- Introduction
- The period 1825 to 1832
- The Oblate calendar of 1832
- The Oblate calendar in the period 1833 to 1965
- The Oblate calendar from 1832 to 1929
- After Vatican
Introduction
Part Two of Oblate Prayer, the most recent edition (1986) of the Oblate prayer manual, is entitled “The Celebration of Oblate Feasts”. All of the occasions mentioned in the manual are firmly established in the traditions of the Congregation and most of them take their origins from the practices of the Founder and his companions.
Under the title Oblate Feasts, we shall attempt to follow the historical development of the Oblate calendar and the various celebrations therein which, at different times, have been approved by the Holy See.
The period 1825 to 1832
Already in 1825, the Congregation – then known as the Missionaries of Provence – obtained a Re authorizing its members to celebrate the feast of Blessed Alphonsus Liguori. The request was made in the name of the then Bishop of Marseilles, Bishop Fortuné de Mazenod, uncle of the Oblate Founder. However, we can well believe that it was the initiative of his Vicar General, Fr. Eugene de Mazenod. The privilege of celebrating this office had previously been obtained for the clergy and Chapter of the Marseille Cathedral.
The Founder had a special regard for Blessed Alphonsus Liguori and maintained a close relationship with his followers, the Redemptorists. By a Re of the Holy See, dated April 28, 1826, he obtained that his newly approved religious family should benefit from the same “graces, favours, indults, privileges and indulgences” as the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. In fact, the Oblate calendar approved in 1832 combines the offices celebrated in the Redemptorist calendar with some of those “pro aliquibus locis” and one or other Franciscan office.
The first Re for a celebration granted to the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, after the approval of the Congregation by Pope Leo XII in 1826, was for the feast of Blessed Leonard of Port Maurice. Fr. de Mazenod had a special devotion to this Franciscan preacher of parish missions [1], who was to be canonized by Pope Pius IX and declared patron saint of parish mission preachers by Pius XI. The Re is dated April 26, 1826, and prescribes the celebration of the office on November 26.
By 1832 the Oblates were preaching missions and even had established communities in a number of dioceses. Their Rule obliged them to recite the office in common and, according to the ecclesiastical regulations of the time, this meant a certain inconvenience arising from the change of calendar according to diocese. It was decided to present a petition to the Holy See for special faculties and, at the same time, to present a request for a special Oblate calendar. The Re of the Sacred Congregation of Rites granting the faculties and the calendar is dated February 17, 1832.
The calendar was to be revised in 1868 and again, after the liturgical reforms of Pope Pius X, in 1913. The last major reform before Vatican Council II was by the Re of the Sacred Congregation of Rites dated January 7, 1929.
Petitions for individual offices or variations in the Oblate calendar were made to the Holy See and granted by various Res in the intervals between these major calendar changes. These Res will be dealt with in their respective places, either in the comparative calendar or in the text.
The Oblate Calendar of 1832
The Founder did not keep a diary from 1826 to 1837. From this source we might have gleaned some of the motivations in his choice of feasts for the calendar presented in 1832 to the Holy See.
However, most of the feasts chosen have an obvious connection with the spirituality of Fr. de Mazenod and of the Congregation which he founded. The feasts dedicated to the instruments of Christ’s Passion and Death and to Mary’s participation in those events reflect the popular expression of the events of Salvation at the time, but they also reflect the very special devotion of Fr. de Mazenod since the “bitter tears” he shed during his deeply religious experience while attending the liturgy of Good Friday 1807. [2] Thus, among the moveable feasts we have the Commemoration of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Shroud, the Precious Blood of Jesus, the Crown of Thorns, the Five Holy Wounds, the Lance and Nails, the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Seven Sorrows of Mary.
