English Reformed Church, Amsterdam

June 2011

Sunday, June 12th - Saturday, November 26th:
- Pentecost Season.
  - Pentecost is Ancient Greek for "the Fiftieth [day]" and celebrated seven weeks or 50 days after Easter.
  - Commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection.
  - Pentecost falls on the tenth day after Ascension Thursday.

July 2011

Saturday, July 9th:
- Saint Augustine Zhao Rong, priest and martyr, and his companions, martyrs.
Sunday, 10th July:
- Sunday Morning Worship Service - order of service
- Sea Sunday.
  - Remember the important work that seafarers do - www.seasunday.org .
Monday, July 11th:
- Saint Benedict Day.
Wednesday, July 13th:
- Saint Henry.
Thursday, July 14th:
- Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, virgin.
- Bread Service (tbc) - information about Bread Services .
Friday, July 15th:
- Saint Swithin's Day.
  - Swithin (or Swithun) was a Saxon bishop in the 9th century.
  - Legend has it that the weather on his feast day, 15 July, will determine the weather for the next 40 days.
- Saint Vladimir the Great Day (O).
- Saint Bonaventure, bishop and doctor of the Church.
Saturday, July 16th:
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
  - The virgin Mary as patroness of the Carmelite Order. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land during the late 12th and early to mid 13th centuries.
Sunday, July 17th:
- Sunday Morning Worship Service - order of service
Monday, July 18th:
- Saint Camillus de Lellis, priest.
Wednesday, July 20th:
- Saint Apollinaris, bishop and martyr.
Thursday, July 21st:
- Saint Lawrence of Brindisi, priest and doctor of the Church.
Friday, July 22nd:
- Saint Mary Magdalene.
  - Mary of Magdala was the leader of a group of women disciples who were present at the cross, when the male disciples fled, and at his burial.
  - Mary was a devoted follower of Jesus, entering into the close circle of those taught by Jesus during his Galilean ministry.
  - She became prominent during the last days, accompanying Jesus during his travels and following him to the end.
  - According to all four Gospels in the New Testament, she was the first person to see the resurrected Christ.
Saturday, July 23rd:
- Saint Bridget of Sweden.
Sunday, July 24th:
- Sunday Morning Worship Service - order of service
Monday, July 25th:
- Saint James the Great Day.
Tuesday, July 26th:
- Saint Joachim and Saint Anne, parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Friday, July 29th:
- Saint Martha.
Saturday, July 30th:
- Saint Peter Chrysologus, bishop and doctor of the Church.
Sunday, July 31st - Saturday, November 26th:
- Ordinary Time.
Sunday, July 31st:
- Sunday Morning Worship Service - order of service
- Day for Life (C in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales).
  - Celebrating the dignity of human life from conception to natural death - www.dayforlife.org .

August 2011

Monday, August 1st:
- Lammas.
  - Loaf-mass day. Festival of the wheat harvest, the first harvest festival of the year.
- Fast in honor of the Holy Mother of the Lord Jesus (O).
- Saint Alphonsus Liguori, bishop and doctor of the Church.
Tuesday, August 2nd:
- Saint Eusebius of Vercelli, bishop.
- Saint Peter Julian Eymard, priest.
Thursday, August 4th:
- Saint John Mary Vianney, priest.
Friday, August 5th:
- The Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome.
  - Commemorates the dedication of the restored Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore by Pope Sixtus III in 431, just after the First Council of Ephesus.
Saturday, August 6th:
- Transfiguration of the Lord (O).
  - Commemorating the sudden emanation of radiance from the person of Jesus that occurred on the mountain.
Sunday, August 7th:
- Sunday Morning Worship Service - order of service
Monday, August 8th:
- Saint Dominic, priest.
Tuesday, August 9th:
- Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, virgin and martyr.
Wednesday, August 10th:
- Saint Lawrence, deacon and martyr.
Thursday, August 11th:
- Saint Clare, virgin.
- Bread Service (tbc) - information about Bread Services .
Friday, August 12th:
- Saint Jane Frances de Chantal.
Saturday, August 13th:
- Saint Pontian, pope and martyr.
- Saint Hippolytus, priest and martyr.
Sunday, August 14th:
- Sunday Morning Worship Service - order of service
Monday, August 15th:
- Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (C).
  - Festival celebrating Mary, the mother of Jesus, taken body and soul into heaven.
- Dormition of the Theotokos (O).
  - Festival commemorating the death, resurrection, and glorification of Christ's mother.
  - Dormition means "falling asleep", Theotokos means "God-bearer", Mother of God.
Tuesday, August 16th:
- Saint Stephen of Hungary.
Friday, August 19th:
- Saint John Eudes, priest.
Saturday, August 20th:
- Saint Bernard, abbot and doctor of the Church.
Sunday, 21st August:
- Sunday Morning Worship Service - order of service
Monday, August 22nd:
- The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Tuesday, August 23rd:
- Saint Rose of Lima, virgin.
Wednesday, August 24th:
- Saint Batholomew Day.
Thursday, August 25th:
- Saint Louis of France.
- Saint Joseph Calasanz, priest.
Saturday, August 27th:
- Saint Monica.
Sunday, 28th August:
- Sunday Morning Worship Service - order of service
Monday, August 29th:
- Beheading of Saint John the Baptist.

