Prayerbook, Holy Sacrifice of Mass, Old Latin Mass, Feastdays...JAN

Care should be taken always to consult the Proper of the local Diocese, as some Feasts are not celebrated by the Universal Church but are kept only in a particular diocese and by some religious Congregations.

The date is usually the date of the saint's death, known as a feast day because death was the beginning of life in heaven, or of the translation of his or her relics.

Feast Days are also known as Name Days and, in countries with a strong Catholic tradition, are sometimes celebrated instead of Birthdays.

1	Circumsion	The Church commemorates the Circumsion of our Redeemer, and also honors Mary's divine Maternity. The sinless Son of Man sheds for us the first drops of His Blood, and the Lord of all submits to a Mosaic Law.
2	Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus	The Church invites us to celebrate in a solemn feast, the Holy Name of Jesus. This Most Holy Name should be on our lips during our lives and especially at the moment of death.
5	St. Telesphorus, Pope, Martyr	St. Telesphorus labored much in defense of the Divinity of Christ. He Suffered martyrdom at Rome in 138.
6	Epiphany	The word Epiphany means manifestation. The church in the Mass commemorates a triple manifestation of Christ: to the Magi, that is, to the Gentiles; in His Baptism, when the Voice from heaven declared: "This is My Beloved Son"; and in the miracle of changing water into wine at Cana.
11	St. Hyginus, Martyr	Pope in the second Century. St. Hyginus suffered martyrdom under emperor Hadrian in 142 A.D.
11	The Holy Family	The Church proposes for our imitation the virtues of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in their hidden and humble life at Nazareth, especially the subjection of the Son of God, throughout His earthly life, by obedience to Mary and Joseph.
12	Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ	The commemoration of the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
14	St. Felix, Priest, Martyr	St. Felix, priest of Nola, Italy, after various torments was thrown into prison by the enemies of the Faith but was freed by an angel of God during the night. He converted many souls to Christ by his good example and by the force of his solid doctrine. He died in 312.
14	St. Hilary, Bishop, Confessor	St. Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers, one of the greatest religious luminaries of France in the 4th century, strenuously defended the Church against the Arian heresy. He wrote 12 books about the Holy Trinity. He died in 368.
15	St. Paul, the first hermit, Confessor	As a man of the world, St. Paul was a wealthy and highly educated Egyptian. He fled into the desert during the Decian persecution. For the last 69 years of his life, his food is said to have been brought to him by ravens. He died during the first half of the 4th century.
16	St. Marcellus, Pope, Martyr	This Pope who governed the Church for one year during the severe persecution of Maxentius, was most merciful to those who repented after having denied their faith. Exiles, he died from privations in 309.
17	St. Anthony, Abbot	At eighteen years of age, St. Anthony retired to the desert. He is called the Patriarch of Monks, not that before his advent the monastical life was non-existent, but precisely because he was the first Abbot to form a stable rule for his family of monks dedicated to Divine service. He died in 356, at 105 years of age.
18	St. Peter's Chair at Rome	This Feast commemorates St. Peter's inauguration into the See of Rome. The relics of the actual chair of the Prince of the Apostles, a symbol of the infallible authority of Peter's successors, are contained in a much-adorned reliquary which is preserved in the Vatican Basilica.
18	St. Prisca, Virgin, Martyr	St. Prisca, born in Rome of a noble family, remained faithful to Christ during the persecution of Claudius 11. She won the crown of martyrdom about the year 270, after suffering great torments.
19	Sts. Abachum, Audifax, Marius, Martha, Martyrs	The Persian nobles, Marius and Martha, came with tier sons, Audifax and Abachum, to Rome to visit the tombs of the Apostles Sts. Peter and Paul. They were cast into prison, tortured and martyred in 270.