The fixed-date feasts reflect primarily the Founder’s devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary: Espousals of Mary (January 23), Office of the Conception of Mary commemorating the approval of the Congregation by the Holy See (February 17), Our Lady Help of Christians (May 23), Our Lady of Mount Carmel (July 21), the Sacred Heart of Mary (Sunday in the Octave of the Assumption), Maternity of Mary (2nd Sunday of October), Intercession of Mary (3rd Sunday of October), Conception of Mary (December 8), Transport of the Holy House of Mary (December 10), and Mary’s awaiting the Birth of her Son (December 18).
The feast of St. Gabriel is included no doubt because of the Archangel’s role in Mary’s Annunciation. St. Hyacinth was renowned for his devotion to Mary. St. Roch was patron saint of plague victims and Fr. de Mazenod had heroically attended to the spiritual needs of plague victims and eventually contracted the disease himself in 1814. [3]
St. John Nepomucene had, reputedly, been martyred for his determination to preserve the seal of Confession and therefore was regarded as the patron saint of confessors. Father de Mazenod and his missionaries spent long hours in the ministry of the confessional. It was natural that the confessors’ patron should be included in their calendar.
St. Ubaldus, bishop of Gubbio, was a zealous pastor, a natural model for the young Vicar General of Marseille. St. Raymond of Peñafort, as the patron saint of canonists would seem also to have been regarded by the Oblate Founder as among his patrons.
St. Joseph, spouse of Mary, held a special place in the devotion of Father de Mazenod. The third Sunday after Easter was chosen by him as the occasion to commemorate the Saint’s powers of intercession. Also, whenever the office of Mary, under whatever title, was celebrated, a commemoration was to be made of St. Joseph.
The Oblate Calendar in the period 1833 to 1965
The Chapter of 1837 asked that the Superior General (Bishop de Mazenod) appoint some Fathers to compose offices proper to the Congregation. [4] Eventually, Fathers Semeria and Mille were appointed to this task but, for reasons that are not apparent, the work was not ready until 1851 and even then was not presented to Rome for approval. It was not until 1868 – and therefore after the Founder’s death – that approval was obtained for a new Oblate calendar. In the intervening 20 years, as is stated in the Re of approval, a number of changes had been made in the previous calendar without recourse to the Holy See. It was time to have things put in order and the 1867 Chapter expressed the desire that this be done. The Re approving the new calendar is dated February 27, 1868.
In 1876, the shrine of the Sacred Heart at Montmartre, Paris, was entrusted to the care of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. This event marks a greater intensity in devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Congregation. The 1879 Chapter voted unanimously that the Holy See be requested to raise the classification of the feast in the Oblate calendar and to include in that calendar the feast of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque to whom revelations about the devotion had been made. [5]
In the course of the following years, the various Res obtained reflect the origins and spread of the Congregation. The feasts of St. Lazarus, [6] St. Mary and St. Martha [7] were given greater prominence in the calendar because of special devotion to these saints in the diocese of Marseille. As the Congregation developed in English speaking countries, the feasts of St. Patrick and St. George were classed as “double major”. [8] The German Province was established in 1898 and the following General Chapter requested that the feast of St. Boniface be also included. [9]
When an office of Our Lady of Lourdes was approved, the 1893 Chapter requested that this too be placed on the list of Oblate feasts. [10]
Various other Res concerning concessions or privileges accorded to the Oblate Congregation are mentioned in the text or footnotes of the comparative calendar. A Re which is not mentioned there, however, is that dated April 12, 1946. Fr. Hilaire Balmès, then Vicar General and formerly Superior of the International Scholasticate, requested that the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas be celebrated in Oblate scholasticates as a feast ranking Double of 2nd Class. The privilege was granted in the aforementioned Re.
The Oblate Calendar 1832 to 1929
The following shows the development of the Oblate Calendar throughout the period 1832 to 1929. Only the days in each month on which feasts in that calendar were celebrated are indicated. Where there are moveable feasts within a month they are indicated at the end of the month. The other moveable feasts are given in a separate list at the end of the month – by – month list.
