Traditional Liturgical Calendar

Following the Rubrics of Pope St. Pius X (pre-1951)
For the Universal Calendar (Roman Rite) of the Church

The "Liturgical Calendar by Month" below is based on the most traditional form of the Roman Rite, before the Hannibal Bugnini changes of 1951, 1956, 1960, and 1962. It is the one that corresponds to the fully traditional version of the Missale Romanum and the Breviarium Romanum in four volumes.

Immaculate Heart of Mary Church Publications produces, for those who want an annual printed Roman Catholic Calendar, the best and most complete annual full-color calendar, both in the calendar's daily boxes and in the religious art that accompanies each month. It contains full information about all feasts, commemorations, votive Masses, fasts and abstinence, Ember Days, and more. In the back matter, there is excellently-summarized information about indulgences, fast and abstinence, and other practical matters. This is unquestionably the best and most complete traditional calendar available. $11.00 (includes shipping) from 2200 Smelter Ave., Black Eagle, MT 59414-1213, (406) 452-9021, www.ihm-church.org/publications.html.

The St. Lawrence Press produces the best and most complete annual Ordo available, the Ordo Recitandi Officii Divini Sacrique Peragendi [Order of Reciting the Divine Office and Carrying Out the Sacred Rite], entirely in Latin and in the traditional form, following the Rubrics of Pope St. Pius X for the Universal Calendar (Roman Rite) of the Church as amended up to 1950. It contains detailed information about the Mass and Divine Office for each day of the year, which priests and the most devout laypeople use, much more complete in its detail than any calendar can give. Additional pages give the rubrics for Solemn Votive Masses, rubrics for conventual Masses and private votive Masses, and the text for the movable feasts sung on Epiphany. $20.00 (includes airmail postage) from 59 Sandscroft Ave., Broadway, Worcestershire WR12 7EJ, UK, or by credit/debit card from www.ordorecitandi.org.uk.

After the principal feast or ferial of the day appears its liturgical rank:

• d1cl - double of first class
• d2cl - double of second class
• dm - double major feast
• d - double feast
• sd - semi-double feast
• sp - simple feast
• v - vigil
• f - ferial day; no feast appointed

Then any commemorations appropriate to the day in their proper order, and finally the color of vestments pertaining to the Mass and Divine Office of the day:

• B - black
• G - green
• R - red
• V - violet
• W - white
• x - Requiem or Votive Mass permitted on this day

To Saints' names are appended their title:

• Ab - Abbot
• Ap(p) - Apostle(s)
• Bp(p) - Bishop(s)
• C(c) - Confessor(s)
• D - Doctor
• Ev - Evangelist
• M(m) - Martyr(s)
• P(p)- Pope(s)
• V(v) - Virgin(s)
• W - widow

Days of fast, partial abstinence, and (complete) abstinence from meat are also indicated as observed since 1952:

• Abstinence. All persons over seven years of age must abstain. This means that they may not take fleshmeat, meat gravy, or meat soup at all on days of complete abstinence, which are all Fridays (except on holydays of obligation), Ash Wednesday, Holy Saturday (until noon), and the Vigils of the Immaculate Conception and Christmas. They may take meat, but only at the principal meal, on days of partial abstinence, which are Ember Wednesdays and Saturdays, and the Vigils of Pentecost and of All Saints' Day.


• Fast - All persons over twenty-one and under fifty-nine years of age must fast. This means that on a fast day they may have only one principal or full meal and two smaller meals. They may eat meat at this principal meal, except on days of complete abstinence. At the two smaller meals they may not have meat, but they may take sufficient food to maintain their strength. However, these two smaller meals together should be less than a full meal. Eating between meals is not permitted, but liquids, including milk and fruit juices, may be taken any time on a fast day. The days of fast are the weekdays of Lent including Holy Saturday (until noon), the Ember Days, and the Vigils of Pentecost, the Immaculate Conception, All Saints' Day, and Christmas.

Those not bound to fast may eat meat as often as they wish, except on days of complete abstinence (when it may not be eaten at all), and on days of partial abstinence (when it may be eaten only at the principal meal). When a person's health or ability to work would be seriously affected by fasting or, in even rarer cases, by abstaining, a traditional priest/confessor should be consulted to determine whether the law obliges.

In granting these concessions, the bishops urged the faithful:

• to attend daily Mass during the period of fast and abstinence [if this is not possible, one might say all or part of the Divine Office, the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the Most Holy Rosary]
• to receive Holy Communion often
• to take part more frequently in exercises of piety
• to give generously to works of religion and charity
• to perform acts of kindness toward the sick, the aged, and the poor
• to practice voluntary self-denial
• to pray more fervently

For further information, see the TRADITIO Library of Files for FAQ05: What Traditional Books Do You Recommend? on The St. Andrew Daily Missal with Vespers for Sundays and Feasts and Kyriale and for GLOSSARY: Learning the Breviary: A Brief Dictionary of Terms for Reference.

Liturgical Calendar by Month

Liturgical calendars for the fully Traditional Roman Rite (1950), following the rubrics of Pope St. Pius X for the Universal Calendar of the Church, may be viewed or printed for the following months:

December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024
December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023
December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022
December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021
December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020
December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019
December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018
December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017
December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016
December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015
December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014
December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013
December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012
December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011
December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010
December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009
December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008
December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007
December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006
December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005
December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004
December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003
December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002 February 2002 January 2002
December 2001 November 2001 October 2001 September 2001 August 2001 July 2001 June 2001 May 2001 April 2001 March 2001 February 2001 January 2001

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