Trinity Sunday

Trinity Sunday is the first Sunday after Pentecost in the Western Christian liturgical calendar. Trinity Sunday celebrates the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, the three Persons of God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Sundays following Pentecost, until Advent, are numbered from this day. In traditional Catholic usage, the First Sunday after Pentecost is on the same day as Trinity Sunday. In the revised Catholic rite, Ordinary time resumed one week earlier, on the Monday after Pentecost, with the Sundays that would otherwise fall on Pentecost and Trinity Sunday omitted that year. In Anglican use, the Book of Common Prayer refers to the following Sunday as the "First Sunday after Trinity", while the Episcopal Church in the United States of America (ECUSA) now follows the Catholic usage, calling it the Second Sunday after Pentecost. The colour used on Trinity Sunday is white. Trinity Sunday is celebrated in all the Western liturgical churches: Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and Methodist. In the Eastern Churches, the day of Pentecost itself is called Trinity Sunday.

Roman Catholic practice

In the Roman Catholic Church it is officially known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. Prior to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, it marked the end of a three-week period when church weddings were forbidden. The period began on Rogation Sunday, the fifth Sunday after Easter. Trinity Sunday was established as a Double of the Second Class by Pope John XXII to celebrate the Trinity. It was raised to the dignity of a Double of the First Class by Pope Pius X on 24 July 1911. In the traditional Divine Office, the Athanasian Creed is said on this day at Prime. Before 1960, it was said on all Sundays after Epiphany and Pentecost not within Octaves or on which a feast of Double rank or higher was celebrated or commemorated, as well as on Trinity Sunday. The 1960 reforms reduced it to once a year, on this Sunday. The Thursday after Trinity Sunday is observed as the Feast of Corpus Christi. In some countries, including the United States, Canada and Spain, it may be celebrated on the following Sunday, when parishioners are more likely to attend Mass and be able to celebrate the feast.

Anglican practice

The Creed of Saint Athanasius (Quicunque vult), part of the Book of Common Prayer, although not often said, is said in certain Church of England churches only on Trinity Sunday. Trinity Sunday has the status of a Principal Feast in the Church of England and is one of ECUSA's seven principal feast days.

Dates for Trinity Sunday

Trinity Sunday is the Sunday following Pentecost, and eight weeks after Easter Sunday. Following are the dates of Trinity Sunday in the Western Churches (for the dates of Trinity Sunday in the Eastern Churches, see Pentecost):

• 2002: May 26
• 2003: June 15
• 2004: June 6
• 2005: May 22
• 2006: June 11
• 2007: June 3
• 2008: May 18
• 2009: 7 June
• 2010: 30 May
• 2011: 19 June
• 2012: 3 June
• 2013: 26 May
• 2014: 15 June
• 2015: 31 May
• 2016: 22 May
• 2017: 11 June
• 2018: 27 May
• 2019: 16 June
• 2020: 7 June

The earliest possible date is May 17 as in 1818 and 2285. The latest possible date is June 20 as in 1943 and 2038.

Famous composers celebrate the Trinity

Johann Sebastian Bach composed a number of chorales relating to the Second Sunday of the Great Trinity. BWV 1 - "Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern"

• Category: Cantatas
• Subcategory: Church
• Movements:
  • Chorus: Wie Schön leuchet der Morgenstern
  • Recitative (tenor): Due wahrer Gottes und Marien Sohn
  • Aria (soprano): Erfüllet, ihr limmlischen göttlichen Flammen
  • Recitative (bass): Ein irdscher Glanz, ein leiblich Licht
  • Aria (tenor): Unser Mund und Ton der Saiten
  • Choral: Wie bin ich doch so herzlich froh
• Instrumentation: choir (soprano, tenor, bass), orchestra (horn, oboe da caccia, violin, viola, cello, continuo)
• Year: 1725
• Occasion: Annunciation
• Text adapted from the hymn by Philipp Nicolai
• English Text: Complete Vocal Works - Z. Philip Ambrose
• German Text: Bach Cantatas - Walter F. Bischof

BWV 2 - "Ach Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein"

• Category: Cantatas
• Subcategory: Church
• Movements:
  • Chorus: Ach, Gott, vom Himmel sieh darein
  • Recitative (tenor): Sie lehren eitel falsche List
  • Aria (alto): Tilg, o Gott, die Lehren
  • Recitative (bass): Die Armen sind verstort
  • Aria (tenor): Durchs Feuer wird das Silber rein
  • Choral: Das wollst du, Gott, bewahren rein
• Instrumentation: choir (alto, tenor, bass), orchestra (trombone, oboe, violin, cello, continuo)
• Year: 1724
• Occasion: Second Sunday after Trinity
• Text adapted from hymn by Martin Luther (adaptation of 12th psalm)
• English Text: Complete Vocal Works - Z. Philip Ambrose
• German Text: Bach Cantatas - Walter F. Bischof