19	St. Canute, King, Martyr	St. Canute was King of Denmark in the 11th century. His zeal for the Church was unsurpassed in his age. He suffered martyrdom as he knelt before the altar to pray for his enemies.
20	St. Fabian, Pope; St. Sebastian, Martyrs	St. Fabian, Supreme Pontiff, suffered martyrdom in 250 during the persecution of Decius. St. Sebastian, finding life too easy in his native city of Milan, went to Rome where Christians were valiantly suffering for their faith. He became their companion and "he too suffered and was crowned."
21	St. Agnes, Martyr	According to St. Augustine and St. Ambrose, St. Agnes, a noble Roman virgin, was about thirteen years of age when she won the martyr's crown. She was tortured by fire or decapitated in 304. Her name is inscribed in the Canon of the Mass, and she is universally venerated as the Patroness of the Children of Mary Sodality. Two lambs blessed on her feast supply the wool of the pallia worn by the Pope and the Archbishops.
22	St. Vincent, St. Anastasius, Priests and Martyrs	St. Vincent, born at Huesca in Spain, is one of the great deacons of the Church. For his defense of Christianity he suffered martyrdom about 300. St. Anastasius, a Persian monk, suffered martyrdom in 628. The Church has joined the Feasts of these two martyrs because they suffered martyrdom for the Faith on the same day with an interval of 328 years.
23	St. Emerentiana, Virgin, Martyr	While praying at the tomb of St. Agnes, her foster-sister, St. Emerentiana, was stoned to death about 304.
23	St. Raymond of Pennafort, Confessor	Born at Barcelona, Spain, in 1175, St. Raymond labored zealously for the redemption of slaves. By order of Gregory IX he wrote five books of Decretals which are now a valuable part of the Canon Law of the Church. The same Pontiff made him his confessor and grand penitentiary. He died in 1275.
24	St. Timothy, Bishop, Martyr	When St. Paul preached at Ephesus, Timothy admired his virtues, renounced all his worldly possessions in order to be his disciple, and accompanied him in the evangelization of many cities. He was consecrated Bishop of Ephesus by St. Paul. He died in the year 97.
25	St. Paul, Apostle; The Conversion	The conversion of Saul while journeying to Damascus is perhaps the greatest miracle in the history of the Primitive Church. The doctrine of the Mystical Body of Christ which teaches us that all the faithful are members of the same Body, whose Head Christ is, receives a very clear meaning in the words of Christ addressed to Saul, the persecutor of Christians: "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?"
26	St. Polycarp, Bishop, Martyr	St. Polycarp was a disciple of St. John the Evangelist, who converted him to Christianity. Late in life he was elevated to the Bishopric of Smyrna. When he was carried to the amphitheatre, the pro-consul exhorted him to renounce Jesus Christ, and he responded: "For eighty-six years I have served Him and He has never wronged me; how can I renounce the King Who has saved me?" He suffered martyrdom about the year 155.
27	St. John Chrysostom, Bishop, Confessor	St. John, named Chrysostom (golden-mouthed) for his sublime eloquence, was born in Antioch and became Patriarch of Constantinople. The envy and calumny of his persecutors followed his every step until he died in 407. His body is preserved in St. Peter's at Rome.
28	St. Peter Nolasco, Confessor	St. Peter Nolasco was born of noble and wealthy parents at Masdes-Saintes-Puelles, France in 1189. Instructed by the Blessed Virgin, he founded the Order of Our Lady of Mercy for the Redemption of Captives. When all funds for the work were exhausted, the religious were bound by their rule to take the places of the prisoners with the infidels. He died in 1256.
29	St. Francis, Bishop, Confessor	St. Francis was born near Annecy in Savoy, in 1567. After many victories and conversions which were the fruits of his apostolic zeal in combating Calvinism, St. Francis, succeeded to the bishopric of Geneva. With St. Frances de Chantal he founded the Visitation Order. After writing several devout treatises for the edification of the faithful, he died in Lyons, France in 1622. He was canonized in 1655, and in 1877, Pius IX placed him among the Doctors of the Church.
30	St. Martina, Virgin, Martyr	St. Martina, a noble Roman virgin, suffered martyrdom during the persecution of Alexander Severus and under the pontificate of Urban I about 228.