Calendar of Saints (Lutheran)

The Lutheran Calendar of Saints is a listing which details the primary annual festivals and events that are celebrated liturgically by the Lutheran Church. The calendars of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS) are from the 1978 "Lutheran Book of Worship" and the 1982 "Lutheran Worship". Elements unique to the ELCA have been updated from the "Lutheran Book of Worship" to reflect changes resulting from the publication of "Evangelical Lutheran Worship" in 2006. The elements of the calendar unique to the LCMS have also been updated from "Lutheran Worship" and the "Lutheran Book of Worship" to reflect the 2006 publication of the "Lutheran Service Book".

The event commemorated is listed with the type of event afterwards in parenthesis as well as the country where it is observed (if not commonly observed on that date in North America). For individuals, the date given is the date of their death or "heavenly birthday." The single letter listed after each event is the designated color for vestments and paraments: White (W), Red (R) or Purple (P). Commemorations are noted as being specific to the ELCA or LCMS following the particular entry. Commemorations and Festivals that are held in common are not annotated.

For further information on the development of the calendar, see Liturgical calendar (Lutheran).

January

*1 Holy Name of Jesus (Lesser Festival) W
*2 Johann Konrad Wilhelm Löhe, pastor, renewer of the church, 1872 (Commemoration) W
*3
*4
*5
*6 Epiphany of our Lord (Festival) W
*7
*8
*9
*10 Basil the Great, Bishop of Caesarea, 379; Gregory of Nazianzus, Bishop of Constantinople, c. 389; Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa, c. 385 (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*11
*12
*13
*14
*15 Martin Luther King, Jr., renewer of society, martyr, 1968 (Commemoration) R – ELCA
*16
*17 Antony of Egypt, renewer of the church, c. 356 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
** Pachomius, renewer of the church, 346 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*18 Confession of Saint Peter (Lesser Festival) W
**Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Begins
*19 Henry, Bishop of Uppsala, missionary to Finland, martyr, 1156 (Commemoration) R – ELCA
*20 Sarah, matriarch (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*21 Agnes, martyr (Commemoration) R - ELCA
*22
*23
*24 Saint Timothy, pastor (Lesser Festival) W - LCMS
*25 Conversion of Saint Paul (Lesser Festival) W
**Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Ends
*26 Timothy, Titus, and Silas, missionaries (Commemoration) W – ELCA
**Saint Titus, pastor (Lesser Festival) W - LCMS
*27 Lydia, Dorcas, and Phoebe, witnesses to the faith (Commemoration) W – ELCA
**John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople, 407 (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*28 Thomas Aquinas, teacher, 1274 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*29
*30
*31

February

*1
*2 Presentation of our Lord (Lesser Festival) W
*3 Ansgar, Archbishop of Hamburg, missionary to Denmark and Sweden, 865 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*4
*5 The Martyrs of Japan, 1597 (Commemoration) R – ELCA
** Jacob, patriarch (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*6
*7
*8
*9
*10 Silas, apostle(Commemoration) W – LCMS
*11
*12
*13 Aquila, Priscilla, and Apollos (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*14 Cyril, monk, 869; Methodius, bishop, 885; missionaries to the Slavs (Commemoration) W – ELCA
**Valentine, martyr, 270 (Commemoration) R – LCMS
*15 Philemon and Onesimus (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*16 Philipp Melanchthon, confessor, 1560 (Commemoration) R – LCMS
*17
*18 Martin Luther, doctor and confessor, renewer of the church, 1546 (Commemoration) W
*19
*20
*21
*22
*23 Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, martyr 156 (Commemoration) R
*24 Saint Matthias, Apostle (Lesser Festival) R – LCMS
*25 Elizabeth Fedde, deaconess, 1921 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*26
*27
*28

March

*1 George Herbert, priest, hymnwriter, 1633 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*2 John, 1791; Charles Wesley, 1788; priests, renewers of the church (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*3
*4
*5
*6
*7 Perpetua and Felicity and companions, martyrs at Carthage, 202 (Commemoration) R
*8
*9
*10 Harriet Tubman, 1913; Sojourner Truth, 1883; renewers of society (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*11
*12 Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome, 604 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*13
*14
*15
*16
*17 Patrick, bishop, missionary to Ireland, 461 (Commemoration) W
*18
*19 Joseph, guardian of our Lord (Lesser Festival) W
*20
*21 Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, martyr, 1556 (Commemoration) R – ELCA
*22 Jonathan Edwards, teacher, missionary to American Indians, 1758 (Commemoration) W - ELCA
*23
*24 Oscar Arnulfo Romero, Bishop of El Salvador, martyr, 1980 (Commemoration) R – ELCA
*25 Annunciation of Our Lord (Festival) W
*26
*27
*28
*29 Hans Nielsen Hauge, renewer of the church, 1824 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*30
*31 John Donne, priest, poet, 1631 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
** Joseph, patriarch (Commemoration) W – LCMS

