The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, when, in the city of Nazareth, the Angel of the Lord announced to Mary: “You will conceive and give birth to a son, who will be called the Son of the Most High.” And Mary answered, saying: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word.” Thus, when the fullness of time had come, the only begotten Son of God, who existed before the creation of the world, for us and for our salvation, was incarnate by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary and became man.  

The commemoration of the holy thief, traditionally called “Dismas”, who on the cross professed faith in Christ and deserved to hear these words from Him: “Today you will be with me in paradise”.

In Nicomedia in Bithynia (now İzmit, Türkiye), Saint Dula, martyr. († unknown date)

In Rome (Italy), at the Pontian cemetery, next to Via Portuense, Saint Quirinus, martyr. († unknown date)

In Thessalonica (now Thessaloniki, Greece), Saint Matrona, a martyr, who, being the servant of a Judean woman, secretly followed the faith of Christ; discovered by her mistress, she was tormented with various tortures; finally, scourged to death, confessing the name of Christ, she gave up her spirit incorrupt to God. († unknown date)

In Milan (Italy), Saint Mona, bishop. († c. 300)

On the island of Indre, near Nantes (France), Saint Hermeland, who passed from the royal court to the monastery of Fontenelle and later became the first abbot of the monastery there. († c. 720)

* In Mammola, near Gerace (Italy), Saint Nicodemus, a hermit, who was a master of the monastic life, renowned for his austerity and great virtues. († 990)

In Sázava (Czechia), Saint Prokop, who, leaving his wife and son, devoted himself to the eremitical life, later directed the monastery he founded in this place and celebrated divine praises in the Greek rite and in the Slavonic language. († 1053)

* In Schaffhausen (Germany), Blessed Eberhard, Count of Nellenburg, who embraced monastic life in the monastery of All Saints built by his intervention. († 1078)

* In Costacciaro (Italy), Blessed Tommaso, a hermit, who spent sixty-five years of anchoretic life and taught others to follow the same spiritual path. († 1337)

In York (England), Saint Margaret Clitherow, martyr, who, with her husband’s consent, embraced the Catholic faith, raised her children there, and offered to hide persecuted priests in her home; for this reason she was imprisoned several times during the reign of Elizabeth I, and refusing to defend her cause in court, so that the conscience of the judge’s counselors would not be weighed down by the remorse of a death sentence, was crushed under an enormous weight until she died for Christ. († 1586)

* In Winton (England), Blessed James Bird, martyr, who, under the government of the same queen, at nineteen years of age and recently converted to the Catholic faith, for having refused to participate in a heretical liturgy deserved to enter into the celebration of the heavenly cult. († 1592)

In Montefiascone (Italy), Saint Lucia Filippini, founder of the Institute of Religious Teachers Filippini, designed to promote the formation of young women, especially the poorest. († 1732)

* In Niederweinigen (Germany), Blessed Maria Rosa Flesch (Margaretha Flesch), founder of the Institute of the Franciscan Sisters of Saint Mary of the Angels. († 1906)

* In Rome (Italy), Blessed Placido Riccardi, a priest of the Order of Saint Benedict, who, tormented by continual fevers, illnesses, and paralysis, unfailingly followed regular observance and prayer and taught others the same exemplary attitude. († 1915)

*  In Chervonohrad, near L’viv (Ukraine), Blessed Yosafata (Mykhailyna Hordashevs’ka), who, in the Institute of the Sisters Servants of Mary Immaculate which she founded, dedicated herself to doing good where there was a greater need. († 1919)

In Ain Karim, near Jerusalem (Israel), Saint Marie-Alphonsine Danil Ghaţţas, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Rosary of Jerusalem. († 1927)

* At the Majdanek concentration camp, near Lublin (Poland), Blessed  Omelian Kovch, eparchial priest and martyr, who, during the war, was deported to a concentration camp, achieved eternal life through the fight of faith. († 1944)

*  At the Dachau concentration camp, in Oberbayern (Germany), Blessed Hilari Januszewski, priest of the Order of the Discalced Friars of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and martyr, who, during the war, was deported from Poland to a foreign prison for the name of Christ, died of tuberculosis while caring for the sick, leaving a distinguished testimony of faith and charity. († 1945)