1 Divine Mercy Sunday
1 St. Joseph the Worker
3 Sts. Philip and James, apostles
5 National Day of Prayer (Official web site)
9 Mother's Day (web site)
10 Bl. Damien Joseph de Veuster of Molokai (scroll down)
13 Ascension of Our Lord (Holy Day of Obligation)
14 St. Mattias
15 St. Dymphna | Armed Forces Day
18 Most Holy Trinity
30 The Most Holy Trinity
30 St. Joan of Arc
30 Memorial Day
31 Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Movable observance held 40 days after Easter, holy day of obligation, solemnity. Commemorates the Ascension of Christ into heaven 40 days after his Resurrection from the dead (Mk. 16:19; Lk. 24:51; Acts 1:2). The feast recalls the completion of Christ’s mission on earth for the salvation of all people and his entry into heaven with glorified human nature. The Ascension is a pledge of the final glorification of all who achieve salvation. Documentary evidence of the feast dates from early in the fifth century, but it was observed long before that time in connection with Pentecost and Easter. (from Our Sunday Visitor's Catholic Almanac)
(d. first century) Apostle chosen to replace Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:21-26). Little is known of his missionary labors, but tradition states that he preached in Judaea (modern Israel), Cappadocia, and on the shores of the Caspian Sea. He was stoned to death in Jerusalem and then martyred at Colchis or at Sebastopolis. St. Helen brought his relics to Rome, and some were transferred to Trier, Germany. He is credited with a Gospel and other discourses that have not been historically confirmed. Feast day: May 14.
Also called Whitsunday, movable celebration held 50 days after Easter, solemnity. Commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles, the preaching of Peter and the other Apostles to Jews in Jerusalem, the baptism and aggregation of some 3,000 persons to the Christian community (Acts 2:1-41). It is regarded as the birthday of the Catholic Church. The original observance of the feast antedated the earliest extant documentary evidence from the third century. (from Our Sunday Visitor's Catholic Almanac)
A movable observance held on the Sunday after Pentecost, solemnity. Commemorates the most sublime mystery of the Christian faith, i.e., that there are Three Divine Persons -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit -- in one God (Mt 28:1820). A votive Mass of the Most Holy Trinity dates from the seventh century; an Office was composed in the 10th century; in 1334, John XXII extended the feast to the universal Church.
A movable observance, celebrated on the Thursday (or Sunday, as in the U.S.) following Trinity Sunday, solemnity. Commemorates the institution of the Holy Eucharist (Mt 26:26-28). The feast originated at Liège in 1246 and was extended throughout the Church in the West by Urban IV in 1264. St. Thomas Aquinas composed the Liturgy of the Hours for the feast.
A movable observance held on the Friday after the second Sunday after Pentecost (Corpus Christi, in the U.S.), solemnity. The object of the devotion is the divine Person of Christ, whose heart is the symbol of his love for all people -- for whom he accomplished the work of Redemption. The Mass and Office now used on the feast were prescribed by Pius XI in 1929. Devotion to the Sacred Heart was introduced into the liturgy in the 17th century through the efforts of St. John Eudes who composed an Office and Mass for the feast. It was furthered as the result of the revelations of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque after 1675 and by the work of St. Claude de la Colombière, S.J. In 1765, Clement XIII approved a Mass and Office for the feast, and in 1856 Pius IX extended the observance throughout the Roman rite.
May 31, feast. Commemorates Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth after the Annunciation and before the birth of John the Baptist, the precursor of Christ (Lk. 1:39-47). The feast had a medieval origin and was observed in the Franciscan Order before being extended throughout the Church by Urban VI in 1389. It is one of the feasts of the Incarnation and is notable for its recall of the Magnificat, one of the few New Testament canticles, which acknowledges the unique gifts of God to Mary because of her role in the redemptive work of Christ. The canticle is recited at Evening Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours. (from Our Sunday Visitor's Catholic Almanac)
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