September 2011

Thursday, September 1st:
- Ecclesiastical New Year - Ecclesiastical Year begins (O).
Saturday, September 3rd:
- Saint Gregory the Great, pope and doctor of the Church.
Sunday, September 4th:
- Sunday Morning Worship Service with celebration of the Lord's Supper - order of service
- School & Junior Church begin after summer.
Monday, September 5th:
- Labor Day (USA).
  - Celebrating the economic and social achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest - www.usa.gov .
- Consistory meeting.
Thursday, September 8th:
- Feast of Nativity of the Theotokos (O) / Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary / Feast of the Birth of Mary / Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
  - Celebrating the birth of Mary, mother of Jesus.
  - Theotokos means "God-bearer", Mother of God.
- Bread Service - information about Bread Services .
Friday, September 9th:
- Saint Peter Claver, priest.
Sunday, September 11th:
- Sunday Morning Worship Service - order of service
- Racial Justice Day.
  - Churches' Commission for Racial Justice (CCRJ) - www.ctbi.org.uk .
- Patriot Day (USA).
  - Prayer and Remembrance for the Victims of the Terrorist Attacks on September 11, 2001 - www.usa.gov .
  - Not to be confused with Patriot's Day, held on on the third Monday of April.
Monday, September 12th:
- The Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Tuesday, September 13th:
- Saint John Chrysostom, bishop and doctor of the Church.
Wednesday, September 14th:
- Elevation of the Life Giving Cross (O) / Holy Cross Day / Triumph of the Cross / The Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
  - In 326 AD Empress Helen (the mother of Saint Constantine the Great) found the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified.
  - In 627 AD the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified was recovered from the Persians. The Elevation took place on March 21, 630 AD, when the Cross entered Jerusalem and was transferred into the temple of the Resurrection.
Thurday, September 15th:
- Our Lady of Sorrows.
Friday, September 16th:
- Saint Cornelius, pope and martyr.
- Saint Cyprian, bishop and martyr.
Saturday, September 17th:
- Saint Robert Bellarmine, bishop and doctor of the Church.
Sunday, September 18th:
- Sunday Morning Worship Service - order of service
- Home Mission Day (C).
  - Pray for and support the work of evangelisation in England and Wales.
Monday, September 19th:
- Saint Januarius, bishop and martyr.
Tuesday, September 20th:
- Saint Andrew Kim Taegon, priest and martyr.
- Saint Paul Chong Hasang, martyr, and their companions, martyrs.
Wednesday, September 21st:
- Saint Matthew, apostle and evangelist.
Friday, September 23rd:
- Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, priest.
- Autumn begins.
Saturday, September 24th:
- Preparations Harvest Thanksgiving.
Sunday, September 25th:
- Sunday Morning Worship Service - order of service
- Harvest Thanksgiving.
  - Festival of thanksgiving for the fruits of the earth, after the gathering of the harvest.
Monday, September 26th:
- Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian, martyrs.
Tuesday, September 27th:
- Meskel (Ethiopian-Eritrean Christians).
  - The word "Meskel" is Ge'ez for "Cross", same feast as the Elevation of the Life Giving Cross, see September 14th.
- Saint Vincent de Paul, priest.
Wednesday, September 21st:
- Saint Wenceslaus, martyr.
- Saint Lawrence Ruiz, martyr, and his companions, martyrs.
Thurday, September 29th:
- Michael and All Angels / Michaelmas / Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel and Saint Raphael's Day, archangels.
  - Feast day in honour of the archangel Michael. Michael is one of only two angels mentioned by name in the Bible (the other being Gabriel).
Friday, September 30th:
- Saint Jerome, priest and doctor of the Church.

