Today, June 24, is St. Is John the baptist Elijah?“>John the Baptist celebrated or the Sacred Heart of Jesus?
Today, June 24, is St. John the Baptist celebrated or the Sacred Heart of Jesus?
The feast of St. John is marked on the calendar, and in some countries everything is ready to celebrate according to their own traditions: bonfires, traditional foods …
However, this year the date coincides with the solemnity of Sacred Heartto which the liturgy gives priority, so the Mass commemorating the Baptist’s birth go to the next day, Saturday 25th, or to the previous day, Thursday 23rd.
The great celebration of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is variable. Catholics remember it on the Friday following the feast of The body of the Lordbecause on a day like this Santa Margherita Maria Alacoquand she had a vision in which Jesus asked her that “on the first Friday after the octave of the Blessed Sacrament” a special feast should be dedicated to glorify His Heart.
Liturgically, the Church gives more importance to the feast of the Sacred Heart than to that of the birth of St. John the Baptist. It is a solemnity, the highest degree of liturgical feast.
However, the birth of Jesus’ cousin is also a solemnity, one of the only three births that the Catholic Church has venerated since time immemorial, along with that of Christ and that of the Virgin Mary.
📅 Last updated: 21.12.2025
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
💬 When is the Feast of St. John the Baptist celebrated in 2024?
In 2024, the liturgical celebration of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist is moved to Saturday, June 25 (or in some cases, Thursday, June 23). This is because June 24, its traditional fixed date, coincides with the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which takes precedence.
💬 Which feast day takes priority, Sacred Heart or St. John the Baptist?
The Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus takes liturgical priority. It is considered a higher-ranking feast, so when both occur on the same date, the Sacred Heart is celebrated on June 24 and the celebration of St. John the Baptist’s birth is moved.
💬 Why is the Sacred Heart of Jesus feast day on June 24, 2024?
The date of the Sacred Heart feast is variable, falling on the Friday after the Feast of Corpus Christi (The Body of Christ). In 2024, this calculation places it on June 24. It is based on the visions of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, who reported that Jesus requested a feast on the first Friday after the octave of Corpus Christi.
💬 What is a solemnity in the Catholic Church?
A solemnity is the highest rank of a liturgical feast. Both the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Nativity of St. John the Baptist are classified as solemnities. The Church gives the Sacred Heart celebration priority when dates conflict.