Prior to the liturgical reform of Vatican Council II, liturgical celebrations were classified according to the following degrees: Simple, Semidouble, Double, Double major, Double of 2nd Class (sometimes with Octave), Double of 1st Class (sometimes with Octave).
Go to Table of Oblate Feasts…
| OMI Calendar 1832 | OMI Calendar 1868 | OMI Calendar 1913 | OMI Calendar 1929 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | ||||
| 19 | The Holy Family [1] Double major | |||
| 23 | The Espousals of the B.V.M. Double major | The Espousals of the B.V.M. Double major | St Raymond of Peñafort now on this date in Universal Calendar Semidouble | |
| 28 | St Raymond of Peñafort Semidouble | Feast of St Raymond of Peñafort transferred to February 9 | ||
| February | ||||
| 6 | St Titus Double | St. Titus now in Universal Calendar Double | ||
| 9 | St Raymond of Peñafort later restored to January 23 Semidouble | |||
| 11 | Apparition of O.L. of Lourdes now in Universal Calendar [2] Double major | |||
| 17 | Office of the Conception of the B.V.M. with prayer of thanksgiving Double major | Office of the C Conception of the B.V.M. with prayer of thanksgiving Double major | In each OMI Church and Oratory one Mass of the Immaculate Conception with prayer of thanksgiving | Solemn Commemoration of the Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M. In all Masses the prayer of thanksgiving [3] Double 2nd Class |
| 26 | St Margaret of Cortona Double | Feast of St Margaret no longer mentioned | ||
| March | ||||
| 18 | St Gabriel, the Archangel Double major | |||
| 19 | St Joseph Double 1st Class | St Joseph now in Universal Calendar as Double 2nd Class in OMI Calendar Double 1st Class | ||
| 22 | St. Gabriel, the Archangel Double major | |||
| 24 | St Gabriel, the Archangel, now in Universal Calendar Double major | |||
| April | ||||
| 16 | [4] | |||
| 24 | The Good Thief [5] Double | St Fidelis of Sigmaringen now in Universal Calendar Double | ||
| 27 | St Fidelis of Sigmaringen Double | St Peter Canisius Double | ||
| 28 | St Paul of the Cross Double | St Paul of the Cross now in Universal Calendar Double | ||
| May | ||||
| 11 | O.L. of Mercy Double major |
O.L. of Mercy [6] Double major |
||
| 15 | St Isidore, farmer Double |
|||
| 16 | St John Nepomucene Double |
St John Nepomucene Double |
St Ubaldus Semidouble |
St Ubaldus now in Universal Calendar Semidouble |
| 21 | St Ubaldus Semidouble |
|||
| 22 | St Ubaldus Semidouble |
|||
| 24 | O.L. Help of Christians Double major |
O.L. Help of Christians Double major |
||
| 31 | O.L. of Graces Double major |
St Angela Merici formerly in OMI Calendar for June 1. Now in Universal Calendar Double |
O.L. Mediatrix of all Graces [7] Double major |
|
| June | ||||
| 1 | St. Angela Merici Double |
|||
| 15 | St Germana Double |
|||
| 16 | St John Francis Regis Double |
|||
| 29 | A commemoration of all the apostles in the Office and Mass of Sts. Peter and Paul | |||
| July | ||||
| 3 | All Pope Saints Double major |
|||
| 4 | All Pope Saints Double major |
|||
| 15 | Holy Redeemer formerly 3rd Sunday of July Double major |
Holy Redeemer Double major |
||
| 16 | Triumph of the Holy Cross Double major |
B.V.M. of Mount Carmel Double major |
||
| 17 | Humility of the B.V.M. Double major | St Alexis now in Universal Calendar Semidouble |
||
| 21 | B.V.M. of Mount Carmel Double major |
St Alexis Semidouble |
||
| 25 | St Anne Double 2nd Class |
|||
| 26 | St Anne now in Universal Calendar Double 2nd Class |
|||
| 2nd Sunday | Commemoration of all Pope Saints Double major |
|||
| 3rd Sunday | Holy Redeemer Double 2nd Class |
|||
| 4th Sunday | B.V.M. of Help Double major |
