Feast of the Archangels
Stored in Cargo: Feast of the Archangels
| Liturgical Feast | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | September 29 |
| Rank | Feast |
| Type | Fixed |
| Season | Ordinary Time |
| Primary Shrine | Mont-Saint-Michel |
| Countries | Universal |
| Dioceses | |
The Feast of the Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels is the annual feast in the Roman Rite honoring the three named archangels of Sacred Scripture: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Celebrated on September 29 according to the General Roman Calendar, it falls within Ordinary Time and emphasizes the role of angelic messengers and protectors in salvation history. The commemoration is universal, though not a Holy Day of Obligation.
According to the *General Roman Calendar* (2002 edition), the feast ranks above an obligatory memorial but below a solemnity, taking precedence over the weekday in Ordinary Time. Proper liturgical texts in the Missale Romanum highlight the angels’ missions: Michael as defender against evil, Gabriel as announcer of the Incarnation, and Raphael as healer and guide. The Gloria is not sung, but the Preface of Angels is used.
The current form of the feast resulted from the 1969 calendar reform, which combined earlier separate commemorations into one celebration. It reflects longstanding tradition while streamlining the liturgical year.
Liturgical observance
The Mass uses white vestments. The Lectionary assigns Daniel 7:9–10, 13–14 or Revelation 12:7–12a (first reading), Psalm 138, and John 1:47–51 (Gospel, with the angels ascending and descending upon the Son of Man). Missale Romanum (editio typica tertia ed.). Libreria Editrice Vaticana. 2002. Lectionary for Mass. III. United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. 2002.
No special rites are mandated, though the Preface of Holy Angels is proper. The Liturgy of the Hours includes a single set of antiphons and hymns invoking the three archangels. Local dioceses may add devotional elements such as consecrations to Saint Michael, but these are not part of the universal rite.
History
Evidence suggests early veneration of Saint Michael in the East by the 4th century, with a basilica near Constantinople dedicated before 325. In the West, the apparition tradition at Monte Gargano (Italy) dates to the late 5th century, leading to a September 29 feast of “Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Michael.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. 10. Robert Appleton Company. 1911. https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10275b.htm.
Saint Gabriel was commemorated on March 24 (the day after the Annunciation) in some medieval calendars, and Saint Raphael on October 24. Pope St. Paul VI’s 1969 reform merged these into one feast on September 29, retaining Michael’s traditional date."Mysterii Paschalis". Vatican. 1969-02-14. https://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/motu_proprio/documents/hf_p-vi_motu-proprio_19690214_mysterii-paschalis.html. This reflects universal Roman Rite observance; Eastern Catholic churches often honor archangels on November 8.
Theological significance
The feast affirms the existence and ministry of angels as pure spirits created to serve God and humanity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches: “From its beginning until death, human life is surrounded by their watchful care and intercession” (CCC 336). Catechism of the Catholic Church (2nd ed.). Libreria Editrice Vaticana. 1997.
Scripture names Michael as “the great prince who stands for the children of your people” (Daniel 12:1) and leader in the war against the dragon (Revelation 12:7). Gabriel announces the births of John the Baptist and Jesus (Luke 1). Raphael guides Tobiah and heals Tobit (Tobit 12). Pope St. John Paul II noted in a 1986 address that the archangels manifest God’s providence in history."General Audience, 6 August 1986". Vatican. https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/audiences/1986/documents/hf_jp-ii_aud_19860806.html.
Veneration and traditions
Liturgical tradition holds that the archangels are invoked in the Confiteor and the Leonine Prayers (suppressed universally in 1964 but retained locally). According to popular devotion, the Saint Michael Prayer composed by Pope Leo XIII in 1884 is recited after Low Mass in some places, though not required.
Processions or consecrations to Saint Michael occur in certain regions (e.g., France, Mexico), but these are local customs. No universal foods or music are prescribed; hymns such as “Te Splendor et Virtus Patris” appear in the Liturgy of the Hours. The Chaplet of Saint Michael is a devotional practice, not a liturgical one.
Significant locations
Dynamic content
Parishes
Media
Shrines
Dynamic shrines
List of shrines
Mont-Saint-Michel
- Abbey church dedicated to Saint Michael since the 8th century; built on a tidal island in Normandy, France (Diocese of Coutances).
- Recognized as a minor basilica; plenary indulgence granted on September 29 and May 8 (apparition anniversary) under usual conditions."Decree on Indulgences". Apostolic Penitentiary. 1967. https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/tribunals/apost_penit/index.htm.
Santuario di San Michele Arcangelo (Monte Sant’Angelo)
- Cave shrine on Monte Gargano, Italy, site of reported 5th-century apparitions; Diocese of Manfredonia-Vieste-San Giovanni Rotondo.
- Declared a minor basilica; indulgence available on feast days."Basilicas in Italy". Vatican. https://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/index_it.html.
Basilica of Saint Michael the Archangel (Tlaxcala)
- 17th-century church in Tlaxcala, Mexico; principal shrine of Saint Michael in Latin America (Archdiocese of Puebla).
- Plenary indulgence on September 29 per local ordinary decree.