St. Charles de Foucauld, December 1
A French army officer and explorer who lost his faith and found it again, Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916) became a priest and lived as a hermit among the Tuareg in the Sahara. He wrote a Tuareg dictionary and sought to be a “universal brother.” He was killed at his hermitage and canonized in 2022.
December 1 has no celebration on the General Roman Calendar, so this page follows the Roman Martyrology, which remembers Saint Charles de Foucauld, priest on this date.
Other saints on December 1
- St. Eligius, goldsmith and bishop of Noyon (660)
Name days on December 1
In countries that keep name days, December 1 is the day for people named Eligius and Eloy. These names come from the same saint, as variants, nicknames or forms used in other languages.
| Name | Feast day |
|---|---|
| Eligius | December 1 |
| Eloy | December 1 |
December 1 on the calendar
December 1 is the 335th day of the year (the 336th in a leap year), with 30 days left until December 31. Here is the day of the week it falls on in the coming years:
| Year | Day |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Tuesday |
| 2027 | Wednesday |
| 2028 | Friday |
| 2029 | Saturday |
| 2030 | Sunday |
Keeping December 1
December 1 falls during Advent. Since the general calendar has no celebration that day, the Mass is usually that of the weekday of the season, and the saint may be remembered in local calendars or in personal prayer. Families who keep name days often mark the day with a card, a candle or a favorite meal, and parishes named after the saint may hold a festival. If you know someone named Eligius and Eloy, it is a good day to send a note.
Saints of the week around December 1
| Date | Saint or feast |
|---|---|
| November 28 | St. Catherine Labouré |
| November 29 | St. Saturninus |
| November 30 | St. Andrew |
| December 2 | St. Bibiana |
| December 3 | St. Francis Xavier |
| December 4 | St. John Damascene |
The day before, November 30, is the day of St. Andrew. The day after, December 2, belongs to St. Bibiana. Looking for a name? Try the name day calendar or go back to today’s saint.