The Church Year consists of two cycles of feasts and holy days: one is
dependent upon the movable date of the Sunday of the Resurrection or
Easter Day; the other, upon the fixed date of December 25, the Feast of
Christ's Nativity or Christmas Day.
Easter Day is always the first Sunday after the full moon that falls on or
after March 21. It cannot occur before March 22 or after April 25.
The sequence of all Sundays of the Church Year depends upon the date of Easter Day.
The ICC practices the custom of "Celtic Advent" which begins 40 days before Christmas Day, whether it occurs on a Sunday or a weekday. Some years there can be 5 or 6 Sundays, this period is referred to as the "Lesser Advent" and the last four Sundays are referred to as the "Greater Advent".The date of Easter also determines the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday, and the feast of the Ascension on a Thursday forty days after Easter Day.
It should be noted that the Council voted at the 2005 Convention to rearange the Liturgical Calendar in the Christmas Season. Epiphany ,if it does not fall on a Sunday is transferred to the following Sunday. The next Sunday is to be celebrated as the Feast of the Presentation/Candlemas. The Sunday after Presentation is celebrated as whatever Sunday after Epiphany found in the Episcopal Calendar. The Feast of the Baptism of Christ, normally celebrated on that Sunday is to be celebrated on the Last Sunday before Ash Wednesday.
The Council also voted to use as its sources for the Calendar the following:
Lesser Feasts and Fasts of the ECUSA
The Calendar of L/G/B/T Saints from Dignity Virginia
and various commemorations from the Liturgical calender of the MCC
A Calendar of Celtic Saints
1. Principal Feasts
The Principal Feasts observed in this Church are the following:
Easter Day
All Saints' Day, The Sunday Closest to November 1
Ascension Day The Closest Sunday to the 40th Day After Easter
Christmas Day, December 25
The Day of Pentecost
The Epiphany, The Sunday Closest toJanuary 6
Trinity Sunday
These feasts take precedence of any other day or observance.
All Saints' Day may always be observed on the Sunday following November 1, in addition to its observance on the fixed date.
2. Sundays
All Sundays of the year are feasts of Christ. In addition to the dated days listed above, only the following feasts, appointed on fixed days, take precedence of a Sunday:
The Holy Name (The First Sunday after Epiphany Sunday)
The Presentation
The Transfiguration
The feast of the Dedication of a Church, and the feast of its patron or
title, may be observed on, or be transferred to, a Sunday, except in the
seasons of Advent, Lent, and Easter.
All other Feasts of Christ, and all other Major Feasts appointed on
fixed days in the Calendar, when they occur on a Sunday, are normally transferred to the first convenient open day within the week. When desired, however, the Collect, Preface, and one or more of the Lessons appointed for the Feast may be substituted for those of the Sunday, but not from the Last Sunday after Pentecost through the Third Sunday after the Epiphany, or from the Baptism of Christ (Last Sunday of Epiphany) through Trinity Sunday.
With the express permission of the bishop, and for urgent and sufficient reason, some other special occasion may be observed on a Sunday.
3. Holy Days
The following Holy Days are regularly observed throughout the year.
Unless otherwise ordered in the preceding rules concerning Sundays, they have precedence over all other days of commemoration or of special observance:
Other Feasts of Christ
The Holy Name
Saint John the Baptist
The Presentation
The Transfiguration
The Annunciation
Holy Cross Day
The Visitation
Other Major Feasts
All feasts of Apostles
Saint Mary the Mother of Christ
All feasts of Evangelists
Saint Michael and All Angels
Saint Stephen
Saint James of Jerusalem
The Holy Innocents
Pride Day
Independence Day
Saint Joseph
Commemoration of All Victim's of Hate Crimes (Sunday Closest to October 10th)
Thanksgiving Day
Saint Mary Magdalene
Feasts of Christ and other Major Feasts appointed on fixed days,
which fall upon or are transferred to a weekday, may be observed on any
open day within the week. This provision does not apply to Christmas
Day, the Epiphany, and All Saints' Day.
4. Days of Optional Observance
Subject to the rules of precedence governing Principal Feasts, Sundays,
and Holy Days, the following may be observed with the Collects, Psalms, and Lessons duly authorized by this Church:
Commemorations listed in the Calendar
Other Commemorations, using the Common of Saints
The Ember Days, traditionally observed on the Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays after the First Sunday in Lent, the Day of Pentecost, Holy Cross Day, and December 13
The Rogation Days, traditionally observed on Monday, Tuesday, and
Wednesday before Ascension Day
Various Occasions
Provided, that there is no celebration of the Eucharist for any such
occasion on Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy
Saturday; and provided further, that none of the Propers appointed for
Various Occasions is used as a substitute for, or as an addition to, the
Proper appointed for the Principal Feasts.
L/G/B/T Saints/Commemorations are Highlighted in Purple. Where Double names with a / between them are considered Transgender Saints. Usually Women who lived as men among the Desert Monks.
Celtic Saints are highlighted in green.
January
1 The Holy Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ
2
3 Takashi Nagai Mystic of Nagasaki, 1951
4
5 St. Apollinaria/Dorotheuos
6 The Epiphany of Our Savior Jesus Christ* (see above)
7 Felix and Mary Barreda, Martyrs 1983
8 Sts. Polyeucht And Nearchus, Martyrs
9 J ulia Chester Emery, 1922
10 William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1645
11 12 St. Aelred, Abbot of Rievaulx, 1167
13 St. Kentigern (aka Mungo)
14 St. Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers, 367
15 St. Ita also Paul of Thebes
16 Religious Freedom Day
17 St. Antony, Abbot in Egypt, 356
18 The Confession of Saint Peter the Apostle
19 St. Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester, 1095
20 St. Sebastian, Martyr
21 St. Agnes, Martyr at Rome, 304
22 St. Vincent, Deacon of Saragossa, and Martyr, 304
23 Phillips Brooks, Bishop of Massachusetts, 1893
24 Alexander Men Russian Priest and Martyr, 1990
25 The Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle
26 Sts. Timothy and Titus, Companions of Saint Paul
27 St. John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople, 407
28 St. Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Friar, 1274
29 St. Canaire 530
30 Mohanda K. Gahndi, 1948
31
February
1 St. Brigid and Darludiegh , 523 (Darludeigh is considered the "companion" of Brigid thus they are both highlighted in green and purple)
