The Calendar
(Jump to: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec)
1 |
Principal Feasts and Holy Days |
In the Church these days take precedence over any other
observance.
Principal Feasts |
Holy Days |
| Christmas Day The Epiphany Easter Day Ascension Day The Day of Pentecost (Whitsunday) Trinity Sunday |
Ash Wednesday Good Friday |
2 |
Other Feasts and Holy Days |
The following Holy Days are regularly observed throughout the year. The observance of a festival may displace a Sunday in the Season after Epiphany and the Season after Pentecost, but not the Sundays of Advent, Lent or Easter except as provided in guidelines for Precedence in Liturgical Observance provided by the General Synod/te Hīnota Whānui.
A |
Of our Lord |
All Sundays are feasts of our Lord Jesus Christ
The Naming of Jesus, 1 January
The Baptism of the Lord, First Sunday after the Epiphany
The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple, 2 February
The Annunciation of our Saviour to the Blessed Virgin Mary,
25 March
The Transfiguration of the Beloved Son, 6 August
B |
Of the Saints |
In the commemoration of saints, the Church celebrates the victory of Christ in the lives of particular individuals. The Calendar of Saints’ Days varies considerably among Christian Churches and among the various churches of the Anglican Communion.
The Conversion of St Paul, 25 January
The Holy Innocents, 16 February (28 December)
St Matthias the Apostle, 24 February
St Mark the Evangelist, 26 April
St Philip and St James, Apostles, 1 May
St John the Evangelist, 6 May (27 December)
The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, 31 May (2 July)
St Barnabas the Apostle, 11 June
St John the Baptist, 24 June
St Peter and St Paul, Apostles, Martyrs, 29 June
St Thomas the Apostle, 3 July (21 December)
St Mary Magdalene, 22 July
St James and St John, Apostles, 25 July
St Stephen, the first Christian Martyr, 3 August (26 December)
St Mary, the Mother of Jesus, 15 August
St Bartholomew (Nathanael), Apostle, 24 August
St Matthew, Apostle, Evangelist, 21 September
St Michael and All Angels, 29 September
St Luke the Evangelist, 18 October
St James of Jerusalem, 23 October
St Simon and St Jude, Apostles, 28 October
All Saints’ Day, 1 November
St Andrew, Apostle, Martyr, 30 November
C |
Of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa,
|
The commemoration of all those who have built up this Church,
1 September
D |
Local Feasts |
The Feast of the Consecration or Dedication of a church
The Feast of the Patron or Title of a church
These local feasts may be observed on, or be transferred to, a Sunday,
except in the seasons of Advent, Lent and Easter.
3 |
Other Commemorations |
A |
Of our Lord |
Thanksgiving for Holy Communion (Corpus Christi),
Thursday after Trinity Sunday
The Holy Name of Jesus, 7 August
Holy Cross Day, 14 September
B |
Regional Commemorations |
The Saints and Martyrs of Africa, 20 February
The Saints and Martyrs of the Americas, 8 April
The Saints and Martyrs of Europe, 30 July
The Saints and Martyrs of the Pacific, 7 September
The Saints and Martyrs of Asia, 6 October
The Saints and Martyrs of the Anglican Communion,
8 November
C |
Commemorations particularly associated with
|
We remember many people who have provided inspiration and an example of Christian living in the history of this country, or who have contributed to the development of Christianity in this country.
These commemorations may be celebrated on other appropriate days according to local custom.
Carl Sylvius Völkner, Priest and Mokomoko, Rangatira, 2 March
Kereopa and Manihera of Taranaki, 12 March
George Augustus Selwyn, 11 April
Hēni Te Kirikaramu, 29 April
Ruatara, 11 May
Samuel Marsden, 12 May
Ihāia Te Ahu, 13 May
Ngākūkū, 14 May
Piripi Taumataākura, 15 May
Te Wera Hauraki, 16 May
Wiremu Te Tauri, 17 May
Tāmihana Te Rauparaha, 18 May
Rota Waitoa, 22 May
Frederick Augustus Bennett, 23 May
Mother Edith, 24 May
Hēnare Wiremu Taratoa, 21 June
Wiremu Tāmihana, 23 June
Henry Williams, 16 July
Churchill Julius, 23 September
Suzanne Aubert, 1 October
Tarore of Waharoa, 19 October
Te Whiti o Rongomai, 6 November
Octavius Hadfield, 11 December
Marianne Williams, 16 December
D |
Other names particularly associated with
|
We remember some of the people who have dedicated their lives to the spread of the gospel in our part of the world.
