Every good monastery celebrates the feast days of the Christian calendar and of their special patron saints. Our calendar is based on the calendar in the Junius psalter1. This tenth century manuscript includes a calendar pared down to essential feasts, to which we have added the feast days of some local saints and a few others who we find particularly inspiring. Dates in bold are the monastery’s own favourites.
January
- 3 January: Saint Genevieve of Paris
- 6 January: Epiphany
- 8 January: Saint Pega of Peakirk
- 10 January: Saint Sæthrith
- 13 January: Saint Eadwald of Rumwoldstow, who received Saint Rumwold after his baptism
- 16 January: Saint Marcellus, pope
- 17 January: Saint Mildgyth
- 20 January: Saint Fabian, pope and martyr; Saint Sebastian, martyr
- 21 January: Saint Agnes, martyr; Saint Osburh of Coventry
- 26 January: Saint Tortgith of Barking
- 28 January: Octave of Saint Agnes
February
- 1 February: Saint Brigid
- 2 February: the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Candlemas)
- 3 February: Saint Wærburh
- 4 February: Saint Aldate
- 5 February: Saint Agatha, martyr
- 10 February: Saint Scholastica
- 13 February: Saint Huna of Thorney; Saint Eormenhild
- 14 February: Saint Valentine, martyr
- 21 February: Saint Earcongota
- 23 February: Saint Hiurmine of Blythborough
- 24 February: Saint Matthias, apostle
- 27 February: Saint Aelfnoth of Weedon
March
- 7 March: Saints Perpetua and Felicitas, martyrs
- 12 March: Saint Cyneburh of Castor, aunt of Saint Rumwold
- 17 March: Saint Wihtburh; Saint Patrick
- 20 March: Saint Cuthbert
- 21 March: Saint Benedict
- 24 March: Saint Hildelith, abbess of Barking
- 25 March: Feast of the Annunciation
April
- 3 April: Finding of the True Cross
- 9 April: Saint Mary of Egypt, hermit
- 11 April: Saint Leo, pope
- 14 April: Saint Tiburtius, martyr
- 23 April: Saint George, martyr
- 25 April: Laetania maior
- 27 April: Saint Osgyth (one of several possible feast days)
- 28 April: Saint Vitalis, martyr
May
- 1 May: Saints Philip and James, Apostles
- 10 May: Saints Gordian and Epimachus, martyrs
- 11 May: Saint Freomund of Cropredy
- 12 May: Saints Nereus and Achilleus, martyrs, Saint Pancras, martyr and Saint Domitilla
- 13 May: Dedication of the Basilica of St Mary
- 19 May: Saint Potentiana, martyr
- 22 May: Saint Widerin of Rumwoldstow, who baptised Saint Rumwold
- 25 May: Saint Urban, pope and martyr and Saint Aldhelm, abbot
- 26 May: Saint Augustine of Canterbury, archbishop
- 31 May: Saint Petronilla, martyr
June
- 2 June: Saints Marcellinus and Peter, martyrs
- 3 June: Saint Osgyth of Aylesbury
- 9 June: Saints Primus and Felicianus, martyrs
- 12 June: Saints Basilides, Cyrinus, Nabor, and Nazarius, martyrs
- 16 June: Saints Cyriacus and Julitta, martyrs
- 18 June: Saints Marcus and Marcellinus, martyrs
- 19 June: Saints Gervasius and Protasius, martyrs
- 22 June: Saint Alban, martyr
- 23 June: Saint Æthelthryth
- 24 June: Saint John the Baptist
- 26 June: Saints John and Paul, martyrs
- 29 June: Saints Peter and Paul, apostles
July
- 2 July: Saints Processus and Martinian, martyrs
- 4 July: Translation of Saint Martin, bishop
- 5 July: Vigil of the feast of Saint Seaxburh
- 6 July: Octave of the feast of Saints Peter and Saint Paul; Saint Seaxburh
- 10 July: Seven Brothers, martyrs
- 11 July: Translation of Saint Benedict
- 13 July: Saint Mildthryth
- 18 July: Saint Eadburh of Bicester
- 20 July: Saint Margaret of Antioch
- 21 July: Saint Praxedes
- 22 July: Saint Mary Magdalene
- 23 July: Saint Apollinaris, martyr
- 24 July: Saint Christina, martyr
- 25 July: Saint James, apostle