October 2011

Saturday, October 1st:
- Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, virgin and doctor of the Church.
Sunday, October 2nd:
- Sunday Morning Worship Service with celebration of the Lord's Supper - order of service
- Feast of the Guardian Angels.
  - Feast in honor of guardian angels, first observed in the 16th century.
Monday, October 3rd:
- Consistory meeting.
Tuesday, October 4th:
- Saint Francis of Assisi Day (C).
- Blessing of the Animals.
Thursday, October 6th:
- Holy Apostle Saint Thomas Day (O).
- Saint Bruno, priest.
- Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher, virgin.
Friday, October 7th - Sunday, October 9:
- Presbytery in Amsterdam.
Friday, October 7th:
- Harvest Fast Day (C).
  - Catholic Fund for Overseas Development (CAFOD) - www.cafod.org.uk .
- Our Lady of the Rosary.
  - Feast to commemorate the victory of Lepanto, 7 October 1571, the main fleet of the Ottoman Empire was defeated by the fleet of the Holy League. The Holy League credited the victory to the Virgin Mary, whose intercession with God they had implored for victory through the use of the Rosary - wikipedia.org .
Sunday, October 9th:
- Sunday Morning Worship Service - order of service
Monday, October 10th:
- Columbus Day (USA).
  - Columbus arrives in the New World on October 12, 1492 - www.america.gov .
Thursday, October 13th:
- Saint Edward's Day.
  - Edward the Confessor was King of England 1042 - 1066. He built Westminster Abbey where there is a shrine to him - and where the saint is also celebrated on January 5 each year, the anniversary of his death.
- Bread Service - information about Bread Services .
Friday, October 14th:
- Saint Callistus I, pope and martyr.
Saturday, October 15th:
- Saint Teresa of Jesus, virgin and doctor of the Church.
Sunday, October 16th:
- Sunday Morning Worship Service - order of service
Monday, October 17th:
- Saint Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr.
Tuesday, October 18th:
- Saint Luke, apostle & evangelist.
Wednesday, October 19th:
- Saint John de Brébeuf and Saint Isaac Jogues, priests and martyrs, and their companions, martyrs.
Thursday, October 20th:
- Saint Paul of the Cross, priest.
Sunday, October 23rd:
- Sunday Morning Worship Service - order of service
- World Mission Day (C)
  - Organized by the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, is a day set aside for Catholics worldwide to recommit themselves to the Church's missionary activity through prayer and sacrifice - www.onefamilyinmission.org .
Monday, October 24th:
- Saint Anthony Mary Claret, bishop.
Friday, October 28th:
- Saint Simon and Saint Jude, apostles.
- Milvian Bridge Day.
  - The Battle between the Roman Emperors Constantine I and Maxentius took place on 28 October 312 on the Milvian Bridge. Constantine's victory gave him total control of the western Roman Empire, paving the way for Christianity as the dominant religion for the Roman Empire and ultimately for Europe - www.orthodoxwiki.org .

NB: Daylight Saving Time ends in the night from Saturday, October 29th to Sunday, October 30th. The clocks are actually set back on Sunday morning at 03.00 a.m. to 02.00 a.m., making the night one hour longer.

Sunday, October 30th:
- Sunday Morning Worship Service - order of service
- Reformation Day.
- All Saints' Day (C England and Wales).
  - The Catholic Church in England and Wales moves this festival to the nearest Sunday if it falls on a Saturday or Monday.
- European Summer Time ends (clocks go backward) at 01:00 GMT.
Monday, 31st:
- Hallowe'en / All Hallows' Eve.
  - The night before All Saints' Day (All Hallows' Day). Its origins date back over 2000 years to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain - www.wikipedia.org . It was celebrated as a Christian festival by the 8th Century.

