Places)
• Dec. 13th St. Lucy; Com of the Octave of the Immaculate Conception
• Dec. 14th Within the Octave of the Immaculate Conception
• Dec. 15th Octave Day of the Immaculate Conception
• Dec. 16th St. Eusebius
• Dec. 17th Feria
• Dec. 18th Feria; Expectation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Mass in Some Places)
• Dec. 19th Feria
• Dec. 20th Vigil of St. Thomas the Apostle
• Dec. 21st St. Thomas the Apostle
• Dec. 22nd Feria; St. Frances Xavier Cabrini (Mass in Some Places); (Change in the 1962 Calendar for the USA: Feria)
• Dec. 23rd Feria
• Dec. 24th Vigil of the Nativity of Our Lord (Christmas Eve) 
• Dec. 25th Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Christmas Day); Com of St. Anastasia
• Dec 26th St. Stephen the First Martyr; Com. of the Octave of the Nativity
• Dec 27th St. John the Apostle; Com. of the Octave of the Nativity
• Dec. 28th Holy Innocents; Com. of the Octave of the Nativity
• Dec. 29th St. Thomas Becket
• Dec. 30th Within the Octave of the Nativity
• Dec. 31st St. Sylvester I; Com. of the Octave of the Nativity

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