The General Roman Calendar
By canonising some of the faithful, i.e. by solemnly proclaiming that they practised heroic virtue and lived in fidelity to God's grace, the Church recognises the power of the Spirit of holiness within her and sustains the hope of believers by proposing the saints to them as models and intercessors. 'The saints have always been the source and origin of renewal in the most difficult moments in the Church's history.' Indeed, 'holiness is the hidden source and infallible measure of her apostolic activity and missionary zeal.'
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, para 828)
January February March April May June July August September October November December
The following Saint's Days are celebrated in the Diocese of Westminster:
3rd February Ss Laurence, Dunstan and Theodore, Archbishops of Canterbury Memorial 19th April St Alphege, bishop Memorial 24th April Ss Erkenwald and Mellitus, bishops Memorial 27th June St John Southworth, priest and martyr Memorial 1st July Dedication of the Cathedral Feast 13th October St Edward the Confessor Feast 29th October Blessed Martyrs of Douai College Memorial 16th November St Edmund, bishop Memorial
Holydays of
Obligation
currently observed in England and Wales are:
Epiphany, 6th January
Ascension, Thursday in sixth week of Eastertide
Corpus Christi, Thursday after Trinity Sunday
SS Peter & Paul, 29th June
Assumption of Our Lady, 15th August
All Saints, 1st November
Christmas Day, 25th December
The Bishops’ Conference has legislated that when a Holyday, other than
Christmas, falls on a Saturday or a Monday, it shall be transferred to the
Sunday.
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Terms used in calendar
Solemnity The highest order of feast at which Catholics celebrate (a) particular aspects of the Incarnation of Our Lord¹ (b) particular aspects of the life of Our Lady² (b) Saints whose lives are of universal significance throughout the Church³.
Feast Days The middle rank of feast at which are celebrated Saints and events of general importance⁴.
Memorial The third rank of feast. Memorials acknowledge that a particular Saint is of importance to the universal church, without being a major figure necessitating a Feast Day⁵.
Optional Memorials The fourth rank of feast. Unlike Memorials, particular (i.e. local) churches are not obliged to celebrate Optional Memorials⁶.
Three examples of each feast:
¹ 25th March, Last Week in Ordinary Time, 25th December. ⁴ 25th April, 6th August, 18th October.
² 1st January, 15th August, 8th December. ⁵ 8th February, 1st June, 13th December.
³ 19th March, 3rd May, 24th June. ⁶ 13th January, 2nd April, 28th September.
Further Reading: The Liturgical Calendar
The General Roman Calendar is taken from the Weekday Missal, published by HarperCollins. As well as the Calendar it contains every weekday reading for the whole Church year as well as readings for Saints' Days. Highly Recommended!