(a work in progress)
Available Relics for veneration by month according to their feastdays as they occur in the Julian Calendar. The dates mentioned here, however are the “normal” (Gregorian) calendar dates, with the actual (Julian calendar) feastday dates given in brackets.
Some feastdays are not fixed to a date. Where applicable will mention these at the outset of the month. The monthly relics are usually available for veneration during the entire month in which the feast day relating to them occurs, however certain relics are available all year round. These are: St Mary Magdalene ex ossibus, as well as A Hair from the head of the Virgin Theotokos, a Fragment of the True and Life-Giving Cross, and a tiny piece of Rock from the Holy Sepulchre. NB: ‘ex ossibus’ means it is a piece of the bone of the saint.
January
Movable Feastdays: First Sunday after the Nativity of Christ:
- St Joseph the Betrothed, foster father of Our Lord and Protector of the All Holy Theotokos, and St James Brother of the Lord, ex ossibus.
- St James the Brother of the Lord, ex ossibus
Immovable Feastdays:
2nd January (20th December) St Ignatius the God Bearer, Bishop of Antioch, ex ossibus.
7th January (25th December) The Most Holy Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ. Relics relating to it: The Holy manager, the three Magi Sts Balthazar, Caspar and Melchior, ex ossibus.
8th January (26th December) The Synaxis of the most Holy Mother of God. The relic of her hair is set in her icon.
9th January (27th December) St Stephen the Protomartyr, ex ossibus.
11th January (29th December) Holy Innocents of Bethlehem, ex ossibus
14th January (1st January) St Basil the Great, Doctor of the Church and author of the Divine Liturgy that bears his name, ex ossibus.
15th January (2nd January) St Seraphim of Sarov, Wonderworker
17th January (4th January) Synaxis of the 70 Apostles: Sts Andrew the First Called, James, brother of the Lord, Jude, Luke, Matthew,Mark, Simon kinsman of the Lord,, Stephen the protomartyr, Thomas the Confessor, all ex ossibus
19th January (6th January) Theophany of Our Lord and God and Saviour Jesus Christ, baptized by Saint John the Baptist, Forerunner, and Foremost of the Prophets, ex ossibus
20th January (7th January) Synaxis of the Glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John, ex ossibus
23rd January (10th January) St Gregory of Nyssa, brother of St Basil the Great. revealer of Divine Mysteries, ex ossibus
29th January (16th January) St Honoratus, Archbishop of Arles, ex ossibus
30th January (17th January) St Anthony the Great, Father of All Monks, ex ossibus.
31st January (18th January) St Athanasius the Great, Defender of the Most Holy Trinity and Pillar of Orthodoxy, ex ossibus.
February
3rd February (21st January) St Maximus the Confessor (ex ossibus), Opponent of the heresy of Monothelism, St Agnes of Rome, Virgin-Martyr (ex ossibus)
6th February (24th January) St Xenia the Righteous of Rome (ex ossibus)
9th February (27th January) The translation of St John Chrysostom, Author of the Divine Liturgy (ex ossibus)
11th February (29th January) St Andrei Rublev, Iconographer
12th February (30th January) The Three Holy Hierarchs Saints Basil the Great (ex ossibus),St. Gregory the Theologian (no relic), St John Chrysostom (ex ossibus)
15th February (2nd February) The meeting of Our Lord God and Saviour in the Temple: Joseph the Protector of the Lord (Belt), The All Holy Theotokos, a piece of the Protecting Veil, and a single hair, – and in case they met with the High Priest Zechariah in the temple, it is also expedient to venerate his relic (ex ossibus).
22th February (9th February) St Appollonia of Alexandria, martyr and patroness of dentistry (ex ossibus)
24th February (11th February) St Blaise, Bishop of Sebaste, Hieromartyr; St Dimitri of Priluki, the wonderworker (ex ossibus)
March
3rd March (18th February) St Constantina, Empress, ex osibus (likely feastday)
8th March (23rd February) St Polycarp, Church Father, ex ossibus
9th March (24th February) Finding of the Head of St John the Baptist, ex osibus
17th March (4th March) St Daniel of Moscow, Grand Prince and son of St Alexander Nevski (ex ossibus)
19th March (6th March) Finding of the Holy Cross and Nails by the Empress Saint Helena, you may venerate a fragment of the True Cross (available for veneration in the icon of the Theotokos) and an ex ossibus relic of the Empress (her reliquary also contains a single thorn from The Crown of Thorns.)