November 2011

Tuesday, November 1st:
- All Saints' Day / All Hallows' Day / Hallowmas.
  - In honour of all saints, known and unknown. Orthodox churches celebrate it on the First Sunday after Pentecost.
Wednesday, November 2nd:
- All Souls' Day.
  - Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed.
Thursday, November 3rd:
- Saint Martin de Porres.
Friday, November 4th:
- Saint Charles Borromeo, bishop.
Sunday, November 6th:
- Sunday Morning Worship Service with celebration of the Lord's Supper - order of service
- End Daylight Saving (USA).
Monday, November 7th:
- Consistory meeting.
Wednesday, November 9th:
- Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome.
  - Most Catholics think of St. Peter's as the main church, but they are wrong. St. John Lateran is the pope's church, the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome where the Bishop of Rome presides.
  - The first basilica on the site was built in the fourth century when Constantine donated land he had received from the wealthy Lateran family. That structure and its successors suffered fire, earthquake and the ravages of war, but the Lateran remained the church where popes were consecrated until the popes returned from Avignon in the 14th century to find the church and the adjoining palace in ruins.
  - Pope Innocent X commissioned the present structure in 1646. One of Rome's most imposing churches, the Lateran's towering facade is crowned with 15 colossal statues of Christ, John the Baptist, John the Evangelist and 12 doctors of the Church. Beneath its high altar rest the remains of the small wooden table on which tradition holds St. Peter himself celebrated Mass.
  - Lateran is in the name of several properties throughout Rome, once owned by the Lateranus family of the former Roman Empire. The Laterani lost their properties to Emperor Constantine who in turn gave it to the Christian Church in 311.
Thursday, November 10th:
- Saint Leo the Great, pope and doctor of the Church.
- Bread Service - information about Bread Services .
Friday, November 11th:
- Saint Martin of Tours, bishop.
- Armistice Day.
  - Marks the end of the First World War on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. At 11.00 on this day people pause for 2 minutes of silence to remember those who gave their lives in past conflicts. See November 13th: Remembrance Sunday.
- Veterans Day (USA).
  - Annual holiday honoring military veterans - U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs www.va.gov .
Saturday, November 12th:
- Saint Josaphat, bishop and martyr.
Sunday, November 13th:
- Sunday Morning Worship Service - order of service
- Remembrance Sunday.
  - The second Sunday of November is marked by ceremonies at war memorials and cenotaphs to remember those who gave their lives in conflicts - www.britishlegion.org.uk .
Tuesday, November 15th - Saturday, December 24th:
- Winter Lent / Nativity Fast (O).
Tuesday, November 15th:
- Saint Albert the Great, bishop and doctor of the Church.
Wednesday, November 16th:
- Saint Margaret of Scotland.
- Saint Gertrude, virgin.
Thursday, November 17th:
- Saint Elizabeth of Hungary.
Friday, November 18th:
- Dedication of the Basilicas of Saint Peter (November 18, 1626) and Saint Paul in Rome (December 10, 1854).
- Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne, virgin.
Sunday, November 20th - Saturday, November 26th:
- Prisons Week.
  - Prisoners' Week began in England and Wales in 1975 - www.prisonsweek.org .
Sunday, November 20th:
- Sunday Morning Worship Service - order of service
- Christ the King.
- Day of Prayer for Prisoners and their Dependants.
- World Youth Day (C).
  - A yearly youth celebration that was started by Pope John Paul II in 1984 as a way to inspire the youth and encourage them in living the teachings of Christ - www.worldyouthday.com .
Monday, November 21st:
- The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary / The Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple.
  - From the apocryphal Infancy Narrative of James: Mary's parents are childless, but receive a heavenly message that they will have a daughter. In thanksgiving they bring her to the Temple in Jerusalem to consecrate her to God.
- World day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.
  - Road Peace - www.roadpeace.org .
Tuesday, November 22nd:
- Saint Cecilia, virgin and martyr.
Wednesday, November 23rd:
- Saint Clement I, pope and martyr.
- Saint Columban, abbot.
- Blessed Miguel Agustín Pro, priest and martyr.
Thursday, November 24th:
- Thanksgiving (USA).
  - A day of thanks to God by the Pilgrims for a plentiful harvest in 1621. Their First winter had been very difficult and took many lives. With the help of local Indians they were able to plant crops that yielded a harvest that would get them through the winter.
- Thanksgiving Service (5-6pm).
- Saint Andrew Dung-Lac, missionary priest and martyr, and his 116 companions, martyrs.
Friday, November 25th:
- Saint Catherine of Alexandria, virgin and martyr.
Sunday, November 27th - Saturday, December 24th:
- Season of Advent - Looking forward to the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus the Christ.
Sunday, November 27th - Monday, January 9th:
- Advent, Christmas.
Sunday, November 27th:
- First Sunday of Advent / Advent Sunday.
  - The beginning of the ecclesiastical year on the Sunday closest to November 30th.
  - Advent is the season before Christmas - In Western Christendom, four Sundays are included.
  - In Eastern Christendom, the season is longer and begins in the middle of November.
- Advent Sunday Morning Worship Service - order of service
Wednesday, November 30th:
- Saint Andrew's Day.
  - Patron saint of Scotland, Greece and Russia. The flag of Scotland is the Cross of Saint Andrew. Saint Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was originally a fisherman and became the First Apostle.

