St. Brendan the Navigator, May 16
An Irish abbot of the sixth century, Brendan founded the monastery of Clonfert. The medieval tale of his voyage across the ocean to a “Promised Land” made him the patron of sailors. Some readers have seen in it an early crossing of the Atlantic.
May 16 has no celebration on the General Roman Calendar, so this page follows the Roman Martyrology, which remembers Saint Brendan, abbot on this date.
Other saints on May 16
- St. Simon Stock, Carmelite prior (1265)
Name days on May 16
In countries that keep name days, May 16 is the day for people named Brendan.
| Name | Feast day |
|---|---|
| Brendan | May 16 |
May 16 on the calendar
May 16 is the 136th day of the year (the 137th in a leap year), with 229 days left until December 31. Here is the day of the week it falls on in the coming years:
| Year | Day |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Saturday |
| 2027 | Sunday |
| 2028 | Tuesday |
| 2029 | Wednesday |
| 2030 | Thursday |
Keeping May 16
May 16 falls in May, the month of Mary. 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 Brendan, it is a good day to send a note.
Saints of the week around May 16
| Date | Saint or feast |
|---|---|
| May 13 | Our Lady of Fatima |
| May 14 | St. Matthias |
| May 15 | St. Isidore the Farmer |
| May 17 | St. Paschal Baylon |
| May 18 | St. John I |
| May 19 | St. Ivo of Kermartin |
The day before, May 15, is the day of St. Isidore the Farmer. The day after, May 17, belongs to St. Paschal Baylon. Looking for a name? Try the name day calendar or go back to today’s saint.