LITURGICAL CALENDAR
The Order (Ordo) of Celebration
for the Eucharist
and the Liturgy of the Hours
for Members of
the Society of Jesus
residing in
the United States
(with notations of some celebrations of Canada)

2025

Cycle C

Year I

Gratitude is due Fr. Martin Wallace, O.P.
of the Dominican Friars of the Province
of the Assumption of B. Virgin Mary in Australia
for providing the foundational PHP code
and PostGreSQL Database of the Ordo

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

On-Line Scripture Texts

The texts of the scripture readings of the current day may always be obtained from the website of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops:

http://www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml

Alternatively, one may obtain specific texts by going to

http://bible.oremus.org

At the latter site, one can request a passage directly in this manner:

http://bible.oremus.org/?Mt 5:1-11

Another site giving the liturgical reading for each day of the year may be found at

http://www.servicioskoinonia.org/BiblicalLiturgicalCalendar/

Note that this last site makes use of the Latin American liturgical calendar (with local Latin American feasts).

Editing of this Electronic Ordo

This electronic document is a first attempt to provide a perpetual on-line equivalent to the traditional printed Ordo. Any computer program only does what it is told to do -- mistakes that exist are result of the human error of the programmer.

In adapting a work created by the efforts of Dominican Father Martin Wallace of Australia, errors may have been introduced in my attempts to remove celebrations proper to the Dominicans and to Australia and to introduce celebrations proper to the Society of Jesus and to the United States of America and to Canada. I would hope and pray that such errors be quickly brought to my attention for correction.

Fr. Wallace's Ordo may be found at:
http://www.op.org.au/cal/

Dennis C. Smolarski, S.J.
Santa Clara University

dsmolarski@scu.edu

Purpose of this Ordo

A Jesuit, particularly if travelling, has to contend with several national calendars, as well as local ones and the calendar of the Society.

This Ordo aims to give simple directions for Jesuits in the U.S. in the dioceses in which the Society has canonical houses. Jesuits ministering in other dioceses will still need to consult local calendars.

As well as the General Roman Calendar and the Calendar of the Society, local celebrations such as the anniversary of the dedication of the Cathedral and principal local patrons have been included where they are known.

Also included are liturgical directives or advice, drawn from the liturgical books of the Roman Rite, and the documents of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, including the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal. These indications are included to draw attention to easily neglected or misunderstood provisions. They are not complete, nor do they always refer to the most important aspects of liturgy. Recourse should always be had to the original documents.

Since this is the first attempt in the U.S. to produce such an Ordo, some matters have been overlooked. Please do not hesitate to bring errors or omissions to the editor's notice. He would be particular grateful for further information regarding local calendars in various dioceses in the U.S.

INTRODUCTION

This Liturgical Calendar follows the Roman Calendar and the proper Calendar of the Society of Jesus, adapted for use in the United States of America and Canada by the inclusion of celebrations proper to the Society and celebrations proper to the U.S. and to Canada.

Local celebrations (titular feasts, diocesan patrons, anniversaries of dedication etc.) are shown for those places where the Society in the U.S. has houses. Those working or living in other places need to consult local calendars for local variations.

I. The Calendar:

Certain celebrations [e.g., Christmas, Pentecost and Assumption] have proper Vigil Masses in addition to the Mass for the day itself. These Vigil Masses (with their proper readings) are intended to be used either before or after Evening Prayer I of the celebration.

On Saturdays in Ordinary Time when there is no obligatory memorial, an optional memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary is permitted. Whenever this optional memorial is allowed, a Mass from the Collection of Masses in Honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary may be used as an alternative.

II. Holy Days of Obligation:

In the U.S., in addition to all Sundays, the following are observed as Holy Days of Obligation (except in Hawai`i):

• Jan 1, Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (not of obligation when it falls on a Monday or Saturday, not of obligation in the metropolitan province of Los Angeles [Southern California]);
• Aug 15, Assumption of Mary (not of obligation when it falls on a Monday or Saturday);
• Nov 1, All Saints (not of obligation when it falls on a Monday or Saturday);
• Dec 8, Immaculate Conception (Patronal Feast of the U.S.) (when Dec 8 falls on a Sunday, the observance is transferred to Monday, Dec 9, but the obligation is not transferred);
• Dec 25, Christmas, the Nativity of the Lord.

In Hawai`i, following the policies of the Conference of Bishops of the South Pacific,only Dec 8 and Dec 25 are retained as Holy Days of Obligation.
The Solemnity of the Ascension is celebrated on the Seventh Sunday of Easter, except in the east coast ecclesiastical provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, and Philadelphia, and in the state of Nebraska. In these areas, it is observed on the Thursday between the Sixth and Seventh Sundays of Easter and is a Holy Day of Obligation.

In Canada, in addition to all Sundays, the following are observed as Holy Days of Obligation:

• Jan 1, Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God;
• Dec 25, Christmas, the Nativity of the Lord.

III. Patronal Feasts:

In addition to the celebrations proper to U.S. and Canada, the Society, and the state, every religious community should celebrate the following (GNLYC 52c):

• Solemnity of the anniversary of the Dedication of the church on the anniversary day of the dedication, if the church was consecrated. If the day of dedication is unknown, this solemnity is usually celebrated on October 25 or on the Sunday of Ordinary Time before November 1 (cf. Notitiae, v. 8 (1972), p. 103; Doc. on Lit., 3818, footnote R10);
• Solemnity of the titular saint of the church;
• Solemnity of the principal patron of their house;
• Feast of the anniversary of the Dedication of the Cathedral;
• Feast of the principal patron of the diocese, or more extensive territory.

