The worship of the Church turns us towards God, and inspired by the Holy Spirit and joined Jesus, Son of God, unites us in the worship of the Father. At the heart of Christian Liturgy is the Paschal Mystery - the saving events of Jesus' Passion, Death and Resurrection.
Thus Sunday, the weekly anniversary of the Lord’s Resurrection, is our primordial feast day. And the high point of the Year is our celebration of the Triduum, which culminates in the great Easter Vigil. The seasons of Lent/Easter focus us on ’ how by his life, death and resurrection Christ Jesus brought us salvation; Advent and Christmas celebrate God taking flesh, and being born of the Virgin, , and help us to prepare for his Second Coming.
The Church structures her Year in this way to help deepen our communion with.Jesus and to live our lives more faithfully.
And she also includes in her year celebrations of the saints, women and men whose lives and ministries have shaped and inspired the Church down the ages. In honouring the saints, the Church invites their prayers and continues to draw strength from them.
The Church's celebration of the saints is ordered by a series of calendars.
The Universal Calendar
The primary Calendar, shared by the Church throughout the world is the Universal Calendar. This includes Saints of universal importance. Principal among these are the feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, Mother of the Church, whom the Church venerates with a particular love. The Universal Calendar includes also other saints of the New Testament, Doctors of the Church such as St Augustine and Pope Saint Gregory, and great reformers and defenders of the faith such as St Francis and St Dominic.
The National Calendar
The Church is each country will also have its own National Calendar which includes saints of particular importance for the Church in that country. The Calendar for England includes the national Patron, St George; Saints from the earliest days of Christianity, for example St Alban, our nation’s proto-martyr; Saints associated with the 6th century evangelisation coming both from Ireland and Scotland, saints such as St Columba, Pope St Gregory, and Saints Aidan and Augustine; saints such as Ss Chad, Wilfred and Hilda from the time when the Church was becoming more firmly established in our national life; martyr saints such as Ss Thomas More, John Fisher and the many other martyrs of England who made offering of their lives in the years following the English reformation; and finally there are celebrations of St John Henry Newman and Blessed Dominic Barberi, who helped further the mission of the Catholic Church during the 19th Century following the Catholic Relief Act of 1829, which removed most civil and political restrictions on Catholics playing a role in the public life of our nation.
The Diocesan Calendar
In addition each Diocese will have its Diocesan Calendar. The Diocsean Calendar for Birmingham includes St Chad, one of our Diocesan patrons; St Birinus who ministered as an evangelist based in Dorchester-on-Thames; saintly bishops of Worcester; the many martyrs of the English reformation who ministered here, and with such courage; and gives a greater emphasis to Blessed Dominic Barberi, whose ministry continues to have such a profound influence on the Church of Birmingham.
The local Calendar
Deaneries and clusters of parishes may also develop their local calendar – commemorating for example the patrons of local parishes and schools, and the founders of local religious communities.
Thus Sunday, the weekly anniversary of the Lord’s Resurrection, is our primordial feast day. And the high point of the Year is our celebration of the Triduum, which culminates in the great Easter Vigil. The seasons of Lent/Easter focus us on ’ how by his life, death and resurrection Christ Jesus brought us salvation; Advent and Christmas celebrate God taking flesh, and being born of the Virgin, , and help us to prepare for his Second Coming.
The Church structures her Year in this way to help deepen our communion with.Jesus and to live our lives more faithfully.
And she also includes in her year celebrations of the saints, women and men whose lives and ministries have shaped and inspired the Church down the ages. In honouring the saints, the Church invites their prayers and continues to draw strength from them.
The Church's celebration of the saints is ordered by a series of calendars.
The Universal Calendar
The primary Calendar, shared by the Church throughout the world is the Universal Calendar. This includes Saints of universal importance. Principal among these are the feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, Mother of the Church, whom the Church venerates with a particular love. The Universal Calendar includes also other saints of the New Testament, Doctors of the Church such as St Augustine and Pope Saint Gregory, and great reformers and defenders of the faith such as St Francis and St Dominic.
The National Calendar
The Church is each country will also have its own National Calendar which includes saints of particular importance for the Church in that country. The Calendar for England includes the national Patron, St George; Saints from the earliest days of Christianity, for example St Alban, our nation’s proto-martyr; Saints associated with the 6th century evangelisation coming both from Ireland and Scotland, saints such as St Columba, Pope St Gregory, and Saints Aidan and Augustine; saints such as Ss Chad, Wilfred and Hilda from the time when the Church was becoming more firmly established in our national life; martyr saints such as Ss Thomas More, John Fisher and the many other martyrs of England who made offering of their lives in the years following the English reformation; and finally there are celebrations of St John Henry Newman and Blessed Dominic Barberi, who helped further the mission of the Catholic Church during the 19th Century following the Catholic Relief Act of 1829, which removed most civil and political restrictions on Catholics playing a role in the public life of our nation.
The Diocesan Calendar
In addition each Diocese will have its Diocesan Calendar. The Diocsean Calendar for Birmingham includes St Chad, one of our Diocesan patrons; St Birinus who ministered as an evangelist based in Dorchester-on-Thames; saintly bishops of Worcester; the many martyrs of the English reformation who ministered here, and with such courage; and gives a greater emphasis to Blessed Dominic Barberi, whose ministry continues to have such a profound influence on the Church of Birmingham.
- A revision to the Diocesan Calendar and the prayers and readings proper to the celebrations has been prepared and has been submitted to the Holy See's Dicastery for Divine Worship for confirmation. In the meantime the current calendar (and links to its various saints and blesseds) can be accessed here
The local Calendar
Deaneries and clusters of parishes may also develop their local calendar – commemorating for example the patrons of local parishes and schools, and the founders of local religious communities.