Gladys Aylward, 3 January
The Martyrs of Japan, 5 February
Toyohiko Kagawa, 24 April
The Seven Martyrs of the Melanesian Brotherhood, 24 April
Ini Kopuria, 6 June
Mary MacKillop, Teacher, 8 August
Rose of Lima, 23 August
The Martyrs of Papua New Guinea, 2 September
Charles Fox, 6 September
John Coleridge Patteson, 20 September
The Martyrs of Melanesia, 27 September
Martin of Porres, 3 November
Francis Xavier, 3 December
E |
Other Commemorations in the Calendar |
We include in the Calendar the names of people whose lives and work give special encouragement to others of all ages, and to those engaged in various aspects of the Church’s life and witness. They are not all from remote history.
Modern times have also produced men and women whose lives have excited other people to sanctity and deeper discipleship.
These names are recorded in the Calendar on pages 14–25.
F |
Diocesan, Tribal, Local or other Commemorations |
Commemorations of people of local significance whom the community wishes to celebrate.
4 |
Days of Discipline, Self-Denial and
|
| (i) | Ash Wednesday Good Friday | |
| (ii) | The other weekdays in Lent | |
| (iii) | All the Fridays in the year except those falling between 25 December and 1 January, 6 and 13 January inclusive; and the Friday following after Easter Day and Ascension Day. |
5 |
Days of Optional Observance |
Days of Prayer
| (i) | For the Ministry of the Church and Ordinands [Ember Days]
Prayers are offered on the weekdays following the Day of Pentecost and the week preceding St Andrew’s Day. |
|
| (ii) | For Work and Conservation [Rogation Days]
The days on either side of the commemoration of St Francis of Assisi (4 October) provide opportunities for prayers to be offered for God’s blessing on the fruits of the earth and the labours of all in farming and fisheries, industry and commerce. |
|
| (iii) | For Preparation before Feasts [Vigils]
Special prayers and readings may be used in preparation on the day before The Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ: Christmas Day |
Vigils may also be kept of: The Presentation of Jesus, St Matthias, The Annunciation, The Visitation, St Peter and St Paul, St Thomas, St James and St John, St Bartholomew (Nathanael), The Builders of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, St Matthew, and St Simon and St Jude.
Note that if any of these Feasts falls on a Monday, then the Fast of the Vigil shall be kept on the Saturday, and not on the Sunday next before it.
