Displaced Feasts
This year's early Holy Week has caused considerable confusion due to the displacing of some popular feasts. In this diocese, the Solemnity of St Joseph is transferred to Saturday but, strictly speaking, St Patrick's Day (falling on Holy Monday) is not transferable since it is not a Solemnity in this country. However, I think many parishes will be organising some sort of commemoration at the end of the week for 'pastoral reasons.'
Today we remember St Frances of Rome (above), although she is obviously displaced by the Sunday. This is a pity because I rather like her and fondly remember taking the morning off lectures in Rome so that I could pay my respects to the saint at the Tor de'Specchi convent. I wrote a little about her last year, in case you're interested - Santa Francesca Romana.
Labels: Saints
posted by Fr Nicholas at 10:56 am
6 Comments:
I posted about her today too...
http://blog.ancient-future.net/2008/03/march-9-saint-frances-of-rome-patroness.html
My goal is more to get Catholics to return to a simple piety of prayeful friendship with the saints on a daily basis.
I rather lament how very many Catholics seem to mistakenly believe that there aren't saints feasts every day anymore... That the Roman calendar being revised meant these optional memorials pretty much just disappeared...
I try to feature one a day on Per Christum - focussing on those beatificed and canonized by JP2 that have actual photos. Today I believe the only ones from his pontificate were Korean Martyrs for which I could find no likeness... so I went with St. Frances because I could find an image that showed her traveling with her Archangel guardian (which she could always see)... That kind of stuff appealed to me as a child.
The Archbishop of Glasgow "by his episcopal authority" is allowing parishes to celebrate St Patrick's Day on Friday
St Patrick's Day (falling on Holy Monday) is not transferred since it is not a feast in this country.
Strange! Our diocesan directory had St. Patrick down as a feast according to the National Calendar last year (and in the Breviary it's the same)
...unless it's only solemnities which are transferred...?
;-)
Well spotted, Mac - I meant to say solemnities (I was typing very quickly in between Sunday duties!).
A very interesting post.
Not only Holy Week, but also the Octave of Easter cause two first class feasts to be transferred :
In the "old" Calendar for 2008, The Feast of St. Joseph is transferred from Holy Week to Tuesday 1 April.
The Feast of The Annunciation is transferred from the Octave of Easter to Monday 31 March.
In England & Wales, St. Patrick seems to have disappeared of the map, so to speak.
Not even a commemoration !
I wonder what traditional Irish Catholics living in England will make of that.
In fact, I can't remember when it last happened.
I don't think an "ad hoc" commemoration would be legal, would it ?
Heheheheh... you had me worried for a minute!
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