2
3 St. Anskar, Archbishop of Hamburg, Missionary to Denmark and Sweden, 865
4 Cornelius the Centurion
5 The Martyrs of Japan, 1597
6
7 Martin Buber, Jewish Philosopher and Theologian, 1965
8 St. Elfleda 653-714
9 St. Teilo 6th Cent.
10 St. Euphrosyne/Smaragdus
11 St. Caedmon 680
12 St. Mary/Marinos of Alexandria
13 Absalom Jones, Priest, 1818
14 Sts. Cyril, Monk, and Methodius, Bishop, Missionaries to the Slavs, 869, 885
15 Thomas Bray, Priest and Missionary, 1730
16 Janani Luwum Archbishop of Uganda and Martyr, 1977
17 St. Finan 661
18 St. Coman 676
19
20 Frederick Douglas, Lay Preacher and Abolitionist, 1895
21
22 Anniv. of the Consecration of ICC's first Bishop
23 St. Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr of Smyrna, 156
24 Saint Matthias the Apostle
25 Felix Varela, Priest and Theologian, 1853
26
27 George Herbert, Priest, 1633
28
29
March
1 St. David, Bishop of Menevia, Wales, c. 544
2 St. Chad, Bishop of Lichfield, 672/ Four Chaplains Day
3 John and Charles Wesley, Priests, 1791, 1788
4 St. Owini, 670
5 St. Piran of Cornwall
6 Karl Rahner, Priest and Theologian, 1984
7 Sts. Perpetua, Felicity and her Companions, Martyrs
8 Sts. Baldred (Northumbrian hermit) 8th Cent. & Billifrith (hermit at Lindisfarne) 8th Cent.
9 St. Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa, c. 394
10 St. Anastasia the Patrician (of Constantinople)
11 St. Senana, 544
12 St. Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome, 604
13 St. Paul Arelian, 6th cent.
14 Fanny Lou Hamer, Prophet of Freedom, 1977
15 St. Longinus the Centurion
16
17 St. Patrick, Bishop and Missionary of Ireland, 461
18 St. Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem, 386
19 St. Joseph
20 St. Cuthbert, Bishop of Lindisfarne, 687 Commemoration of the Founding of the Companions of St. Hild & St. Cuthbert
21 Thomas Ken, Bishop of Bath and Wells, 1711
22 James De Koven, Priest, 1879
23 St. Gregory the Illuminator, Bishop and Missionary of Armenia, c. 332
24 Oscar Romero, Arcbishop of El Salvador and Martyr, 1980
25 The Annunciation
26 Sts. Herebert, Ethilwald & Felgild of Lindisfarne, 7th. Cent.
27 Charles Henry Brent, Bishop of the Philippines, and of Western New York, 1929
28 Mester Eckhart, Theologian and Mystic, 1329
29 John Keble, Priest, 1866
30 Sr. Thea Bowman, 1937-1990
31 John Donne, Priest, 1631
April
1 Frederick Denison Maurice, Priest, 1872
2 James Lloyd Breck, Priest, 1876
3 Richard, Bishop of Chichester, 1253
4 Martin Luther King, Jr., Civil Rights Leader, 1968
5 Pierre Telhard de Chardin, Priest Mystic, Scientist, 1955
6 St. Mary of Egypt (desert Amma) 5th Cent.
7
8 William Augustus Muhlenberg, Priest, 1877
9 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 1945
10 William Law, Priest, 1761
11 George Augustus Selwyn, Bishop of New Zealand, and of Lichfield, 1878
12
13
14
15
16
17
18 Yom HaShoah - Day of Rembrance of Holocaust Victims
19 St. Alphege, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Martyr, 1012
20 St. Hildegonde of Neuss (near Cologne)
21 St. Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1109
22
23 St. George
24
25 St. Mark the Evangelist
26
27
28 Oskar Schindler, the Righteous Gentile, 1974
29 Catherine of Siena, 1380
30
May
1 St.s. Philip and James, Apostles
2 St. Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, 373
3 St. Thomas a Kempis. Priest, Spiritual Master, 471
4 St. Monnica, Mother of Augustine of Hippo, 387
5
6
7
8 Dame Julian of Norwich, c. 1417
9 St. Gregory of Nazianzus, Bishop of Constantinople, 389
10
11 St. Comgall 516-601
12
13
14
15
16 St. Brendan, Patron of the ICC
17 St. Joephine Bakhita, ex-slave and nun, 1947
18
19 St. Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury, 988
20 St. Alcuin, Deacon, and Abbot of Tours, 804
21
22
23
24 Jackson Kemper, First Missionary Bishop in the United States, 1870
25 St. Bede, the Venerable, Priest, and Monk of Jarrow, 735
26 St. Augustine, First Archbishop of Canterbury, 605
27
28
29
30 St. Joan of Arc
31 The Visitation of the Blessed Mary to Elizabeth
The First Book of Common Prayer, 1549, is appropriately
observed on a weekday following the Day of Pentecost.
June
1 St. Justin, Martyr at Rome, c. 167
2 The Martyrs of Lyons, 177
3 St. Kevin 498-618
4 St. Petroc of Wales (Cornwall)
5 Boniface, Archbishop of Mainz, Missionary to Germany, and Martyr, 754
6 John XXIII, Bishop of Rome, 1963
7 Chief Seattle, Chief of the Suquamish and Christian Convert, 1866
8 St. Pelagia/Pelagios
9 St. Columba, Abbot of Iona, 597
10 St. Ephrem of Edessa, Syria, Deacon, 373
11 St. Barnabas the Apostle
12 Enmegahbowh, 1902]
13
14 St. Basil the Great, Bishop of Caesarea, 379
15 Evelyn Underhill, 1941
16 Joseph Butler, Bishop of Durham, 1752
17
18 St. Bernard Mizeki, Catechist and Martyr in Rhodesia, 1896
19
20
21 St. Paulinus of Nola, Bishop
22 St. Alban, First Martyr of Britain, c. 304
23 Bartholomew of Lindisfarne 1193
24 The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist
25 Sandhu Sundar Singh, Indian Christian Mystic, 1929
26
27
28 St. Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, c. 202
29 Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles
30
*Gay Pride is usually associated with the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots on June 27th. Various regions celebrate June sometime, though not exclusively in the month of June.This day may be observed where it fits with local events and Pride Day Activities.