April

*1
*2
*3
*4 Benedict the African, confessor, 1589 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*5
*6 Albrecht Dürer, 1528; Lucas Cranach, 1553; artists (Commemoration) W
** Matthias Grünewald, artist, 1529 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
** Michelangelo, artist, (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*7
*8
*9 Dietrich Bonhoeffer, theologian, martyr, 1945 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*10 Mikael Agricola, Bishop of Turku, 1557 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*11
*12
*13
*14
*15
*16
*17
*18

*19 Olavus Petri, priest, 1552; Laurentius Petri, Archbishop of Uppsala, 1573; renewers of the church (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*20 Johannes Bugenhagen, pastor, 1558 (Commemoration) – LCMS
*21 Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, theologian, 1109 (Commemoration) W
*22 Día de la Creación (Lesser Festival) W – ELCA
*23 Toyohiko Kagawa, renewer of society, 1960 (Commemoration) W - ELCA
*24 Johann Walter, musician, 1570 (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*25 Saint Mark, Evangelist (Lesser Festival) R
*26
*27
*28
*29 Catherine of Siena, theologian, 1380 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*30

May

*1 Saint Philip and Saint James, Apostles (Lesser Festival) R
*2 Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, 373 (Commemoration) W
*3
*4 Monica, mother of Augustine, 387 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
**Friedrich Wyneken, pastor, missionary, 1864 (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*5 Frederick the Wise, Christian ruler, 1525 (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*6
*7 Carl F. W. Walther, pastor, theologian, 1887 (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*8 Victor the Moor, martyr, 303 (Commemoration) R – ELCA
** Julian of Norwich, renewer of the Church, c. 1416 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*9 Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf, renewer of the church, hymnwriter, 1760 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
** Job, patriarch (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*10
*11 Cyrill, 869 and Methodius, 885, missionaries to the Slavs (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*12
*13
*14 Saint Matthias, apostle (Lesser Festival) R – ELCA
*15
*16
*17
*18 Erik, King of Sweden, martyr, 1160 (Commemoration) R – ELCA
*19
*20
*21 Helena, mother of Constantine, c. 330 (Commemoration) W
** Emperor Constantine, Emperor of Rome, 337 (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*22
*23
*24 Nicolaus Copernicus, 1543; Leonhard Euler, 1783; scientists (Commemoration) W – ELCA
** Esther, matriarch, (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*25 Bede, theologian, 735 (Commemoration) R – LCMS
*26
*27 John Calvin, renewer of the church, 1564 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*28
*29 Juraj Tranovský, hymnwriter, 1637 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*30
*31 The Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth (Lesser Festival) W

June

*1 Justin, martyr at Rome, c. 165 (Commemoration) R
*2
*3 John XXIII, Bishop of Rome, 1963 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
** Martyrs of Uganda, 1886 (Commemoration) R – ELCA
*4
*5 Boniface, Archbishop of Mainz, missionary to Germany, martyr, 754 (Commemoration) R
*6
*7 Seattle, chief of the Duwamish Confederacy, 1866 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*8
*9 Columba, 597; Aidan, 651; Bede, 735; teachers, renewers of the church (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*10
*11 Saint Barnabas, Apostle (Lesser Festival) R
*12 First Ecumenical Council, 325 (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*13
*14 Basil the Great, Bishop of Caesarea, 379; Gregory of Nazianzus, Bishop of Constantinople, c. 389; Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa, c. 385 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
** Macrina, theologian, c. 379 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
** Elisha, prophet (Commemoration) R – LCMS
*15
*16
*17
*18
*19
*20
*21 Onesimos Nesib, translator, evangelist, 1931 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*22
*23
*24 The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist (Lesser Festival) W
*25 Presentation of the Augsburg Confession, 1530 (Commemoration) W
**Philipp Melanchthon, renewer of the church, 1560 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*26 Jeremiah, prophet (Commemoration) R – LCMS
*27 Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria, 444 ( Commemoration) W
*28 Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, c. 202 (Commemoration) W
*29 Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Apostles (Lesser Festival) R
*30

