Catholic tradition honours the remarkable men and women who have contributed significantly to its heritage by recognising them as saints. Secular tradition like to remember specific events or causes by setting aside specific dates for their observance. This page is a start at assembling a calendar of notable dates of importance to our queer Christian community.
The Calendar of Queer Saints and Martyrs for the full year now lists only the most important of the large number that could be included - “most important”: those widely recognized as saints, and also with good reason to be described as in some sense queer.
The monthly pages provide a more comprehensive listing of queer people in church history, including some lesser figures, some for whom the descriptor “queer” is more speculative, and some who were clearly were not saints. All are important for illustrating some part of queer Christian history.
August
- Aug 3 rd
- St Lydia , woman deacon (Womenpriests.org)
- Aug 5th
- St Nonna , woman deacon (Womenpriests.org)
- Aug 10 th
- Edith Stein, “St Theresa Benedicta of the Cross” (Queer Saints & Martyrs)
- Aug. 11 th
- John Henry Newman and Ambrose St. John: Did the Pope beatify a gay saint? (Jesus in Love Blog)
- Aug 13 th
- St Radegunde , woman deacon (Womenpriests.org)
- Aug 18 th
- Bryan Jordan Smith (1983-2004), Mormon Suicide (Affirmation Suicide Memorial)
- Aug 20 th
- St Bernard of Clairvaux and Malachi (Queer Saints & Martyrs)
- Aug 27th
- Aug 28 th
- St Augustine of Hippo, Bishop & Doctor (LGBT Catholic Handbook)
September
- Sep 6th
- Issan Dorsey, Modern Buddhist saint/bhod
isattva?
- Issan Dorsey, Modern Buddhist saint/bhod
- Sep 11th
- Mychal Judge, Saint of 9/11 (Queer Saints & Martyrs)
- St Mychal Judge (Jesus in Love Blog)
- Mark Bingham: Gay hero of 9/11 died fighting hijackers (Jesus in Love Blog)
- Sep 17th
- Hildegard of Bingen and Richardis (Jesus in Love Blog)
- Sep 21st
- Henri Nouwen?
- Sep 22nd
- Tyler Clementi: Gay martyr driven to suicide by bullies (Jesus in Love Blog)
- Sep 23 rd
- St Theodora / Theodoros of Alexandria, Cross-dressing’ Saint (LGBT Catholic Handbook)
- St Edward II King of England, 1284 -1327 (LGBT Catholic Handbook)
- St Thekla of Iconium, Cross-dressing’ Saint (LGBT Catholic Handbook)
- Sep 28 th
- Wenceslas and Podiven: Good (gay) King Wenceslas (Jesus in Love Blog)
October
- Oct 2nd
- St Justina , woman deacon (Womenpriests.org)
- Oct 5th
- SS Benedicta, (6 May) and Galla (5 October), Roman nuns - and lovers? (Queer Saints & Martyrs)
- Oct 7th
- Sergius & Bacchus (Queer Saints & Martyrs)
- SS Sergius and Bacchus, Roman soldiers, lovers & martyrs d circa 297 ( Jesus in Love Blog)
- Oct 9 th
- “Out of the Shadows, Into the Light”: Blessed John Newman and the Soho Masses (Queer Saints & Martyrs)
- Saint John Henry Newman? English Cardinal and theologian 1801 - 90 (Queer Saints & Martyrs)
- Cardinal John Henry Newman (LGBT Catholic Handbook
- St Athanasia/ Athanasios of Antioch, Cross-Dressing Saint? (LGBT Catholic Handbook)
- St Poplia , woman deacon (Womenpriests.org)
- Oct 10th
- Vida Dutton Scudder, American Lesbian Saint for Our Times (Queer Saints & Martyrs)
- Oct 11th
- National Coming Out Day ( Jesus in Love Blog)
- Oct 12th
- Matthew Shephard (Jesus in Love Blog)
- Oct 13th
- Oct 27 th
- Allen Schindler: Gay martyr and naval officer ( Jesus in Love Blog)
- Oct 29 th
- St Anna / Euphemianos of Constantinople, Cross-Dressing Saint (LGBT Catholic Handbook)
- Oct 30 th
- October 31st
- Hallowe’en?