|||
| August | ||||
| 2 | St Alphonsus Liguori Double major |
St Alphonsus Liguori now in Universal Calendar Double major |
||
| 9 | St John Marie Vianney [8] | |||
| 13 | B.V.M. Refuge of Sinners Double major |
|||
| 16 | St Roch Double |
St Roch Double |
||
| 17 | St Hyacinth now in Universal Calendar Doubler |
|||
| 18 | St Hyacinth Double |
|||
| 19 | St John Eudes Double |
|||
| 25 | St Louis King of France Double major |
St Louis now in Universal Calendar Semidouble |
||
| 26 | St Hyacinth Double |
|||
| Sunday in Octave of Assumption | St Joachim Double 2nd Class |
|||
| Sunday after Octave | Sacred Heart of B.V.M. Double major |
Most Pure Heart of Mary Double major |
||
| September | ||||
| 3 | B.V.M. Mother of the Divine Shepherd Double major |
|||
| October | ||||
| 1 | St Remigius Double |
St Remigius now in Universal Calendar Simple |
||
| 3 | St Therese of Lisieux Double |
|||
| 15 | St Teresa of Avila Double 2nd Class |
St Teresa of Avila Double |
||
| 17 | St Margaret Mary Alacoque [9] | |||
| 22 | St Raphael the Archangel Double major |
|||
| 24 | St Raphael the Archangel Double major |
St Raphael the Archangel now in Universal Calendar Double major |
||
| 30 | The Holy Relics Double major |
|||
| 2nd Sunday | Mother of the B.V.M. Double major |
Mother of the B.V.M. Double major |
||
| 3rd Sunday | Purity of the B.V.M. Double major |
Purity of the B.V.M. Double major |
||
| 4th Sunday | Intercession of the B.V.M. [10] double major |
|||
| November | ||||
| 5 | Holy Relics preserved in OMI churches and oratories Double major |
Holy Relics Double major |
||
| 13 | St Stanislas Kostka Double |
|||
| 14 | St Didacus Semidouble |
|||
| 26 | Bl. Leonard of Port Maurice one solemn Mass in each house |
St Leonard of Port Maurice Double |
St Leonard of Port Maurice [11] Double |
|
| 27 | Miraculous Medal of the B.V.M. Double major |
Miraculous Medal of the B.V.M. Double major |
||
| Sunday after All Saints | B.V.M. of Suffrages Double major |
|||
| December | ||||
| 3 | St Francis Xavier Double major |
St Francis Xavier now in Universal Calendar Double major |
||
| 8 | Conception of the B.V.M. Double 1st Class |
Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M. titular of the whole Congregation Double 1st Class with Octave |
Immaculate Conception of the B.V.M. titular of the whole Congregation, now in Universal Calendar Double 1st Class with Octave |
Special to OMI Calendar “with privileged Octave of 3rd Order” |
| 10 | Transfer of the Holy House of the B.V.M. Loreto Double major |
Transfer of the Holy House of the B.V.M. Loreto Double major |
Transfer of the Holy House of the B.V.M. Loreto [12] Double major |
|
| 18 | The B.V.M. awaiting the birth of her Son Double major |
The B.V.M. awaiting the birth of her Son [13] Double major |
||
| 26 | Commemoration of all Martyrs at Lauds, Mass and Vespers |
Moveable Feasts I
| OMI Calendar 1832 | OMI Calendar 1868 | |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd Sunday after Epiphany | The Flight of O.L.J.C. into Egypt[14] Double major |
|
| 4th Sunday after Epiphany | The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple Double major |
|
| Tuesday after Septuagesima Sunday | The Prayer of O.L.J.C. on the Mount of Olives Double major |
|
| Tuesday after Sexagesima Sunday | Commemoration of the Passion of O.L.J.C. Double major |
|
| Friday after Quinquagesima Sunday | Commemoration of the Passion of O.L.J.C. Double major |
The Crown of Thorns of O.L.J.C. Double major |
| Friday after 1st Sunday of Lent | The Holy Shroud of O.L.J.C. Double major |
The Lance and Nails of O.L.J.C. Double major |
