INTRODUCTION

Omnia autem honeste et secundum ordinem fiant. 1 Cor. 14, 40.

This liturgical calendar, together with these introductory notes, has been compiled in accordance with the Motu Proprio Rubricarum Instructum issued by Pope B John XXIII on 25th July 1960, the Roman Breviary of 1961 and the Roman Missal of 1962.

For the universal calendar that to be found at the beginning of the Roman Breviary and Missal has been used. For the diocesan calendars no such straightforward procedure is possible. The decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites of 26th July 1960 at paragraph (6) required all diocesan calendars to conform with the new rubrics and be approved by that Congregation.

The diocesan calendars in use on 1st January 1961 (the date set for the new rubrics to come into force) were substantially those previously in use but with varying adjustments and presumably as yet to re-approved. Indeed those calendars in use immediately prior to that date were by no means identical to those previously approved by the Congregation, since there had been various changes to the rubrics made by Pope Pius XII. Hence it is not a simple matter to ascertain in complete and exact detail the classifications and dates of all diocesan feasts as they were, or should have been, observed at 1st January 1961. The solution adopted has been to use the latest available Roman Missal that includes as a supplement all the diocesan calendars for England and Wales (Imprimatur 1949). The dates and classifications of the feasts from this supplement have been compared with three further sources: firstly the diocesan year books, secondly a variety of layman's missals and thirdly previous editions of this liturgical calendar.

The year books have been considered the most reliable of the additional sources, as evidencing the actual practice of the dioceses concerned. Unfortunately, however, only those for Westminster, Southwark, Brentwood and Birmingham have been available to date. As far as layman’s missals are concerned there is unfortunately some lack of unanimity between those consulted. However, in any case, no change has been made to the dates and classifications of feasts found in previous editions of this calendar except where new information has been forthcoming or where another date or classification seems more probable.

Four dioceses have been created since 1962 and for these there exist no appropriate calendars. To provide calendars for the dioceses of Arundel and Brighton, East Anglia and Wrexham the calendars of Southwark, Northampton and Menevia (from whose territory respectively the new dioceses were created) have been adopted with changes where appropriate. To provide a calendar for the diocese of Hallam, which was created from territory taken both from Leeds and Nottingham, only those Feasts which are common to both have been adopted, again with changes where appropriate.

I would like to thank William Tomlinson for once again providing me with valuable assistance in the preparation of the Ordo, as also James Murphy in the LMS office, Bernard Martin and William Longland. Suggestions or comments on the contents of this or any future editions are welcome.

Gordon Dimon

17^th October 2007

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