General Roman Calendar of 1960


On 25 July 1960, John XXIII">John the Apostle">John XXIII approved a revision to the General Roman Calendar by his motu proprio, Rubricarum instructum. It was promulgated by the Sacred Congregation of Rites the following day, 26 July 1960, by the decree Novum rubricarum. This 1960 calendar was incorporated into the 1962 edition of the Roman Missal, continued use of which Pope Benedict XVI authorized in his 7 July 2007 motu proprio Summorum Pontificum, and which Pope Francis updated in his 16 July 2021 motu proprio Traditionis custodes, for use as a Tridentine Mass.
Novum rubricarum replaced the former classifications of Doubles, Semidoubles, and Simples with I, II, and III class feasts and commemorations. It removed some feasts, in particular duplications such as the Feast of the Cross, the Chair of Peter, Saint Peter, Saint John the Evangelist, Saint Michael, and Saint Stephen.
This calendar also incorporated the changes made by Pope Pius XII in 1955, which included the reduction of octaves to three; those of Christmas, Easter and Pentecost.

Changes to the Calendar

New ranking system

Novum rubricarum abolished the traditional ranking of Sundays, ferias, and feast days as doubles and simples—the rank of semidouble having already been suppressed by Pius XII in 1955—and introduced a new system of ranking the various liturgical days of the Roman rite. Feasts previously ranked as doubles of the I class were reclassified as feasts of the I class. Feasts previously ranked as doubles of the II class were reclassified as feasts of the II class. Feasts ranked in 1954 as greater doubles, doubles, and semidoubles were reclassified as feasts of the III class. Feasts that had formerly been ranked as simples and had been reduced to commemorations in Pius XII's 1955 revision of the calendar remained commemorations.
The Sundays of Advent, Lent, and Passiontide, and Low Sunday were classified as Sundays of the I class. All other Sundays of the year—excluding those perpetually impeded by feasts of the I class—became Sundays of the II class.
Ash Wednesday, the ferias of Holy Week, the Paschal Triduum, and the days within the octaves of Easter and Pentecost were classified as ferias of the I class. The ferias of Advent from 17 to 23 December inclusive, the days within the octave of Christmas not impeded by the feasts of saints, as well as the Ember Days of Advent, Lent, and September were ranked as ferias of the II class. The ferias of Advent, excluding 17–23 December, were ranked as ferias of the III class, as were the ferias of Lent and Passiontide. In addition, the ferias of Lent and Passiontide were given precedence over all feasts of the III class, with III-class feasts reduced to commemorations in years in which they fell during Lent or Passiontide. The remaining ferias of the year were classified ferias of the IV class.
The following feasts were reduced to commemorations:
The following days of the II class became liturgical days of the I class:
The following greater doubles became liturgical days of the II class:

Deletions and additions to the calendar

The following feasts were deleted from the calendar:
The commemoration of St. Vitalis Martyr was likewise deleted, due to doubts about the historicity of his martyrdom.
The following feasts were inscribed in the calendar:

Other changes

The following feasts were transferred:
The commemoration of Ss. Sergius, Bacchus, Marcellus, and Apuleius Martyrs was transferred from 7 to 8 October, due to rubrical changes that restricted the number of commemorations allowed on a II-class feast to only one.
The following titles were changed:
The new rubrics also restricted the transferral of impeded feast days that occur in a given year on the same day as a liturgical day of higher rank solely to feasts of the I class. Under the older rubrics, both doubles of the I class and doubles of the II class were transferred when impeded.

Post-1960 developments

On 25 March 2020, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith made public the decree Cum sanctissima, dated 22 February 2020, which introduced a number of options for use in contemporary celebration of the Office and Mass according to the 1961 Breviary and 1962 Missal. With regard to the liturgical calendar, the decree grants permission for the celebration of feasts of saints canonized after 26 July 1960, using the dates set forth by the Holy See for the liturgical observance of these saints for the universal Church. The decree also allows the option for the celebration of certain III-class feasts during Lent and Passiontide, which heretofore had been forbidden by the 1960 Code of Rubrics.

January

Sunday between the octave of the Nativity of the Lord and the Epiphany, or, with this lacking, 2 January: The Most Holy Name of Jesus, II class.
I Sunday after Epiphany: The Most Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, II class.

February

In leap year the month of February is of 29 days, and the feast of St. Matthias is celebrated on the 25th day and the feast of St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows on the 28th day of February, and twice is said Sixth Kalends, that is on the 24th and 25th; and the dominical letter, which was taken up in the month of January, is changed to the preceding; that, if in January, the dominical letter was A, it is changed to the preceding, which is G, etc.; and the letter F is kept twice, on the 24th and 25th.

