Lesser Festival (Anglicanism)

{{Short description|Type of observance in the Anglican Communion}}'''Lesser Festivals''' are a type of observance in the Anglican Communion, including the Church of England, considered to be less significant than a Principal Feast, Principal Holy Day, or Festival, but more significant than a Commemoration. Whereas Principal Feasts must be celebrated, it is not obligatory to observe Lesser Festivals. They are always attached to a calendar date, and are not observed if they fall on a Sunday, in Holy Week, or in Easter Week. In ''Common Worship'' each Lesser Festival is provided with a collect and an indication of liturgical colour.

==Lesser Festivals in the Church of England== ''Source: Church of England website.''<ref>{{Cite web|title=Lesser Festivals|url=https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/common-worship/churchs-year/lesser-festivals|accessdate=27 October 2016|publisher=Church of England}}</ref>

===January=== *2 January: Basil the Great and Gregory of Nazianzus, Bishops, Teachers of the Faith, 379 and 389 *12 January: Aelred of Hexham, Abbot of Rievaulx, 1167 *13 January: Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers, Teacher of the Faith, 367 *17 January: Antony of Egypt, Hermit, Abbot, 356 *19 January: Wulfstan, Bishop of Worcester, 1095 *21 January: Agnes, Child Martyr at Rome, 304 *24 January: Francis de Sales, Bishop of Geneva, Teacher of the Faith, 1622 *26 January: Timothy and Titus, Companions of Paul *28 January: Thomas Aquinas, Priest, Philosopher, Teacher of the Faith, 1274 *30 January: Charles, King and Martyr, 1649

===February=== *3 February: Anskar, Archbishop of Hamburg, Missionary in Denmark and Sweden, 865 *14 February: Cyril and Methodius, Missionaries to the Slavs, 869 and 885 *17 February: Janani Luwum, Archbishop of Uganda, Martyr, 1977 *23 February: Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, Martyr, c 155 *27 February: George Herbert, Priest, Poet, 1633

===Other examples=== *17 March: Patrick, Bishop, Missionary, Patron of Ireland, c 460 *10 April: William Law, Priest, Spiritual Writer, 1761 *20 May: Alcuin of York, Deacon, Abbot of Tours, 804 *30 May: Josephine Butler, social reformer, 1906 *16 June: Richard, Bishop of Chichester, 1253 *11 July: Benedict of Nursia, Abbot of Monte Cassino, Father of Western Monasticism, c 550 *14 July: John Keble, a leader of the Oxford Movement, 1866 *20 August: Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, Teacher of the Faith, 1153 *13 September: John Chrysostom, Bishop of Constantinople, Teacher of the Faith, 407 *25 September: Lancelot Andrewes, overseer of the King James Version of the Bible *4 October: Francis of Assisi, Friar, Deacon, Founder of the Friars Minor, 1226 *26 October: Alfred the Great, King of the West Saxons, Scholar, 899 *20 November: Edmund, King of the East Angles, Martyr, 870 *13 December: Lucy, Martyr at Syracuse, 304

== References == === Citations === {{Reflist}}

=== Sources === {{refbegin}} * [http://www.cofe.anglican.org/worship/downloads/pdf/dpcalendar0-17.pdf Common Worship - Daily Prayer] * [http://www.oremus.org Oremus (''Let us pray'') web site] {{refend}}

Category:Church of England festivals Category:Christian feast days