July

*1 Catherine Winkworth, 1878; John Mason Neale, 1866; hymn translators (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*2
*3 Saint Thomas, apostle (Lesser Festival) R – ELCA
*4
*5
*6 Jan Hus, martyr, 1415 (Commemoration) R – ELCA
** Isaiah, prophet (Commemoration) R – LCMS
*7
*8
*9
*10
*11 Benedict of Nursia, Abbot of Monte Cassino, c. 540 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*12 Nathan Söderblom, Archbishop of Uppsala, 1931 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*13
*14
*15
*16 Ruth, matriarch (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*17 Bartolomé de Las Casas, missionary to the Indies, 1566 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*18
*19
*20 Elijah, prophet (Commemoration) R – LCMS
*21 Ezekiel, prophet (Commemoration) R – LCMS
*22 Saint Mary Magdalene, Apostle (Lesser Festival) W
*23 Birgitta of Sweden, renewer of the church, 1373 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*24
*25 Saint James the Elder, Apostle (Lesser Festival) R
*26
*27
*28 Johann Sebastian Bach, 1750; Heinrich Schütz, 1672; George Frederick Handel, 1759; musicians (Commemoration) W
*29 Mary, Martha, and Lazarus of Bethany (Commemoration) W
**Olaf, King of Norway, martyr, 1030 (Commemoration) R – ELCA
*30 Robert Barnes, confessor and martyr (Commemoration) R – LCMS
*31 Joseph of Arimathea (Commemoration) W – LCMS

August

*1
*2
*3 Joanna, Mary, and Salome, myrrh-bearing women (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*4
*5
*6 Transfiguration of Our Lord (Festival) W
*7
*8 Dominic, priest, founder of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), 1221 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*9
*10 Lawrence, deacon, martyr 258 (Commemoration) R
*11 Clare, Abbess of San Damiano, renewer of the Church, 1253 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*12
*13 Florence Nightingale, 1910; Clara Maass, 1901; renewers of society (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*14 Maximilian Kolbe, 1941; Kaj Munk, 1944; martyrs (Commemoration) R – ELCA
*15 Mary, Mother of Our Lord (Lesser Festival) W
*16 Isaac, patriarch (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*17 Johann Gerhard, theologian, 1637 (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*18
*19 Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, hymnwriter, theologian 1153 (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*20 Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, hymnwriter, theologian, 1153 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
** Samuel, prophet (Commemoration) R – LCMS
*21
*22
*23
*24 Saint Bartholomew, Apostle (Lesser Festival) R
*25
*26
*27 Monica, mother of Augustine 387 (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*28 Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, 430 (Commemoration) W
**Moses the Black, monk, martyr, c. 400 (Commemoration) R - ELCA
*29 The Martyrdom of Saint John the Baptist (Lesser Festival) R – LCMS
*30
*31

eptember

*1 Joshua, prophet (Commemoration) R – LCMS
*2 Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig, bishop, renewer of the church, 1872 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
** Hannah, matriarch (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*3 Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome, 604 (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*4 Moses, prophet (Commemoration)) R – LCMS
*5 Zechariah, prophet
*6
*7
*8
*9 Peter Claver, priest, missionary to Colombia, 1654 (Commemoration) – ELCA
*10
*11
*12
*13 John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople, 407 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*14 Feast of the Holy Cross (Lesser Festival) R
*15
*16 Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage, martyr, c. 258 (Commemoration) R
*17 Hildegard, Abbess of Bingen, 1179 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*18 Dag Hammarskjöld, renewer of society, 1961 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*19
*20 Nelson Wesley Trout, bishop, 1996 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*21 Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist (Lesser Festival) R
*22 Jonah, prophet (Commemoration) R – LCMS
*23
*24
*25
*26
*27
*28
*29 Saint Michael and All Angels (Lesser Festival) W
*30 Jerome, translator, teacher, 420 (Commemoration) W

