Calendar of saints (Church of the Province of Melanesia)

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Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. The calendar of saints and commemorations in the Church of the Province of Melanesia (the Anglican Church in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu) is a continually developing list. Both old and new, universal and local saints and worthies are celebrated.

Classification of saint's days and commemorations

There are three main classes of saint's day within the calendar. This classification is based on the reformed scheme of holy day classification used by the Roman Catholic Church from 1965 to 1970.

Class I

Class I days are all the Major Holy Days of the Church. All the festivals of our Lord and a few others are Class I. There is always a First Evensong and Second Evensong. Morning Prayer, the Holy Eucharist and the both Evensongs all have proper psalms and lessons appropriate to the day. The Holy Eucharist is sung, and the Creed and Gloria are used. These Major Holy Days are never transferred unless they fall during Holy Week or Easter Week. Baptism, Confirmation, and Ordination are appropriate for these days, but not funerals or weddings. though these frequently occur.

Sundays are all Class I Holy Days because they are festivals of our Lord on which we give thanks for the Resurrection of Christ. Therefore, every Saturday evening there is a First Evensong for the Sunday. On Saturday evenings, only the Collect for the next day should be used.

Class II

Class II days are all feasts of the apostles and Four Evangelists and some others. Sometimes there is a First Evensong. There are propers for the day, i.e. appropriate collects, psalms, lessons. The Second Order provides other propers, such as prefaces and blessings, sentences, etc. The Eucharist should be sung and the Creed and the Gloria are used. These also are appropriate for Baptism, Confirmation and Ordination. Weddings and funerals may be held on these days as well.

Class III

Class III days are the days for other saints and special days. There are usually no proper psalms and lessons at the Offices or the Eucharist, but a proper collect for the Holy Day may be used (but not in Advent or Lent). The Eucharist is not usually sung. The Gloria may be used (except in Advent and Lent), but not the Creed.

Local commemorations are observed exactly as for Class III.

Days of special observance

These are days appointed by Church, civil or local authority. They may be recurring or only happen once. Recurring days of special observance include:

  • The quarterly Ember Days, days of abstinence and prayer for those in the sacred ministry, and for those exploring a vocation to the ordained ministry. They should be marked by abstinence, prayer (including the Litany for the Ember Days at the Eucharist and/or the Daily Office), perhaps by special offerings for theological students in the Diocese, region or parish/district. The colour is purple
  • The Rogation Days, observed by asking God’s blessings on the resources he has given us. These days include giving witness to our faith in the Rogation Procession (procession is purple, the Eucharist is white).

There are days celebrated by organisations within the Church such as the Mothers’ Union, the MBH and Companions, the SSF and TSSF, the CSC and Associates, and CSM and Associates, Girls Friendly Society, Melanesian Guild of Servers, Catechist and Lay Preachers Associations, Men’s Fellowships, Youth Groups and Sunday Schools, etc. These are to be coordinated with the rector and may be celebrated on free days or Class III days. They may be celebrated on Class II days (or as Class II days) if they are significant to the organisation and do not contravene the tables of precedence above, or overshadow the saint or event celebrated on that day.

Calendar of saint's days and holy days

These dates apply unless transferred according to the Rules of Precedence.

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Moveable feasts and days

  • Easter is always the Sunday after the full moon that occurs on or after the equinox on March 21, a date which is fixed according to an ancient calculation of the Church, and which does not always correspond to the astronomical equinox. This full moon may happen on any date between March 21 and April 18 inclusive. If the full moon falls on a Sunday, Easter Day is always the following Sunday, but Easter Day can never be earlier than March 21 or later than April 25.
The date of Easter governs the cycle of feasts dependent upon this, the most important feast. The number of Sundays after Epiphany and the number of Sundays after Pentecost depend on the date of Easter.
  • Ash Wednesday is always the fortieth weekday before Easter.
  • Palm Sunday is always the Sunday before Easter.
  • Holy Week is always the week before Easter.
  • Ascension Day is always the fortieth day after Easter.
  • Pentecost is always the fiftieth day after Easter.
  • Advent Sunday is always the Sunday closest to Saint Andrew’s Day.
  • The Rogation Days are always the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before Ascension Day.
  • The Ember Days are the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after the First Sunday in Lent, the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, after Pentecost, the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after Holy Cross Day, and the Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after December 13.

See also