October 1 is especially important in the Catholic Church because it is the Memorial of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, also called St. Thérèse of Lisieux or the Little Flower.
Across the centuries, October 1 has also seen popes begin their service, a Catholic queen crowned in England.
Also, important beatifications and canonizations, a major Synod for Europe, and important papal journeys occurred.
Here are 10 memorable events connected with Catholic Church history on October 1.
1. October 1, 366 – St. Damasus I Begins His Papacy
On October 1, 366, Damasus I became Bishop of Rome and began serving as pope. He led the Church during a difficult period when Christians were arguing about important teachings concerning Jesus Christ.
Damasus strongly defended the teaching of the Council of Nicaea about the divinity of Christ. He also encouraged respect for the Christian martyrs of Rome and helped preserve their memory.
During his papacy, St. Jerome became closely connected with him and later worked on the Latin translation of the Bible. Damasus served as pope until he died in 384 and is honoured by the Church as a saint.
2. October 1, 965 – Pope John XIII Begins His Pontificate
On October 1, 965, John XIII was formally installed as pope. Before becoming pope, he had been the Bishop of Narni in Italy.
His election came during a difficult period when powerful Roman families and the Holy Roman Emperor were heavily involved in Church affairs.
John XIII later faced rebellion in Rome and was even imprisoned for a time before returning to the city. During his papacy, he worked with Emperor Otto I and supported the growth of Church organization in parts of Europe. Vatican records list October 1, 965, as the beginning of his pontificate.
3. October 1, 1553 – Mary I Is Crowned Queen of England
On October 1, 1553, Mary I was crowned Queen of England at Westminster Abbey. Mary was the daughter of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon and remained strongly Catholic.
Her coronation included Catholic religious customs that had been reduced or changed during the reign of her Protestant half-brother, Edward VI.
After becoming queen, Mary tried to restore England’s relationship with the Catholic Church. Her reign later became deeply controversial because hundreds of Protestants were executed for heresy.
Her coronation remains an important event in the religious history of England during the Reformation.
4. October 1, 1950 – Maria De Mattias Is Beatified
On October 1, 1950, Pope Pius XII beatified Maria De Mattias in Rome. Maria was an Italian religious woman who founded the Adorers of the Blood of Christ.
She devoted her life to teaching the faith, helping poor people and encouraging women and children to receive an education. Her religious community later spread to many countries.
Beatification meant that the Catholic Church officially recognized her holy life and allowed public devotion to her as “Blessed.” More than fifty years later, Pope John Paul II declared her a saint on May 18, 2003.
5. October 1, 1979 – Pope John Paul II Arrives in the United States
On October 1, 1979, Pope St. John Paul II arrived at Logan Airport in Boston, beginning his first apostolic visit to the United States as pope.
He had just completed his historic visit to Ireland. In Boston, he visited the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and celebrated a large outdoor Mass on Boston Common.
Thousands of people gathered despite rainy weather. The visit later took him to New York, Philadelphia, Iowa, Chicago and Washington, D.C.
John Paul II said he had come as a pilgrim of faith and wanted to meet Americans of different religious and cultural backgrounds.
6. October 1, 1989 – Pope John Paul II Beatifies New Witnesses of the Faith
On October 1, 1989, Pope John Paul II celebrated a major beatification ceremony in Rome. Among those declared Blessed were Niceforo Díez Tejerina and his fellow martyrs, Passionist priests and brothers killed during religious persecution in Spain.
The Pope also beatified Lorenzo Salvi, Geltrude Comensoli and Francina Cirer Carbonell. These people had lived very different lives, but all were honoured for their Christian faith and service.
Geltrude Comensoli, for example, founded a religious congregation centred on devotion to the Eucharist. She was later canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.
7. October 1, 1999 – The Second Special Synod for Europe Opens
On October 1, 1999, Pope John Paul II opened the Second Special Assembly for Europe of the Synod of Bishops.
Bishops from across Europe gathered in Rome to discuss the future of Christianity on the continent as the world approached the year 2000.
