
The start of a new liturgical year in the Roman Catholic calendar is always the first Sunday of Advent. If you’d like a liturgical calendar to help you engage in the life of the Church a little bit more, take a look at what the digital Catholic world offers!
We will look at two formats of Liturgical Roman Catholic Calendars
- regular Digital to add to your device’s calendar
- built within an App
As with all liturgical calendars, many variations unique to your country/diocese may not be taken into account in these digital versions. Updates may lag. It is a good idea to double-check with the official liturgical calendar of your country/diocese. Both Ordinary and Extraordinary (traditional 1962) Roman Calendars are included in our listing.
If you just want to add a Roman Catholic Liturgical calendar (biased to America) to your Google or iCal calendar, click one of these links courtesy of Universalis web site:
The year’s liturgical calendar will automatically download and should automatically open your device’s calendar with a message verifying you want to download the year’s calendar. Approve this, and the calendar will automatically load. On mobile devices, you will be shown each day as an “event” to load. Approve all, and the entire year’s calendar of events loads. Within the calendar “event” each day, a link is provided for you to the Universalis web site which you can open to see the color of the day and other specific information for the day (linked in that page).
e-Ordo ($19.95/year) This is an electronic Roman Catholic Liturgical calendar that can be imported into most digital calendars and platforms (PC, Mac, smartphones, and tablets) delivered via .zip file. Just download, extract the files, and import to your calendar application of choice. Purchase direct from their web site. December 3, 2017 through December 1, 2018. English language. As with a printed Ordo, you get:
• colors
• seasons
• feasts, solemnities, memorials and optional memorials
• all readings and alternative readings are listed for every day of the week
• information about the Liturgy of the Hours.
• the designation as to whether or not the Creed and/or the Gloria are said.
You can edit local variants to the universal liturgical calendar after it is imported.
Variety of Calendars at iCal share (free annual subscriptions) to a variety of calendars that superimpose in your iCal program. Go to their web site and choose the category you’re interested in on the left-hand-column. I chose “religion” and scrolled to “Catholic” to find Roman Catholic Calendar (below). Examples of what you will find: a calendar for Carmelite feast days, a light version of the Roman Catholic Calendar that only includes Sundays, major feasts and solemnities, and a Traditional Roman Catholic Calendar according to the 1962 Missal for both Mass and the Breviary. You have to re-subscribe each year by going back to the site and downloading the next year’s calendar.
Roman Catholic Calendar for iCal–(free annual subscription) A Roman Catholic calendar of feast days, memorials, solemnities and holy days of obligation (United States). Includes links to find out more about saints and feast days of the Church. Very easy to download and install especially if you use iCloud. iCal share offers free subscriptions to a variety of calendars that superimpose in your iCal program. Go to their web site and choose the category you’re interested in on the left-hand-column. I chose “religion” and scrolled to “Catholic” to find this calendar. You have to re-subscribe each year by going back to the site and downloading the next year’s calendar.
Apps containing Roman Catholic Liturgical Calendar
Universalis ($13.33) Apple (including Apple Watch!), Android — Roman Calendar, Liturgy of the Hours, Roman Missal (English 3rd Edition), Saint of the Day, and more! For other platforms, you can go to their web site where they suggest setting up the daily email service, or creating your own e-book of their extensive offerings to read on your device. Of course, you can view everything on line for free; it is set up for mobile viewing. Once you download the App, you get it all forever–equivalent of 5,000 pages! And this one-time subscription covers all your devices. YOU GET… liturgical calendar for every year from 1970 to 2300 and beyond. Feasts and celebrations according to the General Calendar and the local calendars of the UK, the USA, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, Ireland, and others. Also features “About Today” pages giving more information about the saint of the day.
iPieta.($2.99) Full version for Apple | Android versions split up into several lite apps. TWO liturgical calendars are offered: the Ordinary Roman Calendar and also Extraordinary Roman Calendar (1962). This major app is loaded with so much more! It is a valuable addition to your mobile device.
Laudate (Free) Apple and Android, Kindle Fire This probably is the #1 free Catholic app because it is the most comprehensive with many resources packed into a scrolling list on the home page. Among other resources, it offers a Roman Catholic liturgical calendar with the most basic information for the day. Available in English, Español, Português, Italiano, Bahasa and Polski, Slovenian. This is one of our recommended essential apps for your mobile device.
xLiturgical Calendar Android only (free) While not a thing of beauty, this app form of the Liturgical Calendar contains all the basic information you need each day–season, holy day, feast, saint, liturgical color. Get calendar dates of the seasons, holy days and liturgical feasts. The Liturgical Calendar application is in English language. Developer has stated for quite some time that multiple languages will be added and published in the future. Video promoting this app here.
iMissal ($4.99) Apple | Android | Blackberry | Kindle Fire | Windows Phone version is $6.99. Contains a Roman Catholic liturgical calendar with bias to American calendar. It opens up to the correct day so you don’t have to hunt, and it offers information like color of the day, designations of Feast or Solemnity etc, and saint(s) of the day. Just enough information for general information, but offers no variants for dioceses, archdioceses.
Saint of the Day ($2.99) Apple St. Anthony Messenger’s most popular Web feature since 1997 is now available as an iPhone app! Saint of the Day allows you to carry the wisdom of the saints with you everywhere you go. SPECIAL FEATURES: Audio option included; Saints for every day of the year; Revised and updated to include both new and classic saints; Extensive searchable database (by saint or cause); List of patron saints; Interactive calendar
Finally…
If you’re looking for an old-school Catholic calendar on steroids, may we recommend the eagerly-awaited calendar from Papastronsay.
St. Josemaria app – lets you build your own spiritual devotions and readings checklist, which can then grow and change as you grow in your lifelong conversion – plus much more!!!
Do you have any printed Liturgical calendars ? I’m not computer savvy
Sorry. Just digital here. Your diocese can send you a pdf file of their liturgical calendar that is specific for your area (special local feast days, etc.).