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The Church Calendar has 2 fixed points, Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) always on December 25th and Easter, the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the spring equinox.
The Calendar starts on Advent Sunday and marks the beginning of the period of waitng for the birth of Jesus.
The calendar below shows the current year and the past and future years.
Lectionary Year | |||
---|---|---|---|
2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
Advent Sunday | Sun 3 Dec 23 | Sun 1 Dec 24 | Sun 30 Nov 25 |
Christmas Eve | Sun 24 Dec 23 | Tue 24 Dec 24 | Wed 24 Dec 25 |
Christmas Day | Mon 25 Dec 23 | Wed 25 Dec 24 | Thu 25 Dec 25 |
Epiphany | Sat 6 Jan 24 | Mon 6 Jan 25 | Tue 6 Jan 26 |
Epiphany Sunday | Sun 7 Jan 24 | Sun 5 Jan 25 | Sun 4 Jan 26 |
Ash Wednesday | Wed 14 Feb 24 | Wed 5 Mar 25 | Wed 18 Feb 26 |
Palm Sunday | Sun 24 Mar 24 | Sun 13 Apr 25 | Sun 29 Mar 26 |
Maundy Thursday | Thu 28 Mar 24 | Thu 17 Apr 25 | Thu 2 Apr 26 |
Good Friday | Fri 29 Mar 24 | Fri 18 Apr 25 | Fri 3 Apr 26 |
Easter Sunday | Sun 31 Mar 24 | Sun 20 Apr 25 | Sun 5 Apr 26 |
Ascension | Thu 9 May 24 | Thu 29 May 25 | Thu 14 May 26 |
Ascension Sunday | Sun 12 May 24 | Sun 1 Jun 25 | Sun 17 May 26 |
Pentecost | Sun 19 May 24 | Sun 8 Jun 25 | Sun 24 May 26 |
Trinity Sunday | Sun 26 May 24 | Sun 15 Jun 25 | Sun 31 May 26 |
All Saints Sunday | Sun 3 Nov 24 | Sun 2 Nov 25 | Sun 1 Nov 26 |
French Public Holidays | |||
---|---|---|---|
2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
Jour de l'an | Mon 1 Jan 24 | Wed 1 Jan 25 | Thu 1 Jan 26 |
Lundi de Pâques | Mon 1 Apr 24 | Mon 21 Apr 25 | Mon 6 Apr 26 |
Fête du Travail | Wed 1 May 24 | Thu 1 May 25 | Fri 1 May 26 |
8 Mai 1945 | Wed 8 May 24 | Thu 8 May 25 | Fri 8 May 26 |
Ascension | Thu 9 May 24 | Thu 29 May 25 | Thu 14 May 26 |
Lundi de Pentecôte | Mon 20 May 24 | Mon 9 Jun 25 | Mon 25 May 26 |
Fête Nationale | Sun 14 Jul 24 | Mon 14 Jul 25 | Tue 14 Jul 26 |
Assomption | Thu 15 Aug 24 | Fri 15 Aug 25 | Sat 15 Aug 26 |
La Toussaint | Fri 1 Nov 24 | Sat 1 Nov 25 | Sun 1 Nov 26 |
Armistice | Mon 11 Nov 24 | Tue 11 Nov 25 | Wed 11 Nov 26 |
Noël | Wed 25 Dec 24 | Thu 25 Dec 25 | Fri 25 Dec 26 |
Advent always has four Sundays, but it can be either three or four weeks long. When Advent 4 is on Dec 24th, the morning is Advent 4 and the afternoon is Christmas Eve.
Advent Sundays are calculated finding the 4 Sundays before December 25th, even if one of those Sundays is Christmas Eve. There can be up to two Sundays after Christmas, but most years there is only one.
Epiphany (6 Jan) is 12 days after Christmas (25 Dec). This is the twelve days of Christmas. The Sunday nearest to January 6th can be celebrated as Epiphany Sunday, if the nearest Sunday is after Epiphany it can be either "Epiphany Sunday" or "The Baptism of the Lord" based on local preference.