March

Friday after the I Sunday in Passiontide: Commemoration of the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Comm.

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

Last Sunday in October: Our Lord Jesus Christ the King, I class.

November

December

  • 1: Feria.
  • 2: St. Bibiana Virgin and Martyr, III class.
  • 3: St. Francis Xavier Confessor, III class.
  • 4: St. Peter Chrysologus Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church, III class, Com. of St. Barbara Virgin and Martyr.
  • 5: Commemoration of St. Sabbas Abbot, Comm.
  • 6: St. Nicholas Bishop and Confessor, III class.
  • 7: St. Ambrose Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church, III class.
  • 8: On the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I class.
  • 9: Feria.
  • 10: Commemoration of St. Melchiades Pope and Martyr, Comm.
  • 11: St. Damasus I Pope and Confessor, III class.
  • 12: Feria.
  • 13: St. Lucy Virgin and Martyr, III class.
  • 14: Feria.
  • 15: Feria.
  • 16: St. Eusebius Bishop and Martyr, III class.
  • 17: Feria.
  • 18: Feria.
  • 19: Feria.
  • 20: Feria.
  • 21: St. Thomas Apostle, II class.
  • 22: Feria.
  • 23: Feria.
  • 24: Vigil, I class.
  • 25: On the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, I class with II class octave. In the second Mass: Commemoration of St. Anastasia Martyr.
  • 26: II day within the octave of the Nativity of the Lord: St. Stephen Protomartyr, II class.
  • 27: III day within the octave of the Nativity of the Lord: St. John Apostle and Evangelist, II class.
  • 28: IV day within the octave of the Nativity of the Lord: The Holy Innocents Martyrs, II class.
  • 29: Of the V day within the octave of the Nativity of the Lord, II class, Commemoration of St. Thomas Bishop and Martyr.
  • 30: Of the VI day within the Octave of the Nativity, II class.
  • 31: Of the VII day within the Octave of the Nativity, II class, Commemoration of St. Sylvester I|Sylvester I] Pope and Confessor.
The source for the dates above is the Jan. 1960 edition of Acta Apostolicae Sedis.

Masses for Certain Places ''(pro Aliquibus Locis)''

The 1962 typical edition of the Roman Missal—the edition incorporating the changes made for the 1960 General Calendar—collected many Mass propers for feasts approved for celebration in certain places in a supplement placed at the end of the Missal; this supplement also incorporated changes mandated by Pope John XXIII regarding the suppression of some local feasts in his 14 February 1961 instruction De calendariis particularibus. Masses listed in this supplement may nowadays be said anywhere on days of the IV class. Some saints listed below are also in the General Calendar above; these saints have proper Masses in the pro Aliquibus Locis supplement that may be said ad libitum in place of the Masses listed in the main body of the Missal.

Suppressed Masses

In accordance with De calendariis particularibus, the following local feasts "introduced since the Middle Ages by private devotion in the public worship of the Church" were suppressed, unless "truly special reasons" required their continued observance:
In addition, the feast of Saint Philomena was removed from all local calendars due to doubt regarding the historicity of her existence and martyrdom.

National calendars

The following are the proper calendars for certain countries to be used in the celebration of the Roman Rite. National feasts and their ranks have been gathered from liturgical ordos published by various sources, including the FSSP, the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales, and Romanitas Press. This list details only those feasts celebrated in all dioceses and archdioceses of the following countries and does not include feasts proper to specific dioceses and archdioceses.

Australia and New Zealand

Brazil

Canada

England and Wales

  • 1 March: St. David Bishop and Confessor, Principal Patron of Wales, I class
  • 12 March: St. Gregory I Pope, Confessor and Doctor of the Church, Apostle to the English, II class
  • 23 April: St. George Martyr, Principal Patron of England, I class /II class
  • 4 May: The Holy Martyrs of England and Wales, III class, Com. of St. Monica Widow
  • 26 May: St. Augustine Bishop and Confessor, II class, Com. of St. Philip Neri Confessor
  • II Sunday after Pentecost: External Solemnity of Corpus Christi, II class
  • 22 June: St. Alban Martyr, III class, Com. of St. Paulinus Bishop and Confessor
  • 9 July: Ss. John Fisher Bishop and Thomas More Martyrs, I class
  • 17 July: Our Lady in Porticu, III class, Com. of St. Alexius Confessor
  • 30 July: Bb. Edward Powell, Richard Featherstone and Companions Martyrs, III class, Com. of Ss. Abdon and Sennen, Martyrs
  • 3 August: St. Germanus Bishop and Confessor, III class
  • 25 September: St. Cadoc Bishop and Martyr, III class
  • 13 October: St. Edward King and Confessor, II class
  • 5 November: On All Holy Relics in the Churches of Wales, III class
  • 29 December: St. Thomas Bishop and Martyr, I class, Com. of the V day within the octave of the Nativity of the Lord

