The first edition of Lesser Feasts and Fasts was authorized morethan 40 years ago to meet a liturgical and pastoral need for thecommemoration of various saints and occasions not included asmajor Holy Days on the calendar of the Book of Common Prayer.Subsequent editions have been updated regularly to includebiographical and liturgical material for new commemorationsauthorized for permanent or trial observance by the GeneralConvention of the Episcopal Church.This newest edition will contain material approved for trial use bythe 2006 General Convention. Among the names presented areOscar Romero, Roman Catholic Bishop of El Salvador and martyr; James Theodore Holly, first African-American bishop in theEpiscopal Church; and Vida Scudder, educator and reformer.
