When is the feast of St. Francis? Of Padre Pio? Of the Archangels? Below are the feast days of the saints, angels and Marian feasts Catholics ask about most, taken from the General Roman Calendar (with a few much-loved saints who are honored on their traditional dates), each linked to prayers where we have them. For every celebration of the year, day by day, see our saint of the day calendar.
How feast days are chosen
A saint’s feast is usually kept on the day of his or her death, the “birthday into heaven.” The General Roman Calendar lists the saints celebrated by the whole Church, ranked as solemnities, feasts, memorials and optional memorials. Countries, dioceses and religious orders add their own saints. Many popular saints, such as St. Christopher or St. Philomena, are not on the universal calendar but are still honored on their traditional dates.
Feasts of Mary
| Feast | Date | Prayers |
|---|---|---|
| Mary, Mother of God | January 1 | Solemnity of Mary |
| Our Lady of Lourdes | February 11 | |
| The Annunciation | March 25 | St. Gabriel prayer |
| Our Lady of Fatima | May 13 | The Fatima prayers |
| The Visitation | May 31 | |
| The Assumption | August 15 | |
| The Nativity of Mary | September 8 | |
| Our Lady of Sorrows | September 15 | Seven Sorrows Rosary |
| Our Lady of the Rosary | October 7 | Rosary prayers |
| The Immaculate Conception | December 8 | Immaculate Conception |
| Our Lady of Guadalupe | December 12 | Guadalupe novena |
Feasts of the angels
| Feast | Date | Prayers |
|---|---|---|
| Sts. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels | September 29 | St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael |
| The Holy Guardian Angels | October 2 | Guardian Angel prayer |
Popular saints, January to June
| Saint | Feast day | Prayers |
|---|---|---|
| St. Sebastian | January 20 | |
| St. Agnes | January 21 | |
| St. Thomas Aquinas | January 28 | St. Thomas Aquinas prayer |
| St. John Bosco | January 31 | |
| St. Blaise | February 3 | St. Blaise prayer |
| St. Valentine | February 14 (traditional) | |
| St. Patrick | March 17 | St. Patrick’s Breastplate |
| St. Joseph | March 19 | St. Joseph prayer |
| St. Expeditus | April 19 (traditional) | St. Expedite prayer |
| St. George | April 23 | |
| St. Catherine of Siena | April 29 | |
| St. Joseph the Worker | May 1 | Prayer for a job |
| St. Peregrine | May 1 (May 4 for the Servites) | St. Peregrine prayer |
| St. Dymphna | May 15 (traditional) | St. Dymphna prayer |
| St. Rita of Cascia | May 22 | St. Rita prayer |
| St. Anthony of Padua | June 13 | St. Anthony prayer |
| The Nativity of St. John the Baptist | June 24 | |
| Sts. Peter and Paul | June 29 |
Popular saints, July to December
| Saint | Feast day | Prayers |
|---|---|---|
| St. Benedict | July 11 | St. Benedict prayer |
| St. Mary Magdalene | July 22 | |
| St. Bridget of Sweden | July 23 | St. Bridget prayers |
| St. Charbel (Sharbel) | July 24 | St. Charbel prayer |
| St. James and St. Christopher | July 25 | St. Christopher prayer |
| Sts. Joachim and Anne | July 26 | St. Anne prayer |
| St. Ignatius of Loyola | July 31 | |
| St. Lawrence | August 10 | |
| St. Clare | August 11 | |
| St. Maximilian Kolbe | August 14 | |
| St. Monica | August 27 | St. Monica prayer |
| St. Augustine | August 28 | St. Augustine prayer |
| St. Teresa of Calcutta | September 5 | |
| St. Matthew | September 21 | |
| St. Padre Pio | September 23 | Padre Pio prayer |
| St. Vincent de Paul | September 27 | |
| St. Jerome | September 30 | |
| St. Thérèse of Lisieux | October 1 | St. Thérèse prayer |
| St. Francis of Assisi | October 4 | Prayer of St. Francis |
| St. Faustina | October 5 | St. Faustina prayer |
| St. Carlo Acutis | October 12 (local) | St. Carlo Acutis prayer |
| St. Teresa of Avila | October 15 | |
| St. Gerard Majella | October 16 (traditional) | St. Gerard prayer |
| St. Luke | October 18 | |
| St. John Paul II | October 22 | |
| Sts. Simon and Jude | October 28 | St. Jude prayer |
| All Saints | November 1 | All Saints’ Day |
| All Souls | November 2 | All Souls’ Day |
| St. Martin de Porres | November 3 | |
| St. Martin of Tours | November 11 | St. Martin of Tours, Veterans Day prayer |
| St. Gertrude | November 16 | St. Gertrude prayer |
| St. Cecilia | November 22 | |
| St. Andrew | November 30 | St. Andrew Christmas novena |
| St. Francis Xavier | December 3 | |
| St. Nicholas | December 6 | |
| St. Juan Diego | December 9 | |
| St. Lucy | December 13 | St. Lucy prayer |
| St. Stephen | December 26 | |
| St. John the Apostle | December 27 |
Frequently asked questions
What does “feast day” mean?
The day the Church celebrates a saint or a mystery of the faith in the liturgy, usually the anniversary of the saint’s death. Catholics often celebrate the feast of the saint whose name they bear as their “name day.”
Why do some saints have two feast days?
The universal calendar was reformed in 1969, and some dates changed; local calendars and religious orders may also keep their own dates. Eastern Churches often follow a different calendar.
How do I find my patron saint’s feast day?
Look up your saint in the saint of the day calendar or our list of patron saints.
More saints and prayers
- Psalm 21 (A crown of precious stones)
- St. Patrick’s Day (March 17)
- St. John Paul II prayer
- St. Luke prayer
- St. James prayer, patron of pilgrims
- St. Agnes prayer
- St. Stephen prayer
- Marian feast days
- The Assumption of Mary (August 15)
- Feast of the Archangels (September 29)
- St. Joseph’s Day (March 19) traditions
- Feast of St. Francis (October 4) and the blessing of animals
- Feast of the Holy Family
- Our Lady of Knock
- St. Brigid prayer (February 1)
- St. Agatha prayer (February 5)
- St. Bernadette prayer (April 16)
- St. Matthew prayer (September 21)
- St. Vincent de Paul prayer (September 27)
- St. Jerome prayer (September 30)
- St. Barbara prayer (December 4)
- St. Juan Diego prayer (December 9)
- St. Valentine prayer (February 14)
- St. George prayer (April 23)
- St. John the Baptist prayer (June 24)
- St. Peter prayer (June 29)
- St. Martin de Porres prayer (November 3)
- St. Cecilia prayer (November 22)
- St. Francis Xavier prayer (December 3)
- St. Nicholas prayer (December 6)
- Santo Niño novena (third Sunday of January)
- St. Sebastian prayer (January 20)
- Saint of the day
- Prayers to the saints
- Patron saints
- Liturgical calendar
Sources
- General Roman Calendar (Calendarium Romanum Generale), with later additions, and the Proper Calendar for the Dioceses of the United States.
- Roman Martyrology for saints not on the universal calendar (St. Valentine, St. Expeditus, St. Dymphna, St. Christopher, St. Gerard Majella).