6 |
Other Special Days |
January
| 1 |
The Naming of Jesus New Year’s Day |
|
| 2 | Seraphim of Sarov, Mystic, Russia, 1833 | |
| 3 | Gladys Aylward, Missionary, China, 1970 | |
| 4 | ||
| 5 | The Eve of the Epiphany | |
| 6 | The Epiphany of our Lord Jesus Christ or The Revelation of Christ to the Gentiles |
|
| 7 | ||
| 8 | ||
| 9 | ||
| 10 | ||
| 11 | ||
| 12 | ||
| 13 | Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers, Teacher of the Faith, c.367 | |
| 14 |
Sava, the Founder and first Archbishop of the Serbian Church, 1235 |
|
| 15 | ||
| 16 | ||
| 17 | Antony of Egypt, Abbot, 356 | |
| 18 | ||
| 19 | ||
| 20 | ||
| 21 | Agnes, Child-Martyr at Rome, c.304 | |
| 22 | Vincent, Spanish Deacon and Martyr, Saragossa, c.304 | |
| 23 | ||
| 24 | ||
| 25 | The Conversion of St Paul | |
| 26 | Timothy and Titus, Companions of St Paul | |
| 27 |
John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople, Teacher of the Faith, 407 |
|
| 28 | Thomas Aquinas, Teacher of the Faith, 1274 | |
| 29 | ||
| 30 | King Charles of England, 1649 | |
| 31 |
The Feast of The Baptism of the Lord is observed on The First Sunday after the Epiphany
February
| 1 | Brigid of Ireland, Abbess, c.525 | |
| 2 | The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple | |
| 3 |
Anskar, Archbishop of Hamburg, Missionary to Denmark and Sweden, 865 |
|
| 4 | ||
| 5 | The Martyrs of Japan, 1597 | |
| 6 | Waitangi Day | |
| 7 | ||
| 8 | ||
| 9 | ||
| 10 | ||
| 11 | ||
| 12 | ||
| 13 | ||
| 14 | Cyril, 869, and Methodius, 885, Missionaries to the Slavs | |
| 15 | ||
| 16 | The Holy Innocents (alternative date 28 December) | |
| 17 | Janani Luwum, Archbishop, Martyr of Uganda, 1977 | |
| 18 | Martin Luther, 1546, and other Reformers of the Church | |
| 19 | ||
| 20 | The Saints and Martyrs of Africa | |
| 21 | ||
| 22 | The Confession of St Peter | |
| 23 | Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, Martyr, c.156 | |
| 24 | St Matthias the Apostle | |
| 25 | ||
| 26 | ||
| 27 | George Herbert, 1633, and all saintly Parish Priests | |
| 28 | ||
| 29 |
March
| 1 | David, Bishop, Patron Saint of Wales, c.601 | |
| 2 |
Carl Sylvius Völkner, Priest and Mokomoko, Rangatira, Ōpōtiki, 1865, symbols for reconciliation |
|
| 3 | John Wesley, Preacher, 1791, and Charles Wesley, Poet, 1788 | |
| 4 | ||
| 5 | ||
| 6 | ||
| 7 | Perpetua and her Companions, Martyrs at Carthage, 203 | |
| 8 | ||
| 9 | ||
| 10 | ||
| 11 | ||
| 12 |
Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome, Teacher of the Faith, 604 Kereopa and Manihera of Taranaki, Martyrs at Turangi, 1847 |
|
| 13 | ||
| 14 | ||
| 15 | ||
| 16 | ||
| 17 | Patrick, Bishop, Patron Saint of Ireland, 461 | |
| 18 | Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop, Teacher of the Faith, 386 | |
| 19 | Joseph of Nazareth | |
| 20 | Cuthbert, Bishop of Lindisfarne, Missionary, 687 | |
| 21 |
Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, Liturgist and Martyr, 1556 |
|
| 22 | Thomas Ken, Bishop of Bath and Wells, Poet, 1711 | |
| 23 | ||
| 24 | Gabriel, Archangel | |
| 25 |
The Annunciation of our Saviour to the Blessed Virgin Mary |
|
| 26 | ||
| 27 | ||
| 28 | ||
| 29 | John Keble of Oxford, Priest and Poet, 1866 | |
| 30 | ||
| 31 |
April
May
| 1 | St Philip and St James, Apostles | |