30th March (17th March) Saint Patrick, Enlightener of Ireland and Equal of the Apostles, ex ossibus,
April
Movable Feastday:
12th April (30 March) The Meeting of the Mother of God and Saint Elizabeth (If March 30 should fall between Lazarus Saturday and Pascha, the Feast is transferred to Bright Friday) (Holy Veil and Hair of the Theotokos, and ex ossibus relics of Saintst Elizabeth, Zachariah and John the Baptist)
18th April (5 April) St Mary of Egypt Sunday (always on 5th Sunday of Lent) (ex ossibus)
24th April (11th April) Saint Lazarus Saturday (Saturday before Palm Sunday) (ex ossibus relics of Sts Lazarus, Martha and Mary)
25th April (12th April) Palm Sunday – (Sunday before Easter Sunday) (Holy Reliquary – see below)
Immovable feastdays:
7th April (25th March) The Annunciation (Holy Veil and a Hair of the Theotokos)
14th April (1st April) Saint Mary of Egypt (day of her repose) (ex ossibus relic)
23rd April (10th April) St Terence of Carthage, Martyr
24th April (11th April) St Barsanuphius of Tver
25th April (12th April) Deposition of the Holy Veil and belt at the Blachernae Palace, Constantinope (Holy Veil)
THE HOLY PASSION WEEK RELIQUARY
During Holy Passion week 2021, the Parish of Saint John of Shanghai had the great spiritual blessing of being able to offer this important reliquary for veneration by the faithful. We hope to be able to make it available for veneration again during Passion Week 2022, but this has not yet been confirmed. The reliquary contains the following sacred relics:
The Holy Seamless Robe of Our Lord, which he wore on Palm Sunday and Good Friday
The Holy Column of the Flagellation at which the Lord was scourged
The Holy Reed/Sceptre Our Lord was forced to hold whilst mocked after His Scourging
A small portion of one of the Holy Thorns from the Crown of Thorns
The Holy Life Giving Wood of The True Cross
The Holy Titulus (from the board carrying the Inscription “Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews”}
A fragment of one of the Holy Nails used at the crucifixion of the Lord
A portion from the Holy Sponge, which was offered to the Lord to drink from
A fragment of the Holy Lance of Saint Longinus who pierced the side of the Lord
A portion of the Holy Shroud of Turin in which the body of the Lord was interred.
(These were previously under the guardianship of the late Bishop Franz Xaver Eberle, auxiliary Archbishop of Augsburg and Bishop of Zalliche IN PARTIBUS IN FEDELIUM, born 1871, died 1954.)
May
5th May (2nd April) St Luke the Evangelist and Apostle (boxed together with St Mark and St Matthew)
6th May (23rd April) St George the Great Martyr, (boxed with St Demetrios of Thessalonica) (both ex ossibus)
8th May (25th April) St Mark, Apostle and Evangelist, (boxed with Saints Matthew and Luke) (ex ossibus)
11th May (28th April) St Cyril of Turov (ex ossibus)
15th May (2nd May) St Athanasios the Great, (boxed with St Anthony of Egypt, Father of Monasticism) (ex ossibus)
16th May (3rd May) The Holy sisters Martha and Mary of Bethany (ex ossibus)
22nd May (9th May) Translation of the relics St Nicholas of Myra (ex ossibus)
23rd May (10th May) St Simon, Apostle and brother of the Lord (ex ossibus)
29th May (16th May) St Brendan the Navigator, one of ‘The Twelve Apostles of Ireland’ –
June
3rd June (21st May) Empress Helena
7th June (25th May) 3rd Finding of the Head of John the Baptist (boxed together with his parents St Elizabeth and St Zachariah)
14th June (1st June) St Justin the Philosopher
17th June (4th June) Saints Martha and Mary of Bethany
20th June (7th June) St Marcellus, hieromartyr and bishop of Rome (boxed with Saints Patrick Equal of the Apostles and Enlightener of Ireland, Pope Pontian of Rome, St Eusebius of Rome, St Ursula, St Nicander of Egypt}
22nd June (9th June) St Cyril abbot of of Kirillo-Belozersk (white lake) Monastery
23rd June (10th June) St Basil of Ryazan (finding of his relics)
28th June (15th June) Augustine of Hippo, chief opponent of pelagianism
July – movable feast: St John of Shanghai, – Saturday nearest the 2nd of July
1st July (18th June) St Andrew Bogoliubov, Grand Prince of Vladimir
2nd July (19th June) St Jude Brother of the Lord and St John, Archbishop of Shanghai and San Francisco
7th July (24th June) Nativity of St John the Forerunner (and ex ossibus relics of his parents St Zachariah the Priest and St Elizabeth Cousin of the Theotokos)
13th July (30th June) Synaxis of the Twelve Apostles (ex Ossibus relics of Sts James, Jude, and Simon, brothers of the Lord, St Thomas, St Matthew, boxed with the Evangelists Mark and Luke)
14th July (1 July) The Holy and Unmercenary Brothers Saints Cosmas and Damian
15th July (2nd July) Placing of the Robe of the Theotokos in the Blachernae Palace
16th July (3rd July) St Bazil of Ryazan
17th July (4th July) The Holy Royal Martyrs and Saints Tsar Nicholas II, Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna, Tsarevitch Alexi, Grand Duchesses Maria.Olga, Tatiana and Anastasia, and their household