Other local celebrations (e.g., diocesan secondary patrons, other diocesan saints) have been included to help Jesuits join in prayer with the local Church.

IV. Typography of this Calendar:

A. Italics: indicate an element of the liturgy of the day which is optional, e.g., sequence; or indicate an Optional Memorial, e.g., Dec 4, St John Damascene. They are also used for words in other languages, e.g. Te Deum.

B. Explanatory material is set in smaller type.

C. The letters SJ in the margin indicate a celebration or rubrical directions proper to the Society.

E. Notes regarding day of specially offered Masses by Jesuits appear like this.

F. Special commemorations appear like this.

G. Celebration proper to Canada appear like and/or with the notation [Canada].

V. Abbreviations used in the Daily Ordo:

• Mass ad lib.. This is a reminder to the celebrant that on weekdays of Ordinary Time there is a choice of Masses that may be used (cf. 2002 GIRM 355):
  1. any of the Masses for Sundays in Ordinary Time;
  2. an optional memorial assigned to that date;
  3. a Saint whose is listed for that date in the Martyrology (thus permitting the use of texts for Jesuit Saints/Blessed in a non-Jesuit church);
  4. a votive Mass or Masses (or Prayers) for various needs and occcasions;
  5. the "daily" Mass for the Dead (in moderation), provided the Mass is being offered specifically for one or more deceased (cf. 2002 GIRM 355, 381).
  Appropriate readings may be chosen from the Lectionary.
  On weekdays of Ordinary Time, the Liturgy of the Hours uses the seasonal texts or the texts of the optional memorial chosen for the Mass.
• pref = preface
• prop = proper. NOTE: When "proper" is noted for a reading on a memorial, that reading is to be chosen over the seasonal reading (cf. 2002 GIRM 358).
• 2002 RM = 2002 (3rd ed.) Roman Missal [NOTE: "[2002 RM]" or "[post-2002 RM]" is used to note celebrations included in the most recent edition of the Roman Missal (or added afterwards), but which are not found in the previous English translations of the Sacramentary or Lectionary. Such celebrations would also not be found in the Liturgy of the Hours; those praying the major hours should use prayers chosen from the Commons.]
• [SJ] = indicates a celebration listed on the proper calendar of the Society of Jesus.
• [USA] = indicates a celebration listed on the proper calendar for the Dioceses of the United States.
• [Canada] = indicates a celebration listed on the proper calendar for the Dioceses of Canada.

NOTE: The general norms for celebrating a Mass other than what is indicated by the calendar are given in 2002 GIRM 352-385.
To summarize:

• On Solemnities of obligation, Sundays of Advent, Lent, and Easter, Holy Thursday and the Easter Triduum, no ritual Masses (including Nuptial Masses), Funeral Masses, or other Masses for various needs (and votive Masses) are permitted. (2002 GIRM 372, 380)
• On other Solemnities, Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, the Octave of Easter, and All Souls, Funeral Masses are permitted; however, ritual Masses (including Nuptial Masses) and other Masses for various needs (and votive Masses) are NOT permitted. (2002 GIRM 372, 380)
• Only with the permission of the local Bishop may Masses for various needs (and votive Masses) be celebrated on Sundays of Christmas or Ordinary Times, on Feasts, during Dec 17-24 or the Christmas Octave, during weekdays of Lent. (2002 GIRM 354, 374, 376)

The table at the following link summarizes on which days Ritual Masses (e.g., Nuptial Masses), Masses for Various Needs, and Votive Masses may be celebrated.
http://math.scu.edu/~dsmolars/ordo/table.html

VI. Other Abbreviations used in this Calendar:

• DPPL : Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (2001)
• GILH = General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours (1971)
• GIRM = General Instruction of the Roman Missal (2002)
• HCWEOM = Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside of Mass (1973)
• PS = Paschale Sollemnitatis (Circular Letter Concerning the Preparation and Celebration of the Easter Feasts), Congregation for Divine Worship & Discipline of the Sacraments, 16 January 1988
• RC or GNLYC = Roman Calendar or General Norms for the Liturgical Year and Calendar (1969; as amended)
• RCIA = Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (1972)

VII. Note on Evening Prayer:

On Mondays through Fridays that are seasonal weekdays and on memorials, Evening Prayer (Vespers) of the Liturgy of the Hours is normally taken from the office of the day. (Special rules hold for the Octaves of Christmas and Easter.) This principle also usually holds on Sundays, Solemnities and Feasts.
Since the liturgical day of Sundays and Solemnities starts the prior evening, on Saturdays and on days before Solemnities, Evening Prayer is usually of the following Sunday or Solemnity.
Confusion may arise when a solemnity (or Feast of the Lord) occurs back to back with another solemnity or Sunday. In such cases, Evening Prayer celebrated between the two celebrations should be of the higher ranking celebration (as found in the Table of Liturgical Celebrations [found at the beginning of the Roman Missal or Vol. 1 of the Liturgy of the Hours]) (cf. GNLYC, 61).
In general, Sundays of Advent, Lent, and Easter rank above Solemnities (resulting in the transferrence of occuring Solemnities), and Solemnities rank above Feasts of the Lord which rank above Sundays of the Christmas Season and of Ordinary Time (resulting in the omission of the feast or Sunday celebration). In those few cases in a typical year when such conflicts arise (sometimes due to Solemnities which have been transferred), one is advised to consult a printed Ordo.
Night Prayer (Compline) always should be chosen as is appropriate for the Evening Prayer celebrated earlier that day.

VARIABLES FOR THE YEAR 2025