About the Celebration
The Exaltation of the Holy Cross is a Feast celebrated by the Church on September 14. It honors not “any cross whatsoever,” but the Cross of Jesus, in which God’s love for humanity is fully revealed. The feast contemplates the glorious Cross of Christ as the sign of God’s immense love, the sign of salvation, and a path toward the Resurrection.
Why Catholics Celebrate This Day
Catholics celebrate this feast to exalt the Cross of Jesus. The focus is not on every cross in a general sense, but on the Cross of Christ, where God’s love for humanity was fully revealed. The feast proclaims the Cross as the sign of God’s immense love, the sign of salvation, and the path toward the Resurrection.
History / Biography
The Church celebrates the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross on September 14. In the United States liturgical calendar for 2026, 2027, and 2028, it is listed as “THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS,” with the rank of Feast, during Ordinary Time, and with red as the liturgical color.
Symbols & Iconography
- The Cross of Jesus
- Red liturgical color
Notable Facts
- Celebrated on September 14.
- Ranked as a Feast in the U.S. liturgical calendar.
- Observed during Ordinary Time in the cited calendar years.
- The liturgy celebrates Our Lady of Sorrows on the following day.