August 29
The Passion of St. John the Baptist
The feast commemorating the beheading of St. John the Baptist by Herod Antipas at the request of Salome, whose illicit marriage John had publicly condemned. One of the oldest feasts in the Church calendar. John's martyrdom for speaking truth to power in the domain of marriage gives him perpetual relevance.
Why it matters for your parish:
John the Baptist's martyrdom for calling out an adulterous royal marriage is one of the most direct examples of prophetic witness in the Gospels. Powerful content for any discussion of speaking truth to power or defending marriage.
Graphics for this saint are coming soon.