| 2 | Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, Teacher of the Faith, 373 | |
| 3 | ||
| 4 | ||
| 5 | ||
| 6 | St John the Evangelist (Alternative date 27 December) | |
| 7 | ||
| 8 | Dame Julian of Norwich, Mystic, 1417 | |
| 9 |
Gregory of Nazianzus, Bishop of Constantinople, Teacher of the Faith, 389 |
|
| 10 | ||
| 11 | Ruatara, Te ara mō te Rongopai ‘The gateway for the Gospel’ | |
| 12 |
Samuel Marsden, Priest and Missionary, the Apostle of New Zealand, 1838 |
|
| 13 | Ihāia Te Ahu, Missionary, Priest in Te Arawa | |
| 14 | Ngākūkū, Missionary in Mataatua | |
| 15 | Piripi Taumataākura, Missionary in Ngati Porou | |
| 16 | Te Wera Hauraki, Missionary in Ngati Kahungunu | |
| 17 | Wiremu Te Tauri, Missionary in Wanganui | |
| 18 | ||
| 19 | Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury and Reformer, 988 | |
| 20 | ||
| 21 | ||
| 22 |
Rota Waitoa, Te mātāmua o ngā minita Māori. The first Māori ordained in New Zealand, 1853 |
|
| 23 |
Frederick Augustus Bennett, Te mātāmua o ngā pihopa Māori. The first Māori Bishop, 1950 |
|
| 24 |
Mother Edith, Founder of the Community of the Sacred Name, Christchurch, 1922 |
|
| 25 | The Venerable Bede of Jarrow, Teacher of the Faith, 735 | |
| 26 | Augustine, first Archbishop of Canterbury, Missionary, 605 | |
| 27 | ||
| 28 | ||
| 29 | ||
| 30 | Apolo Kivebulaya of Uganda, Priest and Missionary, 1933 | |
| 31 | The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth (or 2 July) |
June
| 1 | Justin, Martyr at Rome, c.165 | |
| 2 | ||
| 3 | The Martyrs of Uganda, 1886 | |
| 4 | ||
| 5 | Boniface, Bishop of Mainz, Missionary, Martyr, 754 | |
| 6 | Ini Kopuria, Founder of the Melanesian Brotherhood, 1945 | |
| 7 | ||
| 8 | ||
| 9 | Columba of Iona, Abbot, Missionary, 597 | |
| 10 | ||
| 11 | St Barnabas the Apostle | |
| 12 | ||
| 13 |
Antony of Padua, Missionary, Preacher, Teacher of the Faith, 1231 |
|
| 14 |
Basil the Great, Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia, Teacher of the Faith, 379 |
|
| 15 | Evelyn Underhill, Mystic, 1941 | |
| 16 | ||
| 17 | ||
| 18 | ||
| 19 | Sadhu Sundar Singh, Teacher, Evangelist, India, 1929 | |
| 20 | ||
| 21 | Hēnare Wiremu Taratoa of Te Ranga, 1864 | |
| 22 | Alban, first Martyr of Britain, c.304 | |
| 23 | Wiremu Tamihana, Prophet, Kingmaker, 1866 | |
| 24 | St John the Baptist | |
| 25 | ||
| 26 | ||
| 27 | ||
| 28 | Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, Teacher of the Faith, c.200 | |
| 29 | St Peter and St Paul, Apostles, Martyrs | |
| 30 |
For May and June
Thanksgiving for Holy Communion – Corpus Christi –
is observed on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday
Days of Prayers for the Ministry of the Church and Ordinands
are observed on the days of the week following the Day of Pentecost
July
| 1 | ||
| 2 |
Alternative date for The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth (31 May) |
|
| 3 | St Thomas, Apostle, Martyr (alternative date 21 December) | |
| 4 | Samuel Azariah, Bishop, Ecumenist, 1945 | |
| 5 | ||
| 6 | Thomas More, Scholar, 1535 | |
| 7 | ||
| 8 | ||
| 9 | ||
| 10 | ||
| 11 | Benedict of Nursia, Abbot of Monte Cassino, c.550 | |
| 12 | ||
| 13 | Silas, Companion of St Paul | |
| 14 | ||