November
- Nov 1st
- Nov Ist : All (Gay) Saints (Queer Saints & Martyrs)
- All Saints Day: Memorial for All Saints / All Souls (Jesus in Love Blog)
- All Saints (LGBTCatholic Handbook)
- Nov 9th
- St Matrona / Baylas of Perge, Cross-dressing Saint? (Queer Saints & Martyrs)
- St Benignus of Armagh, Bishop and Companion of St Patrick
- Founding of Society for Human Rights, Chicago 1924
- (Nov 16th
- Edmund?)
- Nov 20th
- Transgender Day of Remembrance (Jesus in Love Blog)
- Nov 27th
- Harvey Milk: LGBT rights pioneer assassinated (1978) (Jesus in Love Blog)
- Nov 29th
- St Bernardo de Hoyos, Bridegroom of Christ
- St Bernardo de Hoyos: Mystical Same-Sex Marriage with Christ
December
- Dec 1st
- Blessed Charles de Foucauld
- Dec 8th
- Rev James Stoll, first clergyman to come out voluntarily
- Dec 14th
- St Venantius Fortunatus, Italian Bishop and Homoerotic Poet (Queer Saints & Martyrs)
- St Venantius Fortunatus, c 530 -603 (LGBT Catholic Handbook)
- St John of the Cross, Spanish mystic, Priest and Doctor 1542 -1591 (Queer Saints & Martyrs)
- John of the Cross: Dark night of a gay soul (Jesus in Love Blog)
- Dec 17th
- The Three Young Men in the Burning Fiery Furnace (Queer Saints & Martyrs)
- The Three Young Men, Eunuchs & Companions of Daniel OT, c 650 BC (LGBT Catholic Handbook)
- Dec 20th
- Ruth and Naomi: Love between women in the Bible (Jesus in Love Blog)
- Ruth and Naomi, OT, c 1100BC (Queer Saints & Martyrs)
- Dec 24th
- St Eugenia /Eugenios, Cross-dressing’ Saint?, (Queer Saints & Martyrs)
- St Eugenia /Eugenios of Alexandria, (LGBT Catholic Handbook)
- Dec 24th
- SS Protus and Hyacinth, eunuchs & martyrs. (Queer Saints & Martyrs)
- SS Protus and Hyacinth, eunuchs & martyrs. (LGBT Catholic Handbook)
- John Boswell
- Dec 25th
- Christmas: Queer cheer for Christmas (Jesus in Love Blog)
- Dec 27th
- John the Evangelist, the “Beloved Disciple?” (Queer Saints & Martyrs)
- St John, and Jesus’ Gay Wedding at Cana (Queer Saints & Martyrs)
- John the Evangelist and Prochorus (Queer Saints & Martyrs)
- John the Evangelist: The man Jesus loved? (Jesus in Love Blog)
- St John, the Man Jesus Loved, the “Beloved Disciple”. (LGBT Catholic Handbook)
- Dec 29th
- David the Prophet and Jonathan, his Lover (Queer Saints & Martyrs)
- David and Jonathan, Love Between Men (Jesus in Love Blog)
- David the Prophet (LGBT Catholic Handbook)
- Dec 31 st
- St Melania “the Younger” , woman deacon (Womenpriests.org)
Moveable Feasts:
- Ash Wednesday
- Lest We Forget: The Ashes of our Martyrs
- Ash Wednesday: Queer martyrs rise from the ashes (Jesus in Love Blog)
- Kuan Yin +/- Apr-03 (Jesus in Love Blog)
- Pentecost: Holy Spirit brings LGBT visions (Jesus in Love Blog)
- Pride prayers and Pride hymns (Jesus in Love Blog)
- Holy Trinity
- Corpus Christi
- Thanksgiving
- Feast of the Holy Family