October

*1
*2
*3
*4 Francis of Assisi, renewer of the church, 1226 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
**Theodor Fliedner, renewer of society, 1864 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*5
*6 William Tyndale, translator, martyr, 1536 (Commemoration) R – ELCA
*7 Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, pastor in North America, 1787 (Commemoration) W
*8
*9 Abraham, patriarch (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*10 Massie L. Kennard, renewer of the church, 1996 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*11 Saint Phillip, deacon (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*12
*13
*14
*15 Teresa of Ávila, teacher, renewer of the church, 1582 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*16
*17 Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, martyr, c. 115 (Commemoration) R
*18 Saint Luke, Evangelist (Lesser Festival) R
*19
*20
*21
*22
*23 James of Jerusalem,brother of Jesus and martyr, c. 62 (Lesser Festival) R
*24
*25 Lydia, Dorcas (Tabitha), and Phoebe, faithful women (Commemoration) – LCMS
*26 Philipp Nicolai, 1608; Johann Heermann, 1647; Paul Gerhardt, 1676; hymnwriters (Commemoration) W
*27
*28 Saint Simon and Saint Jude, Apostles (Lesser Festival) R
*29
*30
*31 Reformation Day (Lesser Festival) R

November

*1 All Saints (Festival) W
*2 Daniel Payne, teacher, 1893 (Commemoration)
*3 Martín de Porres, renewer of society, 1639 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*4
*5 Elizabeth, matriarch (Commemoration) R – LCMS
*6
*7 John Christian Frederick Heyer, 1873; Bartholomaeus Ziegenbalg, 1719; Ludwig Ingwer Nommensen, 1918; missionaries (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*8 Johann von Staupitz, priest 1524 (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*9 Martin Chemnitz, pastor and confessor, 1586 (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*10
*11 Martin, Bishop of Tours, 397 (Commemoration) W
**Søren Aabye Kierkegaard, teacher, 1855 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*12
*13
*14 Emperor Justinian, confessor, Emperor of New Rome, 565 (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*15
*16
*17 Elizabeth, renewer of society, 1231 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*18
*19 Elizabeth, Princess of Hungary, 1231 (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*20
*21
*22
*23 Clement, Bishop of Rome, c. 100 (Commemoration) W
** Miguel Agustín Pro, priest, martyr, 1927 (Commemoration) R – ELCA
*24 Justus Falckner, 1723; Jehu Jones, 1852; William Passavant, 1894; pastors in North America (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*25 Isaac Watts, hymnwriter, 1748 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*26
*27
*28
*29 Noah, prophet (Commemoration) R – LCMS
*30 Saint Andrew, Apostle (Lesser Festival) R

December

*1
*2
*3 Francis Xavier, missionary to Asia, 1552 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*4 John of Damascus, theologian and hymnwriter, c. 749 (Commemoration) W
*5
*6 Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, c. 342 (Commemoration) W
*7 Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, 397 (Commemoration) W
*8
*9
*10
*11
*12
*13 Lucy, martyr, 304 (Commemoration) R
*14 John of the Cross, renewer of the church, 1591 (Commemoration) W – ELCA
*15
*16 Las Posadas, Mexico (Lesser Festival) P – ELCA
*17 Daniel and the Three Young Men, prophets, (Commemoration) R – LCMS
*18
*19 Adam, patriarch, and Eve, matriarch (Commemoration) W – LCMS
*20 Katharina von Bora Luther, renewer of the church, 1552 (Commemoration) W
*21 St. Thomas, Apostle (Lesser Festival) R – LCMS
*22
*23
*24 Christmas Eve (Festival) W
*25 The Nativity of our Lord (Festival) W
*26 Stephen, Deacon and Martyr (Lesser Festival) R
*27 Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist (Lesser Festival) W
*28 The Holy Innocents, martyrs (Lesser Festival) R
*29 David, prophet (Commemoration) R – LCMS
*30
*31

References

*Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship. "Lutheran Book of Worship". Augsburg Fortress Press, 1978.
*Inter-Lutheran Commission on Worship. "Lutheran Book of Worship: Minister's Desk Edition". Minneapolis; Augsburg Fortress Press, 1978.
*Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. [http://renewingworship.org/ELW/content/PDF/ChurchYear_asm_20060119.pdf "Evangelical Lutheran Worship - Final Draft"] . Augsburg Fortress Press, 2006.
*Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. "Lutheran Worship". Concordia Publishing House, 1982.
*Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. "Lutheran Service Book". Concordia Publishing House, 2006.
*Pfatteicher, Philip H. "Festivals and Commemorations: Handbook to the Calendar in Lutheran Book of Worship". Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress Press, 1980.

ee also

* Moveable feast
* List of saints