| Friday after 2nd Sunday of Lent | The Precious Blood of O.L.J.C. Double major |
The Holy Shroud of O.L.J.C. Double major |
| Friday after 3rd Sunday of Lent | The Crown of Thorns of O.L.J.C. Double major |
The Five Holy Wounds of O.L.J.C. Double major |
Moveable Feasts II
| OMI Calendar 1832 | OMI Calendar1868 | OMI Calendar 1913 and 1929 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday after 4th Sunday of Lent | The Five Holy Wounds of O.L.J.C. Double major |
The Precious Blood of O.L.J.C. Double major |
|
| Friday after Passion Sunday | The Seven Sorrows of the B.V.M. Double major |
||
| Friday after Low Sunday | The Lance and Nails of O.L.J.C. Double major |
||
| 2nd Sunday after Easter | The Holy Sepulchre of O.L.J.C. Double major |
||
| 3rd Sunday after Easter | Intercession of St Joseph Double 2nd Class |
Intercession of St Joseph Double 2nd Class |
|
| Monday before Ascension Thursday | B.V.M. of Mercy Double major |
||
| Friday after Octave of Corpus Christi | Sacred Heart of Jesus Double 2nd Class |
Sacred Heart of Jesus [15] Double 2nd Class |
|
| Saturday after Octave of Corpus Christi | The Most Pure Heart of Mary Double major |
After Vatican Council II
After Vatican Council II, there were major changes in the liturgy and in the universal calendar. These changes also affected the calendars approved for individual Congregations. The celebrations of the liturgical year were to give more emphasis to the feasts of the Lord and the mysteries of salvation. In the words of the Council: “The minds of the faithful are to be directed towards feasts of the Lord whereby the mysteries of salvation are celebrated throughout the year”. [11] Instead of the Oblate calendar (Ordo), a leaflet is published each year since 1973. It lists the days proper to the Oblate Congregation [12]: the anniversary of the foundation of the Congregation, in 1816, (January 25), the anniversary of the approval of the Constitutions and Rules by Pope Leo XII, in 1826 (February 17), the anniversary of the death of Saint Eugene de Mazenod (May 21), the feast of Blessed Joseph Gérard (May 29), the day of commemoration of all deceased Oblates (November 3), and the Solemnity of Mary’s Immaculate Conception under which title she is the principal titular and patroness of the Congregation (December 8).
An addendum to the calendar also reminds Oblates of the anniversaries of the deaths of other members of the Congregation whose Causes for canonization have been introduced: Fr. Joseph Cebula (April 28),Fr. Charles Dominic Albini (May 20), Bishop Vital Grandin (June 3), Bro. Anthony Kowalczyk (July 10) and Bishop Ovide Charlebois (November 20).
A reminder is also added of the present Superior General’s name day (the feast of his patron saint) and the anniversary of the canonisation of Saint Eugene de Mazenod (December 3, 1995).
Oblate Prayer, the most recent edition of the prayer manual of the Congregation, is more explicit in promoting traditional Oblate feasts. The second part of the manual lists fifteen occasions or seasons in the course of the year which are recommended for special commemoration by Oblate communities. Each occasion is introduced by a narration from the Founder’s life or by quotations from his writings as well as by quotations from the Constitutions and Rules approved by the Holy See in 1982. There is also a section which recommends that the feasts of the Apostles “our first fathers” [13] be marked by special community prayer as should also the feasts of missionaries. It is further suggested that Provinces and Regions should add to this list the feasts of saints important in their particular churches.
EDWARD CAROLAN
