1 |
1 January |
World Day of Peace |
Established:
Pope St Paul VI with a message dated Dec. 8, 1967; first celebrated Jan. 1, 1968.
History:
Messages Pope Paul VI – 1968-1978
Messages Pope John Paul II – 1979-2005
Messages Pope Benedict XVI – 2006-2013
Messages Pope Francis – 2014-2022
Links:
Wikipedia |
2 |
6 January |
World Missionary Children’s Day |
Established:
Pope Pius XII in December 4, 1950; first celebrated on January 6, 1951. The date of celebration in various countries is January 6 or the Sunday following this date.
Links:
Pontifical Society of the Holy Childhood |
3 |
18-25 January |
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity |
Established:
Pope St Pius X officially blessed this ecumenical initiative.
Pope Benedict XV encouraged the observance throughout the Catholic Church with the Breve Romanorum Pontificum, February 25, 1916.
Links:
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity
Wikipedia
Catholic Encyclopedia
Catholic Online |
4 |
Third Sunday in Ordinary Time |
Sunday of the Word of God |
Established:
Pope Francis in 09/30/2019 via Apostolic Letter in the form of Motu proprio Aperuit illis.
History:
2020; 2021; 2022
Wikipedia |
5 |
2 February |
World Day for Consecrated Life |
Established:
Pope St John Paul II in Jan. 6,1997; first celebrated Feb. 2, 1997.
History:
Messages Pope John Paul II – 1997-2005
Homilies Pope Benedict XVI – 2006-2013
Messages Pope Francis – 2014-2022
Links:
Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life |
6 |
11 February |
World Day of the Sick |
Established:
Pope St John Paul II in May 13, 1992; first celebrated Feb. 11, 1993.
History:
Messages Pope John Paul II – 1993-2005
Messages Pope Benedict XVI – 2006-2013
Messages Pope Francis – 2014-2022
Links:
Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development
Wikipedia |
7 |
Good Friday |
World Day for the Works of the Holy Land |
Established:
Pope St Paul VI on 25 March 1974, in Apostolic Exhortation Nobis in animo – “Collecta pro Locis Sanctis”
Links:
Custodia Terrae Sanctae |
8 |
Fourth Sunday of Easter known as "Good Shepherd Sunday" |
World Day of Prayer for Vocations |
Established:
Pope St Paul VI on Jan. 23, 1964; first celebrated April 12, 1964
History:
Messages Pope Paul VI – 1964-1978
Messages Pope John Paul II – 1979-2005
Messages Pope Benedict XVI – 2006-2013
Messages Pope Francis – 2014-2022 |
9 |
The Ascension of the Lord |
World Communications Day |
Established:
Vat. Council II decree in 1963; celebrated by Pope St Paul VI the first time in May 7, 1967.
History:
Messages Pope Paul VI – 1967-1978
Messages Pope John Paul II – 1979-2005
Messages Pope Benedict XVI – 2006-2013
Messages Pope Francis – 2014-2022
Links:
Dicastery for Communication |
10 |
24 May |
Day of Prayer for the Church in China |
Established:
Letter of the Holy Father pope Benedict XVI to the bishops, priests, consecrated persons and lay faithful of the Catholic Church in the People’s Republic of China, 27.05.2007.
"19. […] the date 24 May could in the future become an occasion for the Catholics of the whole world to be united in prayer with the Church which is in China. […] I would like that date to be kept by you as a day of prayer for the Church in China." |
11 |
The most Sacred Heart of Jesus |
World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests |
Established:
Initiative of: Fr Mario Venturini (Chioggia, 1886 – Trent, 1957) and Fr Eugenio Bernardi (Trent, 1888 – 1957) in 1947.
In 1948 Pius XII, decided to extend it to the whole Church by fixing it on the day when the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated.
Reconfirmed by Pope St John Paul II in his Letter to Priests on the occasion of Holy Thursday in 1995.
Links:
Congregation for the Clergy |
12 |
Last Sunday in June |
Pope’s World Day for Charity |
Established:
The Anglo-Saxons, after their conversion at the end of the 8th century, decided to send an annual contribution to the Holy Father on a stable basis. Thus the "Denarius Sancti Petri" (Peters Pence), came into being a practice, which spread to European countries.
It was later blessed by Blessed Pope Pius IX, with the Encyclical Saepe venerabilis of August 5, 1871.
Links:
Peter’s Pence
Holy See
Wikipedia |
13 |
Last Sunday in July |
World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly |
Established:
Pope Francis in 2021. Announced at the Angelus on January 31, 2021. Celebrated for the first time on July 25, 2021.
History:
Messages Pope Francis – 2021-2022 |
14 |
1 September |
World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation |
Established:
Pope Francis in 2015 with the Encyclical Laudato Sì; first celebrated on September 1, 2015.
Links:
Wikipedia |
15 |
Last Sunday in September |
World Day of Migrants and Refugees |
Established:
Pope Benedict XV in December 6, 1914, first celebrated on September 1, 2015, on the first Sunday of Lent; since 2002 it was celebrated in January, on the second Sunday after Epiphany; since 2019 it has been celebrated on the last Sunday of September.
History:
Messages Pope Paul VI – 1968-1978
Messages Pope John Paul II – 1978-2005
Messages Pope Benedict XVI – 2006-2013
Messages Pope Francis – 2014-2022
Links:
Migrants and Refugees Section |
16 |
Penultimate Sunday in October |
World Mission Sunday |
Established:
Pope Pius XII in 1926 to establish a solidarity fund, for mission churches; first celebrated Oct. 17, 1926.
History:
Messages Pope Paul VI – 1963-1978
Messages Pope John Paul II – 1979-2005
Messages Pope Benedict XVI – 2006-2012
Messages Pope Francis – 2014-2022
Links:
Pontifical Mission Societies |
17 |
1 November – All Saints |
World Day of Universal Sanctification |
Established:
in 1957. Promoted by the Pro Sanctitate Movement founded in 1947 by the Servant of God, Guglielmo Giaquinta. |
18 |
33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time |
World Day of the Poor |
Established:
Pope Francis in 2016 at the end of the Jubilee of Mercy, through the apostolic letter Misericordia et misera; celebrated for the first time on Nov. 19.
History:
Messages Pope Francis – 2017-2022
Links:
Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples
Office of Papal Charities |
19 |
11 November – The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
World Day of Cloistered Religious |
Established:
Pope Pius XII in 1953, Pro orantibus, on the feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary; first celebrated Nov. 21, 1953 |
20 |
Last Sunday in November. Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe |
World Youth Day (at diocesan level) |
Established:
Pope St John Paul II in 1985 at the celebration of the Holy Year of Redemption; first celebrated in Rome on March 23, 1986. Originally set on Palm Sunday, it was moved by Pope Francis to the Solemnity of Christ the King (the Sunday between Nov. 20 and Nov. 26) starting in 2021.
History:
Messages Pope John Paul II – 1987-2005
Messages Pope Benedict XVI – 2006-2013
Messages Pope Francis – 2014-2022
Links:
Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life
Wikipedia |
