Introduction

The Bernardian Calendar marks time from Year 0 (circa 44 CE), when James the Just became Bishop of Jerusalem, to the current Year 1981 (2025 CE), with the New Year on April 1. Rooted in pre-Vatican II Catholicism, enriched by Anglican reverence and Baptist commitment, it includes feast days of 75 saints, Christmas, and Easter, excluding Halloween. All saints’ days are holidays, observed with Tridentine Mass, but only 14 are Holy State holidays with no work, including Prophet John the Baptist and St. Mother Mary. No work occurs on Sundays, honoring the Lord’s Day (Exodus 20:8). August 20, St. Bernard’s feast, is our principal Holy State holiday, guiding The Holy State in faith.

Calendar Structure

The Bernardian Calendar begins April 1, following a liturgical year centered on Christ and the saints. All Sundays are work-free, and all saints’ days are holidays, with 14 Holy State holidays (no work) marked by key saints, Christmas, and Easter. St. Bernard’s feast (August 20) is the principal Holy State holiday, uniting us in crusade-inspired devotion, as “worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness” (Psalm 29:2, Douay-Rheims).

Feast Days

All saints’ days are holidays, celebrated with Tridentine Mass. Holy State holidays (no work) are marked with an asterisk (*). No work occurs on Sundays.

April

April 1: New Year, liturgical year begins, Tridentine Mass.
April 4: St. Isidore of Seville (bishop, preserved knowledge).
April 5: St. Vincent Ferrer (Dominican, preached crusade).
April 13: St. Martin I (Pope, martyred).
April 21: St. Anselm of Canterbury (archbishop, defended doctrine).
April 23: *St. George* (martyr, dragon-slayer)*.
April 26: St. Marcellinus (Pope, martyred).
April 29: *St. Catherine of Siena* (Dominican, Church unity)*.

May

May 3: St. Philip (Apostle, crucified), St. James the Less (Apostle, stoned).
May 14: St. Matthias (Apostle, martyred).
May 18: St. Eric IX of Sweden (martyr, king).
May 19: St. Dunstan (archbishop, reformed Church).
May 20: St. Bernardine of Siena (Franciscan, preached zeal).
May 25: St. Bede (monk, defended faith).
May 30: *St. Joan of Arc* (martyr, led armies)*.

June

June 1: St. Justin Martyr (apologist, beheaded).
June 2: St. Eugene I (Pope, defended orthodoxy).
June 6: St. Norbert of Xanten (Premonstratensian, crusading preacher).
June 9: St. Columba (missionary monk).
June 20: St. Silverius (Pope, martyred).
June 27: St. Ladislaus of Hungary (king, defended faith).
June 29: St. Peter (Apostle, rock of the Church).

July

July 3: St. Thomas (Apostle, martyred).
July 11: St. Benedict of Nursia (monastic founder).
July 15: St. Bonaventure (Franciscan, mystic).
July 20: St. Margaret of Antioch (martyr, defeated evil).
July 23: St. Bridget of Sweden (mystic, Church reform).
July 25: St. James the Greater (Apostle, martyred).
July 28: St. Victor I (Pope, martyred).
July 29: St. Olaf of Norway (martyr, king).

August

August 7: St. Sixtus II (Pope, beheaded).
August 8: St. Dominic (Dominican founder).
August 10: St. Lawrence (martyr, deacon).
August 11: St. Clare of Assisi (Poor Clares founder).
August 13: St. Pontian (Pope, martyred).
August 14: St. Eusebius of Rome (Pope, martyred).
August 15: *St. Mother Mary* (Mother of God, Assumption, Mediatrix of grace)*.
August 16: St. Stephen of Hungary (king, Christianized Hungary).
August 20: *St. Bernard of Clairvaux* (principal Holy State holiday, High Mass)*.
August 24: St. Bartholomew (Apostle, flayed).
August 25: *St. Louis IX of France* (crusader king)*.
August 27: St. Monica (mother of Augustine).
August 29: *Prophet John the Baptist* (main prophet, martyred for truth)*.
August 31: St. Raymond Nonnatus (Mercedarian, martyr).

September

September 3: St. Gregory I the Great (Pope).
September 4: St. Boniface I (Pope, anti-Arian).
September 16: St. Cyprian (martyr, bishop), St. Cornelius (Pope).
September 17: St. Hildegard of Bingen (mystic).
September 21: St. Matthew (Apostle, martyred).
September 22: *St. Maurice* (Theban Legion martyr)*.
September 28: St. Wenceslaus (martyr, duke).
September 29: *St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael* (Archangels)*.

October

October 1: St. Thérèse of Lisieux (simplicity).
October 14: St. Callistus I (Pope, martyred).
October 15: St. Teresa of Ávila (mystic, Carmelite reformer).
October 23: *James the Just* (Bishop of Jerusalem)*, St. John of Capistrano (crusade leader).
October 28: St. Jude Thaddeus (Apostle), St. Simon the Zealot (Apostle).

November

November 10: St. Leo I the Great (Pope).
November 11: *St. Martin of Tours* (bishop, militancy)*.
November 13: St. Nicholas I the Great (Pope).
November 15: St. Albert the Great (Dominican).
November 16: St. Hugh of Lincoln (bishop), St. Edmund of Canterbury (archbishop).
November 22: St. Cecilia (martyr).
November 23: St. Clement I (Pope), St. Columban (monk).
November 30: St. Andrew (Apostle).

December

December 1: St. Eligius (bishop, missionary).
December 4: St. Barbara (martyr, artillery patron).
December 13: St. Lucy (martyr).
December 25: *Christmas* (Holy State holiday, Nativity), St. Anastasia (martyr).
December 26: St. Stephen (first martyr).
December 27: St. John (Apostle).
December 29: St. Thomas Becket (archbishop, martyred).

January

January 3: St. Anterus (Pope, martyred).
January 19: St. Canute IV (martyr, king).
January 20: St. Sebastian (martyr, soldier), St. Fabian (Pope).
January 21: *St. Agnes of Rome* (martyr)*.
January 27: St. Vitalian (Pope).
January 28: St. Thomas Aquinas (Dominican).

February

February 1: St. Brigid of Kildare (abbess), St. Ignatius of Antioch (martyr).
February 16: St. Juliana of Nicomedia (martyr).
February 21: St. Peter Damian (reformer).
February 23: St. Polycarp (martyr).

March

March 7: St. Perpetua (martyr), St. Felicity (martyr).
March 17: St. Patrick (missionary).

Movable Feast

Easter Sunday (Holy State holiday, first Sunday after first full moon post-vernal equinox): Resurrection, solemn Masses (1 Corinthians 15:3).

Theological Context

The Bernardian Calendar reflects James the Just’s legacy of active faith (James 2:17). In our church’s opinion, though not universally accepted, St. Bernard succeeded James’s vision, preaching the Second Crusade. Prophet John the Baptist and St. Mother Mary, with their Holy State holidays, strengthen our crusade mindset. With 75 saints’ holidays, 14 Holy State holidays, and Sunday rest, it unites pre-Vatican II Catholicism, Anglican reverence, and Baptist zeal, guiding The Holy State, as “the righteous will shine like the sun” (Matthew 13:43, Douay-Rheims).

Bernardian Calendar