The meeting’s theme was “Jesus Christ, alive in his Church, the source of hope for Europe.” The bishops discussed challenges facing European Christians after the political changes of the late twentieth century, including declining religious practice and the need for new evangelization. The Synod continued until October 23.
8. October 1, 1999 – Three Women Saints Become Co-Patronesses of Europe
During the same celebration on October 1, 1999, Pope John Paul II named three women saints as Co-Patronesses of Europe: St. Bridget of Sweden, St. Catherine of Siena and St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, also known as Edith Stein.
They joined St. Benedict, St. Cyril and St. Methodius, who were already patrons of Europe. John Paul II wanted to highlight the important contribution women had made to Christianity and European history.
Bridget and Catherine worked strongly for Church renewal, while Edith Stein, a Jewish-born Carmelite nun, was killed at Auschwitz during the Holocaust.
9. October 1, 2000 – Pope John Paul II Canonizes 123 New Saints
On October 1, 2000, Pope John Paul II declared 123 people saints during a huge celebration in St. Peter’s Square. The group included St. Augustine Zhao Rong and 119 companions, Catholics who had been killed for their faith in China over several centuries.
Three other major saints were also canonized: St. Katharine Drexel of the United States, St. Josephine Bakhita of Sudan and Italy, and St. María Josefa Sancho de Guerra of Spain.
The celebration showed the worldwide nature of the Catholic Church, with new saints connected with Asia, Africa, Europe and North America.
10. October 1, 2016 – Pope Francis Celebrates Mass With Catholics in Georgia
On October 1, 2016, Pope Francis celebrated Mass in Tbilisi, Georgia, during his apostolic journey to Georgia and Azerbaijan.
Catholics are a small minority in Georgia, where most Christians belong to the Georgian Orthodox Church. Francis encouraged the Catholic community not to lose hope because of its small size.
He spoke about God’s mercy and praised mothers and grandmothers who had helped pass the Christian faith from one generation to another.
During the same day, he met priests and religious people, visited Catholic charity workers and visited the important Georgian Orthodox Svetitskhoveli Cathedral, encouraging greater Christian unity.
Saint of the Day – St. Thérèse of Lisieux
October 1 is the Memorial of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, better known as St. Thérèse of Lisieux or the Little Flower.
Thérèse was a French Carmelite nun who died very young. She entered the Carmelite monastery at Lisieux when she was only 15.
- She did not travel around the world preaching. She lived a quiet life inside a convent.
- Yet she taught that people can become holy through what she called the “Little Way” – doing small, ordinary things with great love and trusting completely in God.
- Her spiritual writings became famous after her death.
- Pope Pius XI canonized her in 1925, and Pope John Paul II declared her a Doctor of the Church in 1997. She is also a patron saint of Catholic missionary work, even though she never personally travelled to a foreign mission.
An important detail: St. Thérèse actually died on September 30, 1897. October 1 is her present liturgical feast day, so we should not incorrectly say that she died on October 1.
A Special October 1, 2026 Note
There is also an important Catholic event scheduled for October 1, 2026.
Vatican News reports that Pope Leo XIV is expected to pray the Rosary for peace in the Vatican Gardens with hundreds of children from schools and parishes in Rome. The event is connected with the “One Million Children Praying the Rosary” initiative.
Because October 1, 2026 has not yet happened at the time this article is being prepared, I have not counted that scheduled event among the ten historical events above.
What Can We Learn From October 1?
- October 1 gives us many different lessons from Catholic history.
- St. Damasus reminds us to protect and pass on the faith.
- Maria De Mattias shows us the importance of education and helping people in need.
- St. Thérèse teaches that we do not have to become famous or perform extraordinary actions to become holy.
- The European Synod reminds us that the Church must continue asking how to share the Gospel with each new generation.
- And the saints canonized in 2000 show that holiness can come from every country, culture and way of life.
The message of October 1 is simple: do the small things of everyday life with great love, remain faithful to God and use your life to help others.
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