Joshua Bennett
Catholic feast days are dedicated to celebrating and honouring important figures and events in the Catholic faith. The word 'feast' comes from the Latin 'festes', meaning 'joy', and is a time of celebration. The Catholic Church has a rich liturgical calendar of feast days, including saints' days, holy days of obligation, and days devoted to expressions of God's love in the lives of Jesus and Mary. On these days, Catholics may attend Mass, reflect on the lives of saints, and participate in festivities. Feast days are an opportunity to experience the joy that God provides and to extend Jesus' hospitality and generosity to others.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 1 January: Octave Day of Christmas, Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God |
| 17 March: Solemnity of St Patrick | |
| 5 August: Dedication of the Basilica of St. Mary Major | |
| 6 January: Epiphany of the Lord | |
| ... | |
| Type of celebration | Feast days can be saints' days, holy days of obligation, or days devoted to expressions of God's love in the lives of Jesus and Mary |
| Purpose | To remember and celebrate something or someone important to the Catholic faith |
| To remind Catholics of the order, meaning, and purpose of their lives | |
| To experience and participate in the joy that God provides | |
| To extend Jesus' hospitality and generosity to others |
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What You'll Learn
Saints and their feast days
The Catholic Church assigns a saint to each day of the year, and these saints are celebrated on their designated feast days. The liturgical calendar includes the feast days of countless saints, who are chosen by God and added to the calendar to inspire the faithful in their journey of faith.
There are several ways to keep track of the saints and their feast days. One way is to follow the General Roman Calendar, which lists the saint or feast for each day of the year. This calendar also includes additional feasts particular to certain countries, such as the United States. Another way is to use an alphabetical index or search tool to look up specific saints. A third way is to read about the saints in chronological order, moving from century to century, to understand how the Church has evolved over time.
Some saints have been assigned specific dates, such as Saint John Neumann, a bishop whose memorial is celebrated on January 5 in the United States. Saint André Bessette, a religious figure, is commemorated with an optional memorial on January 6. Saint Raymond of Penyafort, a priest, is also remembered with an optional memorial on January 7.
The feast days of saints are not just limited to specific dates but can also be tied to specific events or occurrences. For example, the "Epiphany of the Lord" is celebrated on January 6 or the first Sunday after January 1, excluding years when this date falls on a Holy Day of Obligation. The "Baptism of the Lord" is observed on the Sunday after the Epiphany, with a similar adjustment if the Epiphany falls on certain dates.
These feast days provide an opportunity to learn about the lives and contributions of the saints, drawing inspiration from their dedication to serving God and others.
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The liturgical calendar
The saints of the liturgical year are those holy men and women who have been chosen by God for canonization and are added to the liturgical calendar. They serve as models for every day and age, inspiring Catholics on their faith journeys. The saints include well-known figures like St. Patrick of Ireland, who is celebrated on March 17, and St. James, one of Jesus' first Apostles, who is celebrated on August 5.
Catholics are often encouraged to reflect on the meaning of the observance of a saint's feast day. Why do we remember them? Why do we keep an annual feast day for each of them? The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that in our profession of faith, we say, "I believe... in the communion of saints". Pope Francis adds that "saints are not supermen who are 'born perfect' but rather are ordinary people who followed God with all their heart".
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The meaning of feast days
Catholic feast days are dedicated to celebrating and remembering people or events important to the faith. The word 'feast' comes from the Latin 'festes', meaning 'joy', and is intended to be a time of celebration. The Catholic Church has a year of feast days, including holy days of obligation, saints' days, and days devoted to expressions of God's love in the lives of Jesus and Mary.
Saints' days are the most common type of feast day. There are over 10,000 officially canonised saints celebrated by the Church throughout the year. On these days, Catholics are encouraged to reflect on the meaning of the observance and why the saint is remembered. Saints are chosen by God from among the holy men and women who have gone before and are now in heaven. They are models for every day and age, inspiring us on our journey of faith. Pope Francis has said that "saints are not supermen who are 'born perfect', but rather are ordinary people who followed God with all their heart".
The General Roman Calendar is often used to determine the saint of the day. This calendar includes additional feasts particular to certain countries, such as the United States. Some saints celebrated according to this calendar include Saint Basil the Great and Saint Gregory Nazianzen on 2 January, Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton on 4 January, and Saint André Bessette on 6 January. 17 March is the celebration of the solemnity of St Patrick, one of the world's most popular saints.
Feasting is a way to experience and participate in the joy that God provides. It also allows us to extend Jesus' hospitality and generosity to others, inviting them to join in the joy of the community.
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Holy days of obligation
The holy days of obligation are determined by the Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church, which states that there are nine holy days of obligation other than Sundays in the Catholic calendar. However, the local conference of bishops may reduce or transfer these days to a Sunday. For example, in the US, the feast of Saint Joseph and the feast of Saints Peter and Paul are not observed as holy days of obligation.
The holy days of obligation for Latin Church Catholics are indicated in canon 1246 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law and include:
- The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Christmas)
- The Epiphany
- The Ascension
- The Body and Blood of Christ
- Holy Mary the Mother of God
- Her Immaculate Conception
- Her Assumption
In addition, some countries with a high percentage of Catholic people observe other holy days of obligation, such as the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in some regions of Bavaria.
It is important to note that the number and specific days of holy obligation may vary by country and diocese. For example, in the Czech Republic, only two holy days of obligation are observed, while in Hawaii, only Christmas and the Immaculate Conception are observed as holy days of obligation.
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The role of saints
The Catholic Church celebrates feast days, which are dedicated to a particular saint. The earliest of these were martyrs, who were venerated as having shown the greatest form of love for Christ by dying in his service. Confessors is a title for saints who did not die in Christ's service but instead confessed their faith in Christ by the way they lived their lives.
The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organising a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints. The word "feast" in this context means an annual religious celebration, not a large meal. The system arose from the early Christian custom of commemorating each martyr annually on the date of their death, or their birth into heaven, which was referred to in Latin as the martyr's dies natalis ('day of birth').
The saints are chosen by God to be added to the liturgical calendar of the Church on Earth. They are given to us as models to inspire us on our journey of faith. Biographical information on each saint is available from a variety of sources.
The General Roman Liturgical Calendar includes saints such as St. James, one of Jesus' first apostles, who is celebrated on 25th July; Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors, celebrated on 2nd January; and Saint André Bessette, Religious, celebrated on 6th January.
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Frequently asked questions
A Catholic feast day is a day when Catholics remember and celebrate something or someone important to their faith.
The word 'feast' comes from the Latin 'festes', meaning 'joy'. It symbolises a time of celebration.
Some examples of Catholic feast days include the Octave Day of Christmas, the Solemnity of Mary, the Feast of St. Patrick, and the Feast of All Saints.
There are a few ways to determine the saint of the day. One way is to follow the General Roman Calendar, which lists the saint or feast for each day of the year. Another way is to use an alphabetical index or search bar to look up a specific saint.
