St. Paschal Baylon, May 17
An Aragonese shepherd, Paschal Baylon (1540-1592) became a Franciscan lay brother and served as doorkeeper of his friary. He spent long hours in prayer before the Eucharist. He is the patron of Eucharistic congresses.
May 17 has no celebration on the General Roman Calendar, so this page follows the Roman Martyrology, which remembers Saint Paschal Baylon, religious on this date.
Name days on May 17
In countries that keep name days, May 17 is the day for people named Paschal and Pascal. These names come from the same saint, as variants, nicknames or forms used in other languages.
| Name | Feast day |
|---|---|
| Paschal | May 17 |
| Pascal | May 17 |
May 17 on the calendar
May 17 is the 137th day of the year (the 138th in a leap year), with 228 days left until December 31. Here is the day of the week it falls on in the coming years:
| Year | Day |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday |
| 2027 | Monday |
| 2028 | Wednesday |
| 2029 | Thursday |
| 2030 | Friday |
Keeping May 17
May 17 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 Paschal and Pascal, it is a good day to send a note.
Saints of the week around May 17
| Date | Saint or feast |
|---|---|
| May 14 | St. Matthias |
| May 15 | St. Isidore the Farmer |
| May 16 | St. Brendan the Navigator |
| May 18 | St. John I |
| May 19 | St. Ivo of Kermartin |
| May 20 | St. Bernardine of Siena |
The day before, May 16, is the day of St. Brendan the Navigator. The day after, May 18, belongs to St. John I. Looking for a name? Try the name day calendar or go back to today’s saint.