Ordinary Time
Thursday, July 16, 2026
On Thursday, July 16, 2026, the Catholic Church is in Ordinary Time and the liturgical color is green. The Church celebrates Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Liturgical color: Green
Gustave Doré · Jacob Wrestles with the Angel · 1866 · public domain
Saint of the day
Optional
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
The Carmelite Order traces itself to the hermits on Mount Carmel in 12th-century Palestine. Tradition recalls a 1251 apparition of Mary to St Simon Stock, presenting him with the brown scapular.
Mother of Carmel, keep our hearts close to your son.
About Ordinary Time
Ordinary Time is the Church's ordered counting of weeks — 'ordinal', not 'ordinary' in the sense of plain. It falls in two stretches, after the Christmas season and after Pentecost, and it is where most of the Gospel is read straight through, Sunday by Sunday.
Why green?
Green is worn through Ordinary Time. It is the color of growth and of hope.
Verse of the day
John 4:14
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Frequently asked
What liturgical color is worn on July 16, 2026?
Green, the color of Ordinary Time. Green is worn through Ordinary Time. It is the color of growth and of hope.
What liturgical season is July 16, 2026 in?
Ordinary Time. Ordinary Time is the Church's ordered counting of weeks — 'ordinal', not 'ordinary' in the sense of plain. It falls in two stretches, after the Christmas season and after Pentecost, and it is where most of the Gospel is read straight through, Sunday by Sunday.
Is July 16, 2026 a holy day of obligation in the United States?
No. In the United States the holy days of obligation are Mary, Mother of God (1 January), the Assumption (15 August), All Saints (1 November), the Immaculate Conception (8 December), and Christmas (25 December); the Ascension is observed on a Thursday or the following Sunday depending on the diocese.
Which saint is celebrated on July 16, 2026?
Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The Carmelite Order traces itself to the hermits on Mount Carmel in 12th-century Palestine. Tradition recalls a 1251 apparition of Mary to St Simon Stock, presenting him with the brown…
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- Common Catholic prayersThe Rosary, the Chaplet, the Angelus — full texts
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