PONTIFICAL DECREE

The Liturgical Year

(Draft: Machine Translation)

 

PREFAZIONE
 

  1. Introduction
    The liturgical year is the cycle of liturgical seasons marked and characterised by the feasts and commemorations of Christianity. This Decree establishes a single guideline for the whole Church through the definition of the Liturgical Calendar, the liturgical seasons and the celebrations that will accompany the faithful, the Mystical Body of Christ, throughout the entire liturgical year.
    The Universal Christian Church of New Jerusalem recognises the solemnities and feasts established by the Magisterium of the Catholic Church up to and excluding March 13, 2013, making the necessary amendments and additions in accordance with what has been established in point 4 below, in order to reform the commemorations of the Liturgical Year in the light of this decree.

  2. Definition of the Liturgical Calendar
    In the Universal Christian Church of New Jerusalem, the Liturgical Year begins with the celebration of the Solemn Feast of the Immaculate Conception (8 December). The last Sunday of the liturgical year is the first Sunday in December of the following year, on which the Church celebrates the Solemn Feast of the Heart of the Father.
    There are four Liturgical Years in the Festive Cycle: Year 1, Year 2, Year 3 and Year 4.
    Each Liturgical Year is characterised by the reading and meditation on the four Gospels: Matthew (Year 1), Mark (Year 2), Luke (Year 3) and John (Year 4).
    The Liturgical Year 2021 is Year 1: it begins on December 8, 2020 and ends on December 7, 2021.

  3. Liturgical Seasons

    1. Advent: from December 9 to December 24

    2. Christmas: from December 25 to the Sunday dedicated to the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus

    3. Ordinary Time (Part I): from the Monday following the Sunday dedicated to the Feast of the Baptism of Jesus to the Tuesday preceding Ash Wednesday

    4. Lent: from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday

    5. Easter Triduum: from Holy Thursday to Holy Saturday

    6. Easter Season: from Easter Sunday* to Pentecost Sunday

    7. Ordinary Time (Period II): from the Monday following Pentecost Sunday to December 7

  1. Solemn Feasts and Feasts of the Church
    The following liturgical celebrations are “Solemn Feasts” and “Feasts” of the Church:

I. Solemn Feasts

      1. Immaculate Conception: December 8

      2. Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ: December 25

      3. Most Holy Mother of God: January 1

      4. Most Holy Name of Jesus: January 3

      5. Epiphany of the Lord: January 6

      6. Nativity of Mary Giuseppina Norcia: January 21

      7. Ash Wednesday: beginning of Lent

      8. St Joseph: March 19

      9. Annunciation of the Lord: March 25

      10. Palm Sunday

      11. Easter Triduum: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday

      12. Easter Sunday*

      13. Ascension of Jesus: sixth Sunday after Easter

      14. Pentecost: seventh Sunday after Easter

      15. Most Holy Trinity: First Sunday after Pentecost

      16. Corpus Christi: Second Sunday after Pentecost

      17. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus: Friday after the second Sunday following Pentecost

      18. Mary of the New Jerusalem: May 15

      19. Feast of Baby Jesus of the New Jerusalem: June 13

      20. Nativity of St John the Baptist: June 24

      21. Saints Peter and Paul: June 29

      22. Return of Mary Giuseppina Norcia to the Heart of the Father: July 5–7

      23. Assumption of the Most Holy Mary/Most Holy Mary Co-Redemptrix: August 15

      24. Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary: September 8

      25. Most Holy Name of Mary: September 12

      26. Exaltation of the Cross: September 14

      27. Foundation of the Church: October 4–7

      28. All Saints’ Day: November 1

      29. Christ the King: Last Sunday in November

      30. Heart of the Father: First Sunday in December

II. Feasts

      1. Saint Stephen, First Martyr: December 26

      2. Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist: December 27

      3. Holy Innocents, Martyrs: December 28

      4. Holy Family: Sunday following Christmas or December 30 (if Christmas falls on a Sunday)

      5. Circumcision of Jesus: January 1

      6. Baptism of Jesus: Sunday following Epiphany

      7. Conversion of St Paul: January 25

      8. Presentation of Jesus in the Temple (Candlemas): February  2

      9. Chair of St Peter, Apostle: February 22

      10. Divine Mercy Sunday: Sunday following Easter

      11. St Mark the Evangelist: April 25

      12. St Joseph the Worker: May 1

      13. Sts Philip and James the Less, Apostles: May 3

      14. St Matthias, Apostle: May 14

      15. Christianity That Heals: 19 May (Takes precedence over the Sunday)

      16. Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary: May 31

      17. St Thomas, Apostle: July 3

      18. St James the Greater, Apostle: July 25

      19. Transfiguration of the Lord: August 6

      20. St Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr: August 10

      21. St Bartholomew, Apostle: August 24

      22. Our Lady of Sorrows: September 15

      23. St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist: September 21

      24. Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels: September 29

      25. Queen of Victories/Our Lady of the Holy Rosary: October 7

      26. St Luke, Evangelist: October 18

      27. Saints Simon and Jude Thaddeus, Apostles: October 28

      28. Commemoration of the Faithful Departed: November 2 (Takes precedence over Sunday)

      29. Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Temple:  November 21

      30. Saint Andrew the Apostle: November 30

*Easter is always celebrated on a Sunday and falls on the first Sunday following the first full moon after the spring equinox.
Easter may fall within the period between March 22 and April  25 of each year.
Easter is termed ‘early’ from March 22 to April 2; ‘mid’ from April 3 to April 13; and ‘late’ from April 14 to April 25.

PROCLAMATION

As Pontiff of the Universal Christian Church of the New Jerusalem

I DECREE
that the Liturgical Year of the Church shall be observed in accordance with the Liturgical Calendar
and in observance of the “Solemn Feasts” and “Feasts”
established in points 1, 2, 3 and 4 of this Decree.

 

January 6, 2021
Solemn Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord

The Pontiff
Samuele