Carmelite Martyrs of Compiègne, July 17
On July 17, 1794, sixteen Carmelite nuns of Compiègne were guillotined in Paris for refusing to give up religious life, singing as they went to their deaths. Their story inspired Francis Poulenc’s opera Dialogues of the Carmelites. Pope Francis declared them saints in 2024.
July 17 has no celebration on the General Roman Calendar, so this page follows the Roman Martyrology, which remembers Saint Teresa of St. Augustine and Companions, martyrs on this date.
Other saints on July 17
- St. Alexius, “the man of God” (5th century)
Name days on July 17
In countries that keep name days, July 17 is the day for people named Alexius.
| Name | Feast day |
|---|---|
| Alexius | July 17 |
July 17 on the calendar
July 17 is the 198th day of the year (the 199th in a leap year), with 167 days left until December 31. Here is the day of the week it falls on in the coming years:
| Year | Day |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Friday |
| 2027 | Saturday |
| 2028 | Monday |
| 2029 | Tuesday |
| 2030 | Wednesday |
Keeping July 17
July 17 falls in summer. 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 Alexius, it is a good day to send a note.
Saints of the week around July 17
| Date | Saint or feast |
|---|---|
| July 14 | St. Kateri Tekakwitha |
| July 15 | St. Bonaventure |
| July 16 | Our Lady of Mount Carmel |
| July 18 | St. Camillus de Lellis |
| July 19 | St. Macrina the Younger |
| July 20 | St. Apollinaris |
The day before, July 16, is the day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The day after, July 18, belongs to St. Camillus de Lellis. Looking for a name? Try the name day calendar or go back to today’s saint.