Last week (Thursday, August 12) the Church celebrated the feast of St. Jane de Chantal. But for the last fifty years (after the calendar reforms of the Second Vatican Council), her feast has been celebrated on three other dates. For many years it was celebrated on December 12, August 18, or August 21.
When we celebrate the feast day of a Saint, it is usually on the day of their death. For St. Jane that would be December 13th. However, that is the ancient feast of St. Lucy. Therefore, St. Jane was observed on December 12.
For years, Catholics in Europe observed St. Jane in December while in the Americas we remembered St. Jane on August 21 (which is actually the birthday of St. Francis de Sales). When the calendar changed in 1970, the feast of St. Pius X was moved to August 21. To accommodate this move, the Church switched St. Jane to August 18.
When the Roman Missal was revised in 2010 and, in order to provide a common day of celebration for the entire Church, August 12 was chosen as the feast of St. Jane de Chantal.
Since we honor St. Jane as a woman who walked faithfully with God in many different vocations, perhaps it is appropriate that we have honored her over the years with many different feast days. Whenever we celebrate this holy woman, we recognize our own call to follow God in different ways, in different walks of life, and in different seasons of life.
St. Jane de Chantal, pray for us!