July
1
2
3
4 Independence Day
5
6
7 St. Boisil 661
8
9 Augustus Tolton, First African American Priest, 1854-1897
10
11 St. Benedict of Nursia, Abbot of Monte Cassino, c. 540
12
13
14
15
16 St. Marina/Marinos of Antioch
17 William White, Bishop of Pennsylvania, 1836
18
19 Macrina, 379
20 Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Amelia Bloomer, Sojouner Truth, and Harriett Ross Tubman
21 St. Wilgifortis/ Sts. Symeon of Essa and John
22 Saint Mary Magdalene, Apostle
23 Daniel the Prophet & John Cassian 360-435
24 Thomas a Kempis, Priest, 1471
25 Saint James the Apostle
26 The Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary
27 William Reed Huntington, Priest, 1909
28 St. Samson of Dol (Brittany & Cornwall)
29 Mary, Martha and Lazarus of Bethany
30 William Wilberforce, 1833
31 Ignatius of Loyola, 1556
August
1 St. Joseph of Arimathaea
2
3
4
5 St. Oswald, 605-642
6 The Transfiguration (or closest Sunday following)
7 John Mason Neale, Priest, 1866
8 St. Dominic, Priest and Friar, 1221
9 St. Edith Stein, Carmelite Martyr, 1891-1942
10 St. Laurence, Deacon, and Martyr at Rome, 258
11 St. Clare, Abbess at Assisi, 1253
12 Florence Nightingale, 1910
13 Jeremy Taylor, Bishop of Down, Connor, and Dromore, 1667
14 Jonathan Myrick Daniels
15 St. Mary Mother of Jesus
16 St. Maximilian Kilbe, Franciscan Martyr, 1941
17
18 William Porcher DuBose, Priest, 1918
19 St. Oswin, 651
20 St. Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, 1153
21
22 St. Ebba, 683
23 Simone Weil, Philospher and Mystic, 1943
24 St. Bartholomew the Apostle
25 St. Louis, King of France, 1270
26
27 Thomas Gallaudet, 1902 and Henry Winter Syle, 1890
28 St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, 430
29 Pelagius 350-418
30
31 St. Aidan, Bishop of Lindisfarne, 651
September
1 David Pendleton Oakerhater, Deacon and Missionary, 1931
2 The Martyrs of New Guinea, 1942
3 Chief Samuel Checote, Creek Chief and Preacher.
4 Paul Jones, 1941
5 Albert Schweitzer, Missionary Doctor, 1965
6 Mtr. Teresa of Calcutta, 1910-1997
7
8
9 Constance, Nun, and her Companions, 1878
10 Alexander Crummell, 1898 or Mother Teresa of Calcutta, 1997
11 St. Theodora/Theodoros of Alexandria
12 John Henry Hobart, Bishop of New York, 1830
13 St. Cyprian, Bishop and Martyr of Carthage, 258
14 Holy Cross Day
15 Martyrs of Birmingham, 1963
16 St. Ninian, Bishop in Galloway, c. 430
17 St. Hildegard, 1179
18 Edward Bouverie Pusey, Priest, 1882 or Dag Hammerskjold, 1961
19 St. Theodore of Tarsus, Archbishop of Canterbury, 690
20 Henri Nouwan, Priest and Spiritual Guide, 1996
21 St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist
22 Edward II, King of England
23 St. Adamnan, 704
24 St. Thekla of Iconium
25 St. Cadoc, early 6th Cent.
26 Lancelot Andrewes, Bishop of Winchester, 1626
27 Sergius, Abbot of Holy Trinity, Moscow 1392
28
29 St. Michael and All Angels
30 St. Jerome, Priest, and Monk of Bethlehem, 420
October
1 St. Remigius, Bishop of Rheims, c. 530
2
3
4 St. Francis of Assisi, Friar, 1226
5
6 William Tyndale, Priest, 1536
7 Sts. Sergius and Bacchus, Martyrs
8 St. Athanasia/Athanasios of Antioch