| 15 | Swithun, Bishop of Winchester, c.862, Translated 971 | |
| 16 | Henry Williams, Missionary, 1867 | |
| 17 | ||
| 18 | ||
| 19 | ||
| 20 | ||
| 21 | ||
| 22 | St Mary Magdalene | |
| 23 | ||
| 24 | ||
| 25 |
St James and St John, Apostles Christopher, Martyr, c.250 |
|
| 26 | Anne, Mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary | |
| 27 | ||
| 28 | Mary and Martha of Bethany | |
| 29 | William Wilberforce, 1833, and All Social Reformers | |
| 30 | The Saints and Martyrs of Europe | |
| 31 | Joseph of Arimathea |
August
| 1 | ||
| 2 | Chad, Bishop of Lichfield, Missionary, 672 | |
| 3 | St Stephen the First Martyr (alternative date 26 December) | |
| 4 | John Baptist Vianney, Curé d’Ars, Priest, 1859 | |
| 5 | Oswald, King of Northumbria, Martyr, 642 | |
| 6 | The Transfiguration of the Beloved Son | |
| 7 | The Holy Name of Jesus | |
| 8 |
Dominic, Priest, 1221 Mary MacKillop, Teacher, 1909 |
|
| 9 | Mary Summer, Founder of the Mothers’ Union, 1921 | |
| 10 | Laurence, Deacon and Martyr at Rome, 258 | |
| 11 | Clare of Assisi, Abbess, 1253 | |
| 12 | ||
| 13 | Florence Nightingale, Nurse, Social Reformer, 1910 | |
| 14 | Maximilian Kolbe, Priest, Martyr, Auschwitz, 1941 | |
| 15 | St Mary, the Mother of Jesus | |
| 16 |
Holy Women of the Old Testament Brother Roger of Taize, Encourager of Youth, 2005 |
|
| 17 | ||
| 18 | ||
| 19 | ||
| 20 | Bernard of Clairvaux, Abbot, Poet, 1153 | |
| 21 | ||
| 22 | ||
| 23 | Rose of Lima, Mystic, 1617 | |
| 24 | St Bartholomew (Nathanael) the Apostle | |
| 25 | ||
| 26 | ||
| 27 | Monica, Mother of Augustine of Hippo, 387 | |
| 28 | Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, Teacher of the Faith, 430 | |
| 29 | The Beheading of St John the Baptist | |
| 30 | ||
| 31 | Aidan, Bishop of Lindisfarne, Missionary, 651 |
September
| 1 |
The Builders of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia |
|
| 2 | The Martyrs of Papua New Guinea, 1942 | |
| 3 | ||
| 4 | Albert Schweitzer, Medical Missionary, Theologian, 1965 | |
| 5 | Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Missionary of Charity, 1997 | |
| 6 | Charles Fox, Scholar, Missionary, 1977 | |
| 7 | The Saints and Martyrs of the Pacific | |
| 8 | The Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of our Lord | |
| 9 | ||
| 10 | ||
| 11 | ||
| 12 | ||
| 13 | Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, Martyr, 258 | |
| 14 | Holy Cross Day | |
| 15 | ||
| 16 | Ninian, Bishop in Galloway, Missionary, c.432 | |
| 17 | Hildegarde of Bingen, Mystic, Religious, 1179 | |
| 18 | ||
| 19 | Theodore of Tarsus, Archbishop of Canterbury, 690 | |
| 20 |
John Coleridge Patteson, first Bishop of Melanesia, Martyr, 1871 |
|
| 21 | St Matthew, Apostle, Evangelist | |
| 22 | ||
| 23 |
Churchill Julius, Bishop, first Archbishop of New Zealand, 1938 |
|
| 24 | ||
| 25 | Sergius of Radonezh, Abbot of Holy Trinity, Moscow, 1392 | |
| 26 | Lancelot Andrewes, Bishop of Winchester, 1626 | |
| 27 | The Martyrs of Melanesia | |
| 28 | ||
| 29 | St Michael and All Angels | |
| 30 |
Jerome, Priest, Teacher of the Faith, Translator of the Scriptures, 420 |
October
| 1 |
Suzanne Aubert, Religious, Social Reformer, 1926 |
|
| 2 | The Holy Guardian Angels | |
| 3 | ||
| 4 | Francis of Assisi, Friar, 1226 | |
| 5 | ||
