Traditional Liturgical Calendar

Following the Rubrics of Pope St. Pius X
For the Universal Calendar of the Church

This calendar is based on the most traditional form of the Roman Rite, before the Conciliar-Bugnini changes of 1950, 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 and is reproduced here for the assistance of those are saying that Divine Office and the Holy Mass that corresponds to it. Feast and fast days have been added that are proper to the United States.

Immaculate Heart of Mary Church Publications produces the best and most complete 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. $10.00 (includes shipping) from 2200 Smelter Ave., Black Eagle, MT 59414-1213, (406) 452-9021, info@ihm-church.org.

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. It contains detailed information about the Mass and Divine Office that priests and the most advanced 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 in cash 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. By the decree of the Sacred Congregation of the Council, December 3, 1959, abstinence on the Vigil of Christmas may, at the option of the individual, be anticipated on December 23. 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 (or December 23).

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 Traditional Roman Rite for the Universal Church (not including national variations) may be viewed or printed for the following months:

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

Return to the Main Page.