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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How Fasting on Vigils Was Reduced Over Time

Click for a larger image. Holy Saturday is not included as it is covered separately by Lenten regulations.

What are Vigils?

Even though the Great Fast of Lent has ended, our fasting has not ended. There are many other days of fasting this year, such as Ember Days and Vigils, which are still coming this year. Understanding fasting on Vigils is something that has been forgotten by the average Catholic today. And rediscovering this practice will help us better celebrate the feastday following the vigil while allowing us more shared days of penance.

Some feasts have vigils associated with them. The term “vigil” is used in several ways. It most properly refers to an entire day before a major feast day (e.g., the Vigil of Christmas, which refers to the entire day of December 24). This kind of vigil is a liturgical day in itself and marks the following day as a day of greater liturgical significance. This is the proper meaning of a vigil. In a similar way, the Catechism of Perseverance, published in 1849, states: “The word vigil signifies watching. The vigils are the days of abstinence and fast which precede the great festivals of the year. There are five; those of Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, Assumption, and All Saints. In some dioceses, the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul is also preceded by a vigil.”

NB: A Mass using the Sunday propers that is anticipated (i.e., offered) on a Saturday evening is sometimes, though incorrectly, called a vigil. This practice, however, is a post-Vatican II novelty and not part of Catholic Tradition, so I counsel Catholics to never attend such “vigil Masses” on Saturday evenings.

Definition of Key Terms in the Vigils Table:

Fasting: Fasting refers to how much food we eat. It means taking only one meal during a calendar day. The meal should be an average-sized meal as overeating at the one meal is against the spirit of the fast. Fasting generally means that the meal is to be taken later in the day. Along with the one meal, up to two snacks (technically called either a collation or frustulum) are permitted. These are optional, not required. Added up together, they may not equal the size of the one meal. No other snacking throughout the day is permitted. Fasting does not affect liquids, aside from the Eucharistic Fast which is a separate matter.

Abstinence: Abstinence in this context refers to not eating meat. Meat refers to the flesh meat of mammals or fowl. Beef, poultry, lamb, etc. are all forbidden on days of abstinence. Abstinence does not currently prohibit animal byproducts like dairy (e.g., cheese, butter, milk) or eggs, but in times past, they were prohibited. Fish is permitted along with shellfish and other cold-blooded animals like alligators. In times past, days of fasting were always days of abstinence as well; however, not all days of abstinence were days of mandatory fasting.

Partial Abstinence: Partial Abstinence refers to eating meat only at the principal meal of the day. Days of partial abstinence do not permit meat to be eaten as part of the collation or the frustulum. Partial abstinence started only in 1741 under Pope Benedict XIV as a concession and as part of a gradual weakening of discipline. Beforehand, days of abstinence were days of complete abstinence.

NB: The table concerns only fasting and abstinence for Vigils and thus omits other possible days of fasting and/or abstinence: Lent, Ember Days, Rogation Days, etc.

Explanation of Key Changes to Vigils in the English-Speaking World:

1. On March 9, 1777, Pope Pius VI reduced for English Catholics days of fasting to consist of the Ember Days; the forty days Lent; Wednesdays and Fridays in Advent; and the vigils of Christmas, Whitsun Sunday (i.e. Pentecost), Ss. Peter and Paul, and All Saints.

2. As mentioned in the Irish Ecclesiastical Record from 1882, Pope Benedict XIV in 1755 removed 18 feasts from double precept and reduced them to single precept. Shortly thereafter in 1778, Pope Pius VI reduced the number of holy days to 13. And as the Record states, "On this occasion, the obligation of hearing Mass was removed, as well as the obligation of abstaining from servile works." The Record continues: "the number of those Vigils to which the obligation of fasting had been attached [as of 1778] was in fact but eight - these being the Vigils of the feast of St. Laurence the Martyr (August 9th), and of seven of the nine suppressed feasts of the Apostles." No fasting was observed beforehand on the Vigil of St. John on December 26 or the Vigil of Ss. Philip and James on account of them always falling in Christmas and Pascaltide respectively.

3. The Vigil of Ss. Peter and Paul ceased being a fast day in America by 1842. 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.

4. "The Catholic's Pocket Prayer-Book" published by Henri Proost & Co in 1924 notes "in the United Kingdom (except during Lent), abstinence is not binding on Ember Saturdays or on any Vigil that immediately precedes or follows a Friday or other day of abstinence."

5. Effective with the 1917 Code, fasting and abstinence were no longer 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." Before 1917, the fast of a Vigil that fell on a Sunday was observed instead on the preceding Saturday.

6. On January 28, 1949, the United States bishops issued modified regulations on abstinence in America again after receiving a ruling from the Sacred Congregation of the Council. Partial abstinence replaced complete abstinence for Ember Wednesdays, Ember Saturdays, and the Vigil of Pentecost.

7. In March 1955, Pope Pius XII abolished the liturgical Vigil of All Saints. 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.

8. On July 25, 1957, Pope Pius XII commuted 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. 

9. In 1959, Pope John XXIII permitted the Christmas Eve fast and abstinence to be transferred to 23rd. While the United States, Great Britain, and Ireland kept the penance on December 24, other nations, including Canada and the Philippines, transferred it to December 23.

10. As stated in a January 1960 issue of the Catholic Standard and Times, following an October 1959 meeting, the Bishops of Canada issued new regulations taking effect in 1960 that provided that the law of abstinence henceforth will apply only on all Fridays of the year, while the regulations for fast and abstinence will apply only on four days—Ash Wednesday; Good Friday; December 7, the vigil of the feast of the Immaculate Conception, and December 23, the anticipated vigil before Christmas.

How are Vigils Observed?

There are two characteristics of vigils: penance and prayer. 

As to penance, many liturgical vigils, if not all, were originally also days of fasting and abstinence. Over time, the fasting and abstinence was dropped from many. By the time of the Catechism of Perseverance, there were only a few such vigils. But the days of fasting and abstinence differed – including on vigils in various places. For instance, by 1893, the only fasting days kept in Rome were the forty days of Lent, the Ember Days, and the Vigils of the Purification, of Pentecost, of St. John the Baptist, of Ss. Peter and Paul, of the Assumption, of All Saints, and of Christmas. This is summarized from the Handbook to Christian and Ecclesiastical Rome. In just a few years, Rome would abrogate the fast on the Vigil of the Purification and on the Vigil of St. John the Baptist. By the 1917 Code of Canon Law, fasting vigils were dropped universally to only four days: Vigils of Pentecost, the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, All Saints, and Christmas. These are what Americans at that time were aware of, but previously, there were differing vigils.

By 1917, there were, however, still many other liturgical vigils on the calendar that were not obligatory days of abstinence at that time. For instance, before the changes to the Roman Rite liturgical calendar in 1955, nearly all feasts of the Apostles were preceded by a vigil. And the Church put those days in place to help us prepare for the importance of the feast of an Apostle, since all feasts of the Apostles were in former times Holy Days of Obligation. We have lost the importance of the feast days of the Apostles, I believe, in part due to losing the vigils. We can change that for ourselves by observing those feast days in our own prayer lives. And the same is true for the Vigil of All Saints (i.e., Halloween), a traditional day when we would fast and abstain from meat, but which is neither found in the Novus Ordo calendar nor even in the 1962 Missal.  Hence any of the older vigils (e.g., the Vigil of St. Lawrence, the Vigil of Epiphany, the Vigil of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, etc.) can and arguably, should, be observed with fasting and abstinence even if they are not obliged under penalty of sin. 

The second key feature of vigils is prayer. 

The Catechism of Perseverance explains this aspect well: “How should we spend the vigils? Whatever be our age, we should spend those days in a more holy manner than other days, in order to prepare for the celebration of the festival and to receive the graces which God always gives more abundantly at that time.” Praying an extra rosary, making time for mental prayer, and even praying into the evening as the vigil becomes the feastday itself are all worthwhile practices to make vigils slightly more penitential and all the more prayerful.

While we know that Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation should be spent in prayer, attendance at Holy Mass, and in avoidance of servile work, we often pay little mind to vigils since the Church over the past several decades has virtually eliminated them. But we must honor our Lady of Fatima’s call for penance and can model our example after that of our forefathers who observed the vigils in preparation for the feast.

Works Cited:

1. Great Britain (1776): American Ecclesiastical Review (Hardy and Mahony, 1886), vol. 11, p. 469.https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_American_Catholic_Quarterly_Review/lz0QAAAAYAAJ 

2. USA (1789): American Ecclesiastical Review (Hardy and Mahony, 1886), vol. 11, p. 469.https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_American_Catholic_Quarterly_Review/lz0QAAAAYAAJ 

3. USA (1909): O'Neill, J.D. (1909). Fast. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05789c.htm

4. Great Britain (1909): O'Neill, J.D. (1909). Fast. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05789c.htm

5. Canada (1909): O'Neill, J.D. (1909). Fast. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05789c.htm

6. CIC (1917): Peters, Edward N.  1917 Pio-Benedictine Code of Canon Law: in English translation, with extensive scholarly apparatus.  San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2001. https://www.jgray.org/codes/ 

7. Canada (1952): https://sspx.ca/en/rules-fast-abstinence 

8. USA (1962): Rev. Heribert Jone, “Moral Theology: Englished and Adapted to the Laws and Customs of the United States of America,” (Newman Press, 2009), p. 285.

9. Canada (1962): The Catholic Standard and Times, Volume 65, Number 19, Published January 29, 1960. https://thecatholicnewsarchive.org/?a=d&d=cst19600129-01.2.77&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-------- 

10. Great Britain (1962): 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal, (Angelus Press, 2004). 

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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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