Ordinary Time
Thursday, September 3, 2026
On Thursday, September 3, 2026, the Catholic Church is in Ordinary Time and the liturgical color is white. The Church celebrates St Gregory the Great.
Liturgical color: White · for the memorial of St Gregory the Great
Gustave Doré · The Army of the Amorites Is Destroyed · 1866 · public domain
Saint of the day
Memorial
St Gregory the Great
(c. 540–604) Roman pope and Doctor of the Church. Servus servorum Dei — 'servant of the servants of God' — was his coinage. He sent Augustine to England, reformed the liturgy, and wrote on pastoral care.
Pope Saint Gregory, servant of the servants, pray for those who lead the Church.
A memorial is an obligatory commemoration of a saint.
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 white?
White is worn at Christmas and Easter, and on feasts of the Lord, Mary, and saints who were not martyred. It is the color of joy and of light.
Verse of the day
Hab 3:18
Read it in context — the whole Catholic Bible is in the app, offline and free.
Frequently asked
What liturgical color is worn on September 3, 2026?
White, for the memorial of St Gregory the Great. White is worn at Christmas and Easter, and on feasts of the Lord, Mary, and saints who were not martyred. It is the color of joy and of light.
What liturgical season is September 3, 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 September 3, 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 September 3, 2026?
St Gregory the Great. (c. 540–604) Roman pope and Doctor of the Church. Servus servorum Dei — 'servant of the servants of God' — was his coinage. He sent Augustine to England, reformed the liturgy, and wrote on pastoral…
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- Common Catholic prayersThe Rosary, the Chaplet, the Angelus — full texts
- Traditional novenasComplete nine-day texts
- The whole liturgical calendarEvery day from July 2026 to December 2027