I remember many years ago copying the saints’ days and other festivals from the lectionary into the parish diary which was kept in the sacristy of the church in which I was then serving. The year was 1986 and to all intents and purposes it was the same as any other year, but on this occasion I was struck by the various alternative festivals that were attached to some of the saints. Some were obvious like those for our Lady: The Immaculate Conception, Nativity, Presentation in the Temple, Assumption and so forth, but others required a little exploration.

St. John the Baptist has two, unusually for his birth (24th June) and his death (29th August). The usual day to celebrate the saints is the day of death which marks the heavenly birthday, but the Baptist is also celebrated on his nativity because he recognised the presence of Jesus from the womb. Other saints are remembered on the day of their death (or on a date near it if there is a clash with another saint or feast), but sometimes also on the day of the translation of their relics to a final resting place. There are other reasons too. A few examples are offered here.

St. Alban, the first martyr in this island, is celebrated on 20th June (albeit with some variations). His translation is celebrated on 2nd August.

Our own patron, St. Peter is celebrated on 29th June often with St. Paul (whose conversion is celebrated on 25th January – a unique occurrence). St. Peter also has two feasts celebrating his episcopacy, the Chair of St. Peter at Rome on 18th January and the Chair of St. Peter at Antioch on 22nd February. The former date marks the beginning of the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity which concludes on the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. St. Peter also has a subsidiary celebration on 1st August to mark his escape from prison (Acts 12) known as St. Peter’s Chains.

St. John the Evangelist is celebrated on 27th December, but also has a subsidiary feast on 6th May which is the dedication feast of the church of St. John before the Latin Gate which commemorates a failed attempt to boil him in a cauldron of oil during the persecution of Domitian.

The date perhaps matters less than the willingness to celebrate the lives and death of the saints who have witnessed to Jesus in life and in death. These are the heroes of the faith who have laid the foundation for the life of the Church and continue to inspire to this day.

The complete newsletter may be downloaded here: