Bill White - Wed Aug 30 04:08:58 CDT 2000 The Catholic Church in England and Wales: CATHOLIC CHURCH IN ENGLAND AND WALES GETS NEW CALENDAR OF SAINTS Reflects the Richness of English Sanctity LONDON, AUGUST 29 (ZENIT.org).- The Vatican has approved a revised liturgical calendar of saints' feastdays for England and Wales. Each country or diocese has the option of proposing a list of local saints and blesseds that will be celebrated with special solemnity, which must then be approved by the Holy See. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales submitted this new calendar for approval in 1993, and it will take effect in Advent 2000. The new calendar adds one solemnity, the highest-ranking feastday, that of St. George, patron of England. (Previously, he was honored with a "feast," the next lower level of celebration.) Saints to be celebrated with feasts in England are Ss. John Fisher and Thomas More, and the patrons of Wales, Ireland, and Scotland (Ss. David, Patrick, and Andrew). The Vatican has also added feasts for the six patrons of Europe (Ss. Cyril, Methodius, Benedict, Catherine of Siena, Bridget, and Teresa Benedicta of the Cross -- Edith Stein). Forty canonized and 85 beatified martyrs of the Reformation period will be celebrated together on May 4 as "The English Martyrs." This date coincides with the Curch of England's celebration of "English Saints and Martyrs of the Reformation Era." In all 41 different feastdays are indicated in the new calendar. The Liturgy Office of the Bishops Conference notes, "There was a clear desire to produce a Calendar that was at the same time more representative of the rich English heritage of Saints, and, following the wishes of the Holy See, was more restrained in the ranking of celebrations." Prayers and texts for each celebration in the National Calendar have been approved by the Bishops' Conference, and are awaiting recognition by the Vatican. In the interim period, a Liturgy Office booklet provides suggestions for Mass texts. ZE00082922 ====================================================================== New Calendar for English Saints: 29 AUGUST 2000 NEWS RELEASE NEW CALENDAR FOR ENGLISH SAINTS The Vatican has approved the new liturgical calendar of saints' days for England. The new National Calendar was approved by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales in 1993 following wide consultation in the dioceses, and accepted by the Vatican in June this year. It will take effect from Advent 2000. Among the changes are: The up-grading of St George's Day (23 Apr) from a Feast to a Solemnity - St George is Patron Saint of England. This is the only Solemnity in the National Calendar. The only Feasts are now Sts John Fisher and Thomas More, the Patrons of Wales, Ireland and Scotland (David, Patrick, Andrew), and - at the Vatican's request - the six Patrons of Europe (Cyril, Methodius, Catherine of Siena, Benedict, Bridget, Teresa Benedicta of the Cross). The 40 canonised Martyrs (previously 25 Oct), have joined the 85 beatified Martyrs on 4 May, with other martyrs from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. These are now known as 'The English Martyrs'. This coincides with the Church of England celebration of 'English Saints and Martyrs of the Reformation Era'. There are now 41 celebrations, when there were 15 previously. The new calendar replaces the previous version of 1971; it will be used in addition to the universal calendar employed throughout the world. The calendar has been published in the September issue of the bishops' monthly journal, 'Briefing', and in a booklet by the Liturgy Office. The booklet also contains biographical notes on all the saints. The introduction to the booklet says: "There was a clear desire to produce a Calendar that was at the same time more representative of the rich English heritage of Saints, and, following the wishes of the Holy See, was more restrained in the ranking of celebrations." Prayers and texts for each celebration in the National Calendar have been approved by the Bishops' Conference, and are awaiting recognition by the Vatican. In the interim period, the Liturgy Office booklet provides suggestions for Mass texts. ENDS Notes for editors. The new National Calendar follows (1 page). There are 4 grades of saints' day: Solemnity, Feast, Memorial, and Optional Memorial. The Liturgy Office booklet, 'National Calendar for England' is available from the Liturgy Office, 39 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1BX, 020 7821 0553, priced £2 each. 'Briefing' is available from the Catholic Media Trust, 0151 548 4924, priced £3 per copy. The new English National Calendar does not affect Wales or Scotland, which have their own National Calendars. NATIONAL CALENDAR FOR ENGLAND [Where no other indication is given the celebration is an Optional Memorial.] January ------- 12 AELRED OF RIEVAULX, abbot 19 WULSTAN, bishop February -------- 14 CYRIL, monk, and METHODIUS, bishop, patrons of Europe [Feast] March ----- 1 DAVID, bishop, patron of Wales [Feast] 17 PATRICK, bishop, patron of Ireland [Feast] April ----- 21 ANSELM, bishop, doctor of the Church 23 GEORGE, martyr, patron of England [Solemnity] 24 (ADALBERT, bishop and martyr) (FIDELIS OF SIGMARINGEN, priest and martyr) 29 CATHERINE OF SIENA, virgin and doctor of the Church, patron of Europe [Feast] May --- 4 THE ENGLISH MARTYRS (The English Men and Women martyred for the Catholic Faith 1535-1680 and beatified or canonised by the Holy See.) [Feast] 19 DUNSTAN, bishop, 25 BEDE THE VENERABLE, priest, doctor of the Church [Memorial] 27 AUGUSTINE OF CANTERBURY, bishop [Memorial] June ---- 5 BONIFACE, bishop, martyr [Memorial] 9 COLUMBA, abbot 16 RICHARD OF CHICHESTER, bishop 20 ALBAN, martyr 22 JOHN FISHER, bishop and THOMAS MORE, martyrs [Feast] 23 ETHELDREDA (AUDREY), abbess July ---- 1 OLIVER PLUNKET, bishop, martyr 11 BENEDICT, abbot, patron of Europe [Feast] 23 BRIDGET, religious, patron of Europe [Feast] August ------ 9 TERESA BENEDICTA OF THE CROSS (EDITH STEIN), virgin, martyr, patron of Europe [Feast] 26 B. DOMINIC OF THE MOTHER OF GOD BARBERI, priest 30 MARGARET CLITHEROW, ANNE LINE, and MARGARET WARD, virgin, martyrs 31 AIDAN, bishop, and SAINTS OF LINDISFARNE September --------- 3 GREGORY THE GREAT, pope, doctor of the Church [Memorial] 4 CUTHBERT, bishop 19 THEODORE OF CANTERBURY, bishop 24 OUR LADY OF WALSINGHAM [Memorial] October ------- 10 PAULINUS OF YORK, bishop, 12 WILFRID, bishop 13 EDWARD THE CONFESSOR 26 CHAD and CEDD, bishops, November -------- 3 WINEFRIDE, virgin 7 WILLIBRORD, bishop 16 EDMUND OF ABINGDON, bishop MARGARET OF SCOTLAND 17 HILDA, abbess HUGH OF LINCOLN, bishop (ELIZABETH OF HUNGARY, religious) 30 ANDREW, apostle, patron of Scotland [Feast] December -------- 29 THOMAS BECKET, bishop, martyr (Note: Adalbert - normally 23 Apr in the universal calendar - has been transferred to 24 Apr and now joins Fidelis of Sigmaringen, to avoid a clash with George. Elizabeth of Hungary has been down-graded to Optional Memorial to enable the celebration of Hilda or Hugh of Lincoln.) -----