https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/ As the earth cycles annually through its seasons, just so the Church celebrates with quiet, deliberate rhythm the seasons of the liturgical year – always the same, yet ever new and renewing. en-us https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2026-04-21 The Church celebrates the Optional Memorial of St. Anselm (1033-1109), who was born in Aosta, Italy, and died in Canterbury, England. St. Anselm's services to the Church are principally the following: First, as Archbishop of Canterbury he defended the rights and liberties of the Church against the encroachments of the English kings, who plundered the Church's lands, impeded the Archbishop's communications with the Holy See, and claimed the right to invest prelates with ring and crosier, symbols of the Church's spiritual jurisdiction. Second, as a philosopher and theologian he developed a method of reasoning which prepared the way for the great thinkers of the Middle Ages. Third, he had a great devotion to Our Lady and was the first to establish the feast of the Immaculate Conception in the West. Tue, 21 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2026-04-20 The Church in Wales celebrates the Optional Memorial of St. Beuno or Benno (545-690), one of its greatest saints. He was a monk who founded his own community and performed numerous miracles, among them restoring St. Winifred's head after she was beheaded. He was an effective preacher who evangelized much of North Wales and founded a monastery at Clynnog Fawr (Carnavonshire). The medieval picture of this saint was that he was a wonder-worker and aristocrat, monk and master of monks, patriot, and a challenger of tyrants. Mon, 20 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2026-04-19 From the Gospel for the Third Sunday of Easter, Year A: When they drew near to the village to which they were going, He appeared to be going further; but they pressed Him to stay with them. "It is nearly evening," they said, "and the day is almost over." So He went in to stay with them. Now while He was with them at table, He took the bread and said the blessing; then He broke it and handed it to them. And their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; but He had vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us as he talked to us on the road and explained the scriptures to us?" (Luke 24:28-35) Sun, 19 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2026-04-18 Today the Church in Canada celebrates the Optional Memorial of Blessed Marie-Anne Blondin (1809-1890), the foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Anne. Her work established universal education, so that there was a standard for both boys and girls, and men and women could teach both. She suffered greatly from persecution from the order's chaplain and from within the order, but remained humble and dedicated to God's work, instead of pushing back to be prominent in leadership. She died of natural causes at the age of 81 and was beatified on April 29, 2001 by Pope St. John Paul II. Sat, 18 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2026-04-17 The Roman Martyrology commemorates St. Robert Molesme (1027-1110), traditionally considered to be the founder of the Cistercians, the reform that developed at Citeaux, France. Fri, 17 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2026-04-16 The Roman Martyrology's commemorations today include: Thu, 16 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2026-04-15 The Roman Martyrology commemorates St. Paternus (482-586), Bishop. He first joined the monks of Ansion and later became a hermit near Coutances. Eventually he was consecrated bishop of Avranches, Normandy, France. Wed, 15 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2026-04-14 "Children, have you caught anything to eat?" They answered him, "No." So he said to them, "Cast the net over the right side of the boat, and you will find something." So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in, because of the number of fish. So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" ( Jn 21:1-14) Tue, 14 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2026-04-13 Today is the Optional Memorial of St. Martin I (d. 655), who was pope from 649 to 654. He was a courageous defender of the faith against heresy. He held a council at Rome which condemned the Monothelite heresy which taught that Christ had no human but only a divine will and defended that Christ was true God and true man. The heretical Byzantine emperor, Constans II, had him treacherously arrested and taken to Constantinople. After many sufferings and humiliations, he was exiled to Cherson in the Crimea where he died of exhaustion, broken by his sufferings, in 654. Mon, 13 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2026-04-12 "I shall sing forever the Lord's mercy" (Ps 89 [88]). Sun, 12 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMT