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SAINTS  -  LATIN  CALENDAR

 

In Ordinary time the feast days of the saints may be on a different day of the week and sometimes in different months.  The reason for this are twofold:  the Latin calendar is based on the Roman Martyrology-1962 edition.  The saints in Ordinary time are based on the revision of the calendar of saints by Vatican II. 

 

Sometimes because of movable feast days, for example, the feast day of the Epiphany, the traditional feast day (January 6) in Ordinary time, is moved to the following Sunday, which ever day that may be, while in the Latin calendar January 6 (no matter what day of the week that falls on) the feast day is celebrated in the traditional manner.

 

Also on January 6, in ordinary time Saint Andre Bissette is celebrated.  In the ordinary calendar, both feasts and stories will show the same day of January 6, because all the stories, as noted, were composed based on the Latin calendar. 

 

Another example is the feast of Saint Vincent.  In the Latin calendar, the feast day is listed on January 22 while in Ordinary time, it is celebrated on January 23.  The reason for this is, that another feast day of a higher rank is celebrated on January 22 in Ordinary time. 

 

A third example, is the feast day of Saint Benedict on March 21.  This feast day always falls during the Lenten period. 

In the Latin calendar a commemoration is still made on March 21, while in Ordinary time, the feast day has been transferred to July 11.  Once again, the story will show the traditional feast day of March 21, and not the revised day of July 11. 

 

Yet another example occurs on January 2 when in the Latin calendar the traditional feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus is celebrated while in Ordinary time two saints, each of whom have a separate feast day in the Latin rite are celebrated on this day.  Saint Basil is June 14 and Saint Gregory May 9 (Latin). 

 

Both separate stories with the traditional feast days shown in the Latin story will be listed in Ordinary time. 

 

At other times a feast day may be celebrated under one name but is shown under a different name in the story. 

 

January 1, for example, is the octave day of Christmas and it is also celebrated as the feast of the circumcision of Jesus.  Once again the name on the story will be based on the Latin calendar.   

Saints of the Roman Catholic Church:  A saint is a holy person.  In christian usage, saint refers to any believer who is holy, and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or on earth (Ephesians 3:14-19; Ephesians 3:8).

The Catholic Church teaches that it does not, in fact, make or create anyone a saint.  Rather, it recognizes a saint.  In the Church, the title of Saint refers to a person who has been formally canonized (officially recognized) by the Catholic Church, and therefore is in Heaven.

By definition there are many people believed to be in Heaven who have not been formally declared as saints but who may nevertheless generically be referred to as saints.

All in Heaven are, in the technical sense, saints, since they are believed to be completely perfected in holiness.  The veneration of saints, in Latin, cultus, or the "cult of the saints", describes a particular popular devotion or abandonment to a particular saint or saints.

Although the term "worship" is sometimes used, it is intended in the old-sense meaning to honor or give respect (dulia).  According to the Catholic Church, Divine Worship is properly reserved only for God (latria), and never to saints.

Saints can be asked to intercede or pray for those still on earth, just as one can ask someone on earth to pray for them.

Indulgences listed are based on The Enchiridion of Indulgences (The Handbook of Indulgences) - 1968 version which is the official list of both plenary and partial indulgences available to the faithful as of when this website was completed.  This website, when appropriate, will list only some of the plenary indulgences available during a particular month.  For a complete list of both plenary and partial indulgences available >  

Novenas are listed based on the starting date of the Novena.  That means that while the feast day may fall in the beginning of a certain month the novena will begin sometime in the previous month.  The Novena will be shown in the previous month, the date when the novena is to commence.

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