Nativity of St. John the Baptist, June 24
Son of Zechariah and Elizabeth, John was born six months before Jesus, as Luke’s Gospel tells. He preached repentance in the desert and baptized Jesus in the Jordan. His birth is celebrated near the summer solstice with bonfires in many countries, and he is the patron of Quebec.
On the General Roman Calendar, June 24 is a solemnity: The Nativity of Saint John the Baptist.
June 24 on the calendar
June 24 is the 175th day of the year (the 176th in a leap year), with 190 days left until December 31. Here is the day of the week it falls on in the coming years:
| Year | Day |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Wednesday |
| 2027 | Thursday |
| 2028 | Saturday |
| 2029 | Sunday |
| 2030 | Monday |
Keeping June 24
June 24 falls in summer. As a solemnity, it ranks among the highest celebrations of the year: the Mass includes the Gloria and the Creed, and some solemnities are holy days of obligation. 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.
Saints of the week around June 24
| Date | Saint or feast |
|---|---|
| June 21 | St. Aloysius Gonzaga |
| June 22 | Sts. John Fisher and Thomas More |
| June 23 | St. Etheldreda |
| June 25 | St. William of Montevergine |
| June 26 | St. Josemaría Escrivá |
| June 27 | St. Cyril of Alexandria |
The day before, June 23, is the day of St. Etheldreda. The day after, June 25, belongs to St. William of Montevergine. Looking for a name? Try the name day calendar or go back to today’s saint.