France

Korea

Philippines

Poland

Portugal

Scotland

  • 30 November: St. Andrew Apostle, Principal Patron of Scotland, I class
  • 14 January: St. Kentigern Bishop and Confessor, III class, Com. of St. Hilary Bishop, Confessor and Doctor of the Church, Com. of St. Felix Priest and Martyr
  • 10 March: St. John Ogilvie Martyr, II class, Com. of the Forty Holy Martyrs
  • 17 March: St. Patrick Bishop and Confessor, II class
  • 9 June: St. Columba Abbot, III class, Com. of Ss. Primus and Felician Martyrs
  • 16 September: St. Ninian Bishop and Confessor, III class, Com. of St. Cornelius Pope and St. Cyprian Bishop, Martyrs, Com. of Ss. Euphemia Virgin, Lucy and Geminianus Martyrs
  • 16 November: St. Margaret Queen, Secondary Patroness of Scotland, II class, Com. of St. Gertrude Virgin

Spain

United States

  • 22 January : Votive Mass for Peace, II class
  • II Sunday after Pentecost: External Solemnity of Corpus Christi, II class
  • Sunday after 29 June : External Solemnity of Ss. Peter and Paul Apostles, II class
  • I Monday of September : External Solemnity of St. Joseph the Workman, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Confessor, II class
  • 9 September: St. Peter Claver Confessor, III class, Com. of St. Gorgonius Martyr
  • 26 September: Ss. Isaac Jogues, Jean de Brébeuf and Companions Martyrs, III class, Com. of Ss. Cyprian and Justina, Virgin, Martyrs
  • II Sunday of October: Votive Mass of the Good Thief, II class in all prisons and reformatories
  • 25 October: St. Isidore Farmer and Confessor, III class, Com. of Ss. Chrysanthus and Daria Martyrs
  • 13 November: St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Virgin, III class, Com. of St. Didacus Confessor
  • 8 December: On the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Principal Patroness of the United States, I class
  • 12 December: Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, III class

Vietnam

Calendars of traditionalist institutes

The following are the proper adaptions currently in use for all members of traditionalist institutes who make exclusive use of the 1961 Breviary and 1962 Missal.

Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest (ICKSP)

  • 29 January: St. Francis de Sales, Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church, Co-principal Patron of the ICKSP, I class
  • 7 March: St. Thomas Aquinas, Confessor and Doctor of the Church, Co-principal Patron of the ICKSP, I class
  • 21 March: St. Benedict, Abbot, Co-principal Patron of the ICKSP, I class

Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter (FSSP)

  • 22 February: Chair of St. Peter, Apostle, Principal Patron of the FSSP, I class, Com. of St. Paul
  • 7 March: St. Thomas Aquinas, Confessor and Doctor of the Church, Secondary Patron of the FSSP, II class
  • 1 August: St. Peter, Apostle, in Chains, III class, Com. of St. Paul, Com. of the Holy Machabees, Martyrs
  • 4 November: St. Charles Borromeo, Bishop and Confessor, Patron of Seminarians, I class in all seminaries of the FSSP

Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX)

Local Calendars

To fully comply with the calendar requirements outlined in the 1960 Code of Rubrics that governs the 1962 Missal and the 1961 Breviary, a number of local feasts must be inscribed in the calendars of particular churches where the extraordinary form is offered in addition to those listed in the General Calendar and in the national calendars section above. These local feasts include, but are not limited to:
  • Feasts of the principal patrons of the nation, the ecclesiastical or civil region or province, and the diocese
  • Anniversary of the dedication of the diocesan cathedral
  • Anniversary of the dedication of the particular church
  • Feast of the titular saint of the particular church or religious order or congregation
  • Feast of the saint-founder of a religious order or congregation
  • Feasts of the secondary patrons of the nation, the ecclesiastical or civil region or province, and the diocese
  • Feasts of certain saints proper to a particular church or region
  • Feast of the beatified founder of a religious order or congregation
  • Feasts of certain saints with some particular significance for a particular place, town, city, or region
  • Other proper feasts inscribed in the local calendar of the diocese