The Orthodox Church calendar for September 2026 features four major religious celebrations in Ukraine, led by the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, according to a schedule published by author Olga Zaitseva.
Following the transition of the Ukrainian church to the Revised Julian calendar in 2023, fixed religious holidays occur 13 days earlier than under the traditional Julian calendar system. Under the updated schedule, the feast of Apostle John the Theologian falls in September, having previously been celebrated in October.
The month includes two of the twelve Great Feasts of the Orthodox liturgical year: the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 8 and the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14. Believers also honor the memory of Venerable Fathers Anthony and Theodosius of the Kyiv Caves on September 2.
The Orthodox Church of Ukraine officially adopted the Revised Julian calendar in September 2023 to align fixed feast days with the solar astronomical calendar. The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, founded by Saint Anthony and Saint Theodosius in the eleventh century, remains a historic spiritual center of Eastern Orthodox Christianity in Ukraine.
Revised Julian Calendar Feast Days
The new style calendar for September 2026 outlines daily observances for Orthodox believers across Ukraine:
- September 1: Beginning of the Indiction, marking the Church New Year, and the Synaxis of Vinnytsia Saints.
- September 2: Venerable Fathers Anthony and Theodosius of the Kyiv Caves.
- September 3: Hieromartyr Anthimus, Bishop of Nicomedia.
- September 4: Hieromartyr Babylas, Bishop of Antioch, and three youths with him; Prophet Moses the God-Seer; uncovering of the relics of Saint Joasaph (Horlenko), Bishop of Belgorod; Icon of the Mother of God "The Unburnt Bush".
- September 5: Venerable Martyr Athanasius, Abbot of Brest; murder of Holy Prince Hlib (baptized David).
- September 6: Commemoration of the Miracle of Archangel Michael at Colossae, known as Michael's Miracle.
- September 7: Venerable Martyr Macarius, Archimandrite of Kaniv, Ovruch, and Pereyaslav Wonderworker; Icon of the Mother of God "Vinnytsia" ("Vinnytsia-Rozhetska").
- September 8: Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Icons of Sophia, the Wisdom of God (Kyiv), Pochaiv, Domnytsia, and Kamyanka-Strumylova Icons of the Mother of God.
- September 9: Righteous Joachim and Anna.
- September 10: Martyrs Menodora, Metrodora, and Nymphodora; Venerable Paul the Obedient of the Caves.
Mid-Month Commemorations under the New Style
Religious observances continue through mid-September with major feasts and saints' days:
- September 11: Venerable Theodora of Alexandria the Younger.
- September 12: Hieromartyr Autonomus, Bishop in Italy.
- September 13: Saturday before the Exaltation; memory of the rededication (consecration) of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Jerusalem; Hieromartyr Cornelius the Centurion, Bishop.
- September 14: Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross; repose of Saint John Chrysostom; Lesna Icon of the Mother of God.
- September 15: Great Martyr Nicetas.
- September 16: Great Martyr Euphemia the All-Praised; Saint Cyprian, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Rus, Wonderworker.
- September 17: Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia.
- September 18: Venerable Eumenius, Bishop of Gortyna; Molchensk Icon of the Mother of God.
- September 19: Martyrs Trophimus, Sabbatius, and Dorymedon; Holy Great Prince Igor of Chernihiv and Kyiv.
- September 20: Martyrs and Confessors Michael, Prince of Chernihiv, and his boyar Theodore, Wonderworkers; Venerable and Holy Prince Oleg Romanovich of Chernihiv.
Late September Observances in the New Style
The final ten days of September under the Revised Julian calendar feature notable apostolic and monastic commemorations:
- September 21: Apostle Quadratus of the Seventy; uncovering of the relics of Saint Demetrius (Tuptalo), Metropolitan of Rostov.
- September 22: Prophet Jonah.
- September 23: Conception of Saint John the Baptist.
- September 24: Equal-to-the-Apostles Thecla, First Martyr; Venerable Theodosius of Manyava.
- September 25: Venerable Euphrosyne of Alexandria.
- September 26: Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian.
- September 27: Martyr Callistratus and his companions.
- September 28: Synaxis of the Venerable Fathers of the Kyiv Caves (in the Near Caves).
- September 29: Venerable Cyriacus the Anchorite.
- September 30: Saint Michael, First Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Rus.
Julian Calendar Schedule for September
Some Orthodox communities in Ukraine continue to follow the traditional Julian calendar, where fixed feast days take place 13 days later than the new style calendar. The old style schedule for September 2026 includes:
- September 1: Martyr Andrew Stratelates and 2,593 martyrs with him.
- September 2: Prophet Samuel.
- September 3: Apostle Thaddeus of the Seventy; Martyr Vassa and her children Martyrs Theognis, Agapius, and Pistus.
- September 4: Martyrs Agathonicus, Zoticus, Theoprepius, and others.
- September 5: Martyr Luppus of Thessalonica.
- September 6: Hieromartyr Eutychius, Bishop, disciple of Apostle John the Theologian.
- September 7: Translation of the relics of Apostle Bartholomew (Nathanael); Apostle Titus of the Seventy, Bishop of Crete.
- September 8: Martyr Adrian and Martyr Natalia.
- September 9: Venerable Pimen the Great.
- September 10: Venerable Moses the Black (Murin), Hieromonk; uncovering of the relics of Venerable Job of Pochaiv; Synaxis of the Venerable Fathers of the Kyiv Caves in the Far Caves.
- September 11: Beheading of Saint John the Baptist.
- September 12: Saints Alexander, John, and Paul.
- September 13: Placement of the Venerable Sash of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
- September 14: Beginning of the Indiction, marking the Church New Year, and the Synaxis of Vinnytsia Saints.
- September 15: Venerable Fathers Anthony and Theodosius of the Kyiv Caves.
Traditional Calendar Dates in Late September
Observances under the Julian calendar during the second half of September correspond to early September events under the updated reform:
- September 16: Hieromartyr Anthimus, Bishop of Nicomedia.
- September 17: Hieromartyr Babylas, Bishop of Antioch; Icon of the Mother of God "The Unburnt Bush".
- September 18: Venerable Martyr Athanasius, Abbot of Brest; murder of Holy Prince Hlib (baptized David).
- September 19: Commemoration of the Miracle of Archangel Michael at Colossae (Michael's Miracle).
- September 20: Venerable Martyr Macarius, Archimandrite of Kaniv, Ovruch, and Pereyaslav Wonderworker; Icon of the Mother of God "Vinnytsia" ("Vinnytsia-Rozhetska").
- September 21: Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
- September 22: Righteous Joachim and Anna.
- September 23: Martyrs Menodora, Metrodora, and Nymphodora; Venerable Paul the Obedient of the Caves.
- September 24: Venerable Theodora of Alexandria the Younger.
- September 25: Hieromartyr Autonomus, Bishop in Italy.
- September 26: Consecration of the Church of the Resurrection of Christ in Jerusalem.
- September 27: Exaltation of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross; repose of Saint John Chrysostom; Lesna Icon of the Mother of God.
- September 28: Great Martyr Nicetas.
- September 29: Great Martyr Euphemia the All-Praised; Saint Cyprian, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Rus, Wonderworker.
- September 30: Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love and their mother Sophia.
According to the published calendar, there are no multi-day fasts scheduled during the month of September 2026.
