The Church Year
Seasons, Sundays, Principal Feasts and
Holy Days
Advent
The season of preparation for Christmas
First Sunday of Advent
Second Sunday of Advent
Third Sunday of Advent
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Christmas
The celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ
The Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ: Christmas Day, 25 December
First Sunday of Christmas
Second Sunday of Christmas
Epiphany
The revelation of Christ
The Epiphany of our Lord Jesus Christ, 6 January
The Baptism of the Lord: First Sunday of the Epiphany
(Second Sunday to the Sixth Sunday of the Epiphany)*
* The number of Sundays after Epiphany or Pentecost depends upon the date of Easter.
See Table on pages 940–941.
Lent
A time of preparation for Holy Week and Easter
First day in Lent: Ash Wednesday
First Sunday in Lent
Second Sunday in Lent
Third Sunday in Lent
Fourth Sunday in Lent
Fifth Sunday in Lent: Passion Sunday
Holy Week
The passion of our Lord
Palm Sunday: Sixth Sunday in Lent
Monday in Holy Week
Tuesday in Holy Week
Wednesday in Holy Week
Maundy Thursday
Good Friday
Holy Saturday
Easter
The resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ
Easter Eve
Easter Day: the Day of Resurrection
Monday in Easter Week
Tuesday in Easter Week
Second Sunday of Easter: Low Sunday
Third Sunday of Easter
Fourth Sunday of Easter
Fifth Sunday of Easter
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Ascension Day
Sunday after Ascension Day
The Day of Pentecost: Whitsunday
Pentecost celebrates the coming of the Holy Spirit
and the birth of the Church.
The Sundays after Pentecost
Trinity Sunday: First Sunday after Pentecost
Second Sunday to the Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost
(Twenty-Fourth Sunday to the Twenty-Seventh Sunday after
Pentecost)*
Sunday before Advent
* The number of Sundays after Epiphany or Pentecost depends upon the date of Easter.
See Table on pages 940–941.