Ordinary Time
Saturday, October 17, 2026
On Saturday, October 17, 2026, the Catholic Church is in Ordinary Time and the liturgical color is red. The Church celebrates St Ignatius of Antioch.
Liturgical color: Red · for the memorial of St Ignatius of Antioch
Gustave Doré · Elijah Ascends to Heaven in a Chariot of Fire · 1866 · public domain
Saint of the day
Memorial
St Ignatius of Antioch
(c. 35–107) Bishop of Antioch, martyred at Rome in the Colosseum under Trajan. His seven surviving letters, written on the journey to martyrdom, are some of the earliest Christian writings outside the New Testament.
Saint Ignatius, wheat ground for Christ, give us your eagerness for the Eucharist.
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 red?
Red is worn on Palm Sunday and Good Friday, at Pentecost, and on the feasts of martyrs: the color of both fire and blood.
Verse of the day
Jdt 9:11
Read it in context — the whole Catholic Bible is in the app, offline and free.
Frequently asked
What liturgical color is worn on October 17, 2026?
Red, for the memorial of St Ignatius of Antioch. Red is worn on Palm Sunday and Good Friday, at Pentecost, and on the feasts of martyrs: the color of both fire and blood.
What liturgical season is October 17, 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 October 17, 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 October 17, 2026?
St Ignatius of Antioch. (c. 35–107) Bishop of Antioch, martyred at Rome in the Colosseum under Trajan. His seven surviving letters, written on the journey to martyrdom, are some of the earliest Christian writings outside…
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- Common Catholic prayersThe Rosary, the Chaplet, the Angelus — full texts
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