18th July (5th July) Synaxis of All the Saints of Tver, an ex ossibus relic of St Barsanuphius
23rd July (10th July) St Anthony of the Kiev Caves and translation of the relics of St Bazil of Ryazan
30th July (17th July) Great Martyr Marina of Antioch (cased with relics of Great Martyrs Catherine of Alexandra and Barbara)
August
1st August (19th July) Seraphim of Sarov, Wonderworker, The Uncovering of his Relics
4th August (22nd July) Equal of the Apostles Saint Mary Magdalene
7th August (26th July) Dormition of St Anne Mother of the All Holy Theotokos (together with St Joachim}
14th August (1st August) Procession of the Holy and Life Giving Cross
15th August (2nd August) Translation of the Relics of the Holy Protomartyr Saint Stephen the Deacon
August 26th (13th August) Saint Maximus the Confessor
August 28th (15th August) The Dormition of the All Holy Theotokos (a lock of Her hair, and the Holy Veil)
September
3rd September (21st August) Abraham (Abramius) Archimandrite and Wonderworker of Smolensk
5th September (23rd August) Saint Irenaeus of Lyon
14th September (1st September) Beheading of St John the Baptist
18th September (5th September) Saints Zacharias and Anne, Parents of the All Holy Theotokos
21st September (8th September) Nativity of the All Holy Theotokos
27th September (14th September) Exaltation of the Holy and Life Giving Cross
27th September (14th September) Saint John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constatinople and Author of the Divine Liturgy; Saint Cresentius, Child Martyr of Rome
29th September (16th September) Euphemia, The All Praised, Great-martyr of Chalcedon
30th September (17th September) Saint Sophia of Rome
October
4th October (21st September) Apodosis of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
6th October (23rd September) Conception of St John the Forerunner and Baptist, and the Commemoration of the vision and speechlessness of his father Zachariah.
14th October (1st October) Protection of the All Holy Theotokos
15th October (2nd October) St Cyprian of Antioch, Hieromartyr
18th October (5th October ) St Mark the Apostle and Evangelist
20th October (7th October) St Thomas the Apostle
22nd October (9th October) St James son of Alphaeus
30th October (17th October) Translation of the relics of St Lazarus of Bethany
31st October (18th October) St Luke the Apostle, of the Seventy, and Evangelist
November
3rd November (1st October) St Ursula, Virgin Martyr
5th November (3rd October) St James, Brother of the Lord
8th November (26th October) St Demetrius of Thesalonika
10th November (28th October) St Terence of Carthage
14th November (1st November) Holy Unmercenary Brothers Saints Cosmas and Damian
16th November (3rd November) Dedication of the Church of the Great Martyr St George in Lyddia
23rd November (10th November) The Commemoration of the torture of the Great Martyr George
26th November (13th November) Saint John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople and author of the Divine Liturgy
29th November (16th November) Saint Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist
December
4th December (21st November) Entry of the Most Holy Theokos into the Temple (1st class relics of her parents, St Joachim and Anne will be available for veneration)
4th December (21st November) St Columbanus of Bobbio, great Irish Missionary Saint, fonder and Abbot of Bobbio Abbey in present day Italy (d.615), first class relic, ex ossibus.
7th December (24th November) St Catherine/Ekaterina of Alexandria
9th December (26th November) Dedication of the Church of St George in Kiev (1st class relic of St George, and St Demetrius will be available for veneration)
13th December (30th November) Saint Andrew the First Called, Patron Saint of Russia, Greece, Georgia and Scotland (a1st class relic will be available for veneration)
17th December (4th December) St Barbara the Great Martyr and St John of Damascus, Defender of Icons and New Theologian. (a first class relic will be available for veneration)
19th December (6th December) St Nicholas of Myra (1st class relic will be available for veneration)
20th December (7th December) St Ambrose of Milan (1st class relic, with his friend St John Chrysostom will be available for veneration)
22nd December ( 9th December) Conception by St Anne of the All Holy Theotokos (1st class relics of both parents of the Theotokos will be available for veneration)
25th December (12th December) … St Spyridon the Wonderworker (2nd class relic) – also, 1st class relics of the Holy Manger and of the Three Magi, St Balthasar of Arabia, St Melchior of Persia and St Gaspar of India will be available for veneration at least until Orthodox Christmas in the JULIAN calendar in January.
26th December (13th December) St Lucy of Syracuse (1st class relic will be available, with St Xenia of Rome, for veneration)
St John of Shanghai 