9 Robert Grosseteste, Bishop of Lincoln, 1253
10 Commemoration of All Victims of Hate Crimes (or Sunday Closest)
11 Philip, Deacon and Evangelist
12
13
14 Samuel Isaac Joseph Schereschewsky, Bishop of Shanghai, 1906
15 St. Teresa of Avila, Nun, 1582
16 Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley, Bishops, 1555 and Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1556
17 St. Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, and Martyr, c. 115
18 St. Luke the Evangelist
19 Henry Martyn, Priest, and Missionary to India and Persia, 1812
20
21 St. Tuda, 644
22 Mara O'Halloran, Christian Zen Nun, 1982
23 St. James of Jerusalem, Brother of Jesus, and Martyr, c. 62
24
25 Sts. Cedd, 644 and Eata, 686
26 St. Alfred the Great, King of the West Saxons, 899
27
28 Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles
29 James Hannington, Bishop of Eastern Equatorial Africa, and his Companions, Martyrs, 1885
30 St. Anna/Euphemianos of Constantinople
31 All Hallows Eve (Samhain, Celtic new Year) & St. Begu, 7th Cent.
November
1 All Saints (see above)
2 All Souls Day
3 Richard Hooker, Priest, 1600
4
5
6 St. Illtyd, 5th/6th Cent.
7 St. Willibrord, Archbishop of Utrecht, Missionary to Frisia, 739
8
9 St. Matrona/Babylas of Perge
10 St. Leo the Great, Bishop of Rome, 461
11 St. Martin, Bishop of Tours, 397
12 Charles Simeon, Priest, 1836
13 Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, nun, poet, scolar, 1694
14 Consecration of Samuel Seabury, First American Bishop, 1784
15
16 St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland, 1093 (Beginning of Celtic Advent)
17 St. Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln, 1200
18 St. Hilda, Abbess of Whitby, 680
19 St. Elizabeth, Princess of Hungary, 1231
20 St. Edmund, King of East Anglia, 870
21
22 St. Colombanus, 543-615
23 St.Clement, Bishop of Rome, c. 100
24 St. Eanfleda, 626-704
25 James Otis Sargent Huntington, Priest and Monk, 1935
26
27 (Harvey Milk)
28 Kamehameha and Emma, King and Queen of Hawaii, 1864, 1885
29 Dorothy Day, Founder of the Catholic Worker Movement,1980
30 St. Andrew the Apostle
December
1 St. Nicholas Ferrar, Deacon, 1637 (World AIDS Day)
2 Channing Moore Williams, Missionary Bishop in China and Japan, 1910
3 Jean Donovan & Companions, Martyes of El Salvador, 1980
4 St. John of Damascus, Priest, c. 760
5 St. Clement of Alexandria, Priest, c. 210
6 St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, c. 342
7 St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, 397
8
9 St. Juan Diego, Visionary (16th cent)
10 Thomas Merton, Monk 1968
11 St. Finnian of Clonard, 549
12 Sr. Alicia Domon, Nun and Martyr (d.1977)
13 Catherine de Hueck Doherty, 1985
14 St. John of the Cross
15 St. Veantius Fortunatus, Bishop
16
17 Dom Bede Griffiths, Monk, 1906-1994
18 St. Samthann, Abbess, 739
19
20 Ruth and Naomi OT
21 St. Thomas the Apostle
22
23 St.Eugenia/Eugenios of Alexandra & Companions Sts.Protus & Hyacinth
24
25 The Nativity of Christ
26 St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr
27 St. John, Apostle and Evangelist
28 The Holy Innocents
29 Thomas Becket, 1170
30 David & Jonathan OT