| 6 | The Saints and Martyrs of Asia | |
| 7 | William Tyndale, Translator of the Scriptures, Martyr, 1536 | |
| 8 |
Bridget (Birgitta) of Sweden, Mystic, Religious, Patron Saint of Sweden, 1373 |
|
| 9 | Robert Grosseteste, Bishop of Lincoln, 1253 | |
| 10 | ||
| 11 | ||
| 12 | Elizabeth Fry, Prison Reformer, England, 1845 | |
| 13 | ||
| 14 | ||
| 15 | Teresa of Avila, Teacher of the Faith, 1582 | |
| 16 | The English Reformers and Martyrs, 1555 | |
| 17 | Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, Martyr, c.107 | |
| 18 | St Luke the Evangelist | |
| 19 | Tarore of Waharoa, 1836 | |
| 20 | Henry Martyn, Missionary, 1812 | |
| 21 | ||
| 22 | ||
| 23 | James of Jerusalem, Brother of the Lord, Martyr, c.62 | |
| 24 |
Raphael, Archangel United Nations Day |
|
| 25 | ||
| 26 | Alfred, King of the West Saxons, 899 | |
| 27 | ||
| 28 | St Simon and St Jude, Apostles | |
| 29 | ||
| 30 | Holy Women of the New Testament | |
| 31 |
Days of Prayer for Work and Conservation are observed on 3 and 5 October
November
| 1 | All Saints’ Day | |
| 2 | All Souls’ Day | |
| 3 | Martin of Porres, Monk, Peru, 1639 | |
| 4 | Richard Hooker, Priest, Theologian, 1600 | |
| 5 | ||
| 6 | Te Whiti o Rongomai, Prophet, 1907 | |
| 7 | Willibrord, Archbishop of Utrecht, Missionary, 739 | |
| 8 | The Saints and Martyrs of the Anglican Communion | |
| 9 | ||
| 10 | Leo the Great, Bishop of Rome, Teacher of the Faith, 461 | |
| 11 | Martin, Bishop of Tours, 397 | |
| 12 | Charles Simeon of Cambridge, Priest, 1836 | |
| 13 | ||
| 14 | ||
| 15 | ||
| 16 | Margaret, Queen of Scotland, 1093 | |
| 17 | Hilda, Abbess of Whitby, 680 | |
| 18 | Hugh, Bishop of Lincoln, 1200 | |
| 19 | Elizabeth of Hungary, Princess, 1231 | |
| 20 | Mechtild of Magdeburg, Mystic, Prophet, 1280 | |
| 21 | ||
| 22 |
Cecilia, Martyr at Rome, c.230 C.S. Lewis, Apologist, 1964 |
|
| 23 | Clement, Bishop of Rome, Martyr, c.100 | |
| 24 | ||
| 25 | ||
| 26 | ||
| 27 | ||
| 28 | ||
| 29 | ||
| 30 | St Andrew, Apostle, Martyr |
Days of Prayer for the Ministry of the Church and Ordinands
are observed on the days of the week preceding St Andrew’s Day
December
| 1 | ||
| 2 | ||
| 3 | Francis Xavier, Missionary, 1552 | |
| 4 | ||
| 5 | ||
| 6 | Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, c.342 | |
| 7 | Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, Teacher of the Faith, 397 | |
| 8 | Richard Baxter, Priest, Theologian, 1691 | |
| 9 | Holy Men of the Old Testament | |
| 10 | Thomas Merton, Spiritual Writer, 1968 | |
| 11 | Octavius Hadfield, Bishop, 1904 | |
| 12 | ||
| 13 | Lucy, Martyr, Syracuse, c.304 | |
| 14 | ||
| 15 | ||
| 16 | Marianne Williams, Missionary, 1879 | |
| 17 | ||
| 18 | ||
| 19 | ||
| 20 | ||
| 21 | Alternative date for St Thomas (3 July) | |
| 22 | ||
| 23 | ||
| 24 | The Eve and Vigil of Christmas | |
| 25 | The Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ – Christmas Day | |
| 26 | Alternative date for St Stephen the first Martyr (3 August) | |
| 27 | Alternative date for St John the Evangelist (6 May) | |
| 28 | Alternative date for The Holy Innocents (16 February) | |
| 29 | Thomas of Canterbury, Bishop, Martyr, 1170 | |
| 30 | Josephine Butler, Worker among Women, 1905 | |
| 31 | John Wycliffe, Theologian and Reformer, 1384 |