Epiphany Sundays are then counted until the Sunday before Ash Wednesday. The readings labelled the "Last Sunday of Epiphany", are always last. So, if you have five weeks of Epiphany, instead of celebrating the fifth week, you celebrate the "Last Sunday of Epiphany". A good way to remember is that the Last Sunday of Epiphany has the Ash Wednesday readings.
Lent always has 46 days, 40 not counting the Sundays (which are a feast day in Lent). Lent is always calculated back from Easter. Lent, like Advent and the Easter Season, has a fixed number of Sundays; the other seasons expand and contract to fit them.
In 325AD the Council of Nicaea established that Easter would be held on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the spring equinox. From that point forward, the Easter date has depended on the ecclesiastical approximation of March 21st for the equinox. Easter is delayed by one week if the full moon is on Sunday. Easter can be as early March 21st (the year 1818) or late as May 10th (the year 2268).
Easter determines these dates
The Easter Season always has seven Sundays, plus Pentecost.
Pentecost Sunday ends the fiftieth day after Easter (the Greek word for "50th" is “Pentecost” ). It does not begin a “Pentecost Season”. The earliest possible date is May 10th in 1818 and 2286, (Proper 1), and the latest possible date is June 13th, 1943 and 2038 (Proper 6).
The first Sunday after Pentecost. The Earliest possible date is 17th May, 1818 and 2286, (Proper 2) and the latest date is 20th June, (Proper 7) 1943 and 2038. Ordinary Time: (aka Kingdomtide)
Ordinary time, does not mean common. It refers to Ordinal time, or Ordinal numbers, which means First, Second, Third etc, which are ranks, versus Cardinal numbers which are 1,2,3,.. which means how many. Ordinary weeks are set backward from the last week of the Church Year, which is always Proper 29.
When do the Proper’s start? It has been determined that earliest possible Day of Pentecost is May 10th, hence Proper 1 is the closest to May 11th.
The Propers are planned backward. The Sunday before Advent 1 (of the next year) is Proper 29, then the Propers fill in before that until they hit Pentecost and the Proper closet to that Sunday after Pentecost is used. The early Propers are rarely used, but those readings still find their way into the lectionary, because they are repeats of the last weeks of Epiphany. You may notice the readings for Proper 1 are the same as the readings for the 6th Sunday after Epiphany; Proper 2 is the same as seventh Sunday after Epiphany. This continues to the 8th Sunday after Epiphany, the greatest number of Sundays possible after Epiphany.
We're delighted that you plan to marry and would like to help make your day very special. All ceremonies relating to marriage normally take place in one of the church buildings we regularly use.
Do we need to have a civil marriage first?
Yes. A church ceremony relating to marriage can only take place following civil marriage either in France or in a country recognised under French Civil Law.
Are we eligible?
We do hope so. You are eligible, both here and throughout France, if:
One of you is on the chaplaincy electoral roll, OR
One or both of you, or a parent, live for at least part of the year in the chaplaincy.
What if one of us is divorced?
If one or both of you has been married before please do not hesitate to contact us. We know that, sadly, marriages can break down for many reasons, and we do not prejudge. Once we hear from you, a member of the Ministry Team will be pleased to meet you both to discuss your individual circumstances.
What if one of us has not been baptised?
We will help you prepare for your commitment to God and to each other in marriage preparation classes. These are arranged in your discussion with the member of the Ministry Team.
You can find more information from the Your Church Wedding site
How do we apply?
Please read the Marriage Enquiry Notes and follow the link at the bottom of the page to complete the online application form; this needs to be completed at least 6 months prior to the preferred date of the church ceremony.
If you would like further help please use the form on our contact page.
Congratulations and welcome to the first steps in preparing for
a Church Service in France to celebrate your Marriage!
Please read these notes carefully before completing the form.
You will have to agree to these terms on the form.
Revised 29th October 2023
Before completing the application form, please contact our secretary to confirm your preferred date is available.
When you are ready to apply please complete the application form.
Few of us are aware of the many practical things that need to be done after someone has died. Having to deal with this difficult time in our own country can be hard enough. However, in another country we may be faced with a minefield of additional concerns, amongst which are the language barrier, understanding a different system from the United Kingdom, or, if you wish your loved one to be returned to the United Kingdom for burial, issues associated with repatriation.
If you wish to have a Christian funeral service, whether interment or cremation, please contact us here.