December 2011

Saturday, December 3rd:
- Saint Francis Xavier, priest.
- International Migrants' Day.
  - On 4 December 2000, the United Nations General Assembly, taking into account the large and increasing number of migrants in the world, proclaimed 18 December International Migrants Day. On that day, in 1990, the Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families - www.un.org .
Sunday, December 4th:
- Second Sunday of Advent.
- Sunday Morning Worship Service with celebration of the Lord's Supper - order of service
- Bible Sunday.
  - Bible Sunday, celebrated on the Sunday before American Thanksgiving, was founded in 1915 by the American Bible Society. It's a celebration that focuses on the place of the Scriptures in our daily lives - www.biblesunday.org .
Monday, December 5th:
- Saint Nicholas Eve.
  - On the evening of 5 December, Sinterklaas brings presents for the children.
Tuesday, December 6th:
- Saint Nicholas Day.
  - Bishop of Myra, Defender of Orthodoxy, Wonderworker, Holy Hierarch. In the Netherlands, Saint Nicholas' Eve (5 December) is the primary occasion for gift-giving, when his reputed birthday is celebrated. Saint Nicholas is the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, thieves, children, and students in Greece, Belgium, France, Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Albania, Russia, the Republic of Macedonia, Slovakia, Serbia, and Montenegro. He is also the patron saint of Aberdeen, Amsterdam, Barranquilla, Bari, Beit Jala, Fribourg, Huguenots, Liverpool, Siggiewi, and Lorraine.
Wednesday, December 7th:
- Saint Ambrose, bishop and doctor of the Church.
- Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.
  - Remember and honor all those who died in the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 - www.whitehouse.gov .
- Decoration of the Church for Christmas.
Thursday, December 8th:
- Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Virgin Mary (C).
  - Celebrating Mary's conception as being without sin, therefore, immaculate.
- Bread Service - information about Bread Services .
Friday, December 9th:
- Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin.
Saturday, December 10th:
- Children's Christmas Party.
  - In the Church Hall 2.30 p.m.
Sunday, December 11th:
- Third Sunday of Advent.
- Sunday Morning Worship Service - order of service
Monday, December 12th:
- Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico (C).
- Advent Fast Begins (O).
- Consistory meeting.
Tuesday, December 13th:
- Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols by Candlelight 8.30 p.m.
- Saint Lucy's Day, virgin and martyr.
Wednesday, December 14th:
- Saint John of the Cross, priest and doctor of the Church.
Friday, December 16th - Sunday, December 25th:
- Las Posadas Navideñas.
  - Spanish for Christmas Lodgings. Nine days of Christmas celebrations ending on Noche Buena, the good night of Christmas Eve. The nine days symbolize each of the months that Mary was pregnant.
Saturday, December 17th:
- United Carol service - English Speaking 3.30 p.m.
Sunday, December 18th:
- Fourth Sunday of Advent.
- Sunday Morning Worship Service - order of service
- Expectant Mothers (C).
Wednesday, December 21st:
- Saint Peter Canisius, priest and doctor of the Church.
- Saint Thomas Day (C).
- Yule / Yule-tide.
  - Winter festival, midwinter, wintersolistice - The longest night and shortest day.
- Winter begins.
Friday, December 23rd:
- Saint John of Kanty, priest.
Saturday, December 24th:
- Christmas Eve.
- Christmas Eve Service - order of service
Sunday, December 25th - Thursday, January 5, 2012:
- The Season of Christmas.
Sunday, December 25th:
- Christmas Day / Feast of the Nativity of the Lord Jesus.
  - celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.
- Christmas Day Service - Family Service 10.30 a.m. order of service
Monday, December 26th:
- Saint Stephen's Day - Deacon and First Christian martyr.
- Boxing Day.
  - From the custom of giving gift boxes to employees or those who have served.
Tuesday, December 27th:
- Saint John, apostle and evangelist.
Wednesday, December 28th:
- The Holy Innocents, martyrs.
  - Herod ordered the execution of all young male children in the village of Bethlehem, so as to avoid the loss of his throne to a newborn King of the Jews whose birth had been announced to him by the Magi (see Matthew 2:16-18).
Thursday, December 29th:
- Saint Thomas Becket, bishop and martyr.
Friday, December 30th:
- Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
  - Celebration of the family unit and the Holy Family.
Saturday, December 31st:
- Watch Night.
  - Some churches hold a worship service held on New Year's Eve (NB: no worship service in the ERC).
- New Year's Eve.
  - The end of the Western calendar year.
- Saint Sylvester I, pope.

January 2012

Sunday, January 1st:
- Second Sunday of Christmas.
- Sunday Morning Worship Service - order of service

(C = Catholic - O = Orthodox)

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08-07-2011