- 29 July: Saint Felix; Saints Simplicius, Faustinus, and Beatrix, martyrs
- 30 July: Saints Abdon and Sennen, martyrs
- 31 July: Saint Germanus of Auxerre, bishop
August
- 1 August: Maccabees, martyrs
- 2 August: Saint Stephen, pope; Saint Ælfryth
- 6 August: Saint Sixtus II, pope and martyr
- 8 August: Saint Cyriacus
- 9 August: Vigil of Saint Laurence
- 10 August: Saint Laurence, martyr
- 11 August: Saint Tiburtius, martyr
- 13 August: Saint Hippolytus, martyr
- 14 August: Saint Eusebius, confessor
- 15 August: Assumption of the Virgin Mary
- 17 August: Octave of the feast of Saint Laurence; Saint Radegund
- 18 August: Saint Agapitus, martyr; Saint Helen
- 22 August: Saints Timothy and Symphorian, martyrs
- 25 August: Saint Bartholomew, apostle
- 26 August: Saint Pandionia of Eltisley
- 28 August: Saint Hermes of Rome, martyr
- 29 August: Beheading of Saint John the Baptist
- 30 August: Saints Felix and Adauctus, martyrs
September
- 2 September: Saint Cyneswith of Castor
- 5 September: Saint Bertin, abbot
- 8 September: Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- 9 September: Saint Gorgonius, martyr; Saint Omer, bishop
- 11 September: Saints Protus and Hyacinth, martyrs
- 14 September: Saint Cornelius, pope and Saint Cyprian, bishop
- 15 September: Saint Nicomedes, martyr
- 16 September: Saint Eufemia
- 21 September: Saint Matthew, apostle and evangelist
- 22 September: Saint Maurice, martyr
- 27 September: Saints Cosmas and Damian, martyrs
- 28 September: Saint Lioba, abbess
- 29 September: Saint Michael, archangel
- 30 September: Saint Jerome
October
- 7 October: Saint Marcus, pope; Saint Osgyth of Chich
- 8 October: Saint Pelagia of Antioch
- 9 October: Saint Dionysus, bishop
- 11 October: Saint Æthelberg, abbess of Barking
- 12 October: Saint Wilfred, bishop
- 14 October: Saint Callistus, pope and martyr
- 17 October: Translation of Saint Æthelthryth
- 19 October: Saint Frithuswith (see also our version of her Life)
- 21 October: Saint Ursula and companions
- 28 October: Saints Jude and Simon, apostles
November
- 1 November: All Saints
- 2 November: Vigil of Saint Rumwold
- 3 November: Saint Rumwold (see also our version of his Life)
- 8 November: Four Crowned Martyrs
- 9 November: Saint Theodore, martyr
- 10 November: Octave of Saint Rumwold
- 11 November: Saint Martin of Tours; Saint Mennas, martyr
- 13 November: Saint Brice, bishop
- 17 November: Saint Hild, abbess
- 19 November: Saint Eormenburh, abbess
- 20 November: Saint Eadmund, king and martyr
- 21 November: Saint Regenhere of Northampton, martyr
- 22 November: Saint Cecilia, martyr
- 23 November: Saint Clement, pope and martyr
- 24 November: Saint Chrysogonus, martyr
- 25 November: Saint Catherine of Alexandria, martyr
- 29 November: Saint Saturninus, bishop and martyr
- 30 November: Saint Andrew, apostle
December
- 3 December: Saint Birinus
- 7 December: Saint Fara, abbess, Saint Diuma of Charlbury, bishop
- 10 December: Saint Eulalia, martyr
- 13 December: Saint Lucy, martyr
- 21 December: Saint Thomas, apostle; Saint Beornwald of Bampton
- 24 December: Vigil of the Nativity
- 25 December: Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ
- 26 December: Saint Stephen, protomartyr
- 27 December: Saint John the Evangelist; Saint Fabiola
- 28 December: Feast of the Holy Innocents
- 29 December: Saint Tibba of Ryhall
- 31 December: Saint Sylvester, pope
Historic notes
Cyneburh, Tibba and Cyneswithe: their feast day has been 6 March since Abbot Aelfsige of Peterborough translated the relics of all three to Peterborough on that day in 963. We don’t know what their original feast days were.