The Complete Manual of Catholic Piety / Containing a Selection of Fervent Prayers, Pious Reflection, and Solid Instructions, Adapted to Every State of Life. To Which is Annexed a Supplement, Containing Excellent and Approved Devotions, With the Epistles and Gospels for All the Sundays and Festivals of the Year.

by William Gahan

Nevertheless, nothing would be more pleasing to God, nor more proper to draw down upon us new graces.

To facilitate, therefore, the exercise of this important duty, certain forms of vocal prayers have always been recommended, particularly such as have been used by the Saints, and drawn from the divine Psalms, which are so full of sublime ideas, of tender sentiments of piety, of fervent aspirations, of transports and raptures in God, that all the subjects of Prayer which are suitable either to the penitent way, the illuminative way, or the unitive way, are to be met with therein.

The Manual now offered to the piety of Irish Catholics, will be found, on a diligent perusal, to have no small claim to this merit. The many editions it has gone through, the high esteem it is held in by interior souls, the constant and universal demand for it, is all we shall say in its praise.

To render it still more acceptable and more complete, the present edition has been very considerably enlarged, improved, and enriched with Instructions and Devotions for Confirmation; with an explanation of the Latin Liturgy, and of the Ceremonies used in the sacrifice of the Mass, and different pious methods of assisting thereat; with particular Devotions for every day in the Week; in short, with a great variety of Sacred Hymns of praise and thanksgiving, and of spiritual Exercises of Piety for several occasions, taken from the most approved Books of Devotion in the French and English Language. [Footnote 1]

[Footnote 1: See the Supplement attached to this Book.]

A Table Of Moveable Feasts.

DL = Dominical Letter
Year DL Ash Easter Ascension Whit Corpus 1st Sunday
of our Wed Sunday Thursday Sunday Christi in Advent.
Lord
1844 GF 21 Feb 7 Apr 16 May 26 May 6 June 1 Dec
1845 E 5 Feb 23 Mar 1 May 11 May 22 May 30 Nov
1846 D 25 Feb 12 Apr 21 May 31 May 11 June 29 Nov
1847 C 17 Feb 4 Apr 13 May 23 May 8 June 28 Nov
1848 BA 8 Mar 23 Apr 1 June 11 June 22 June 3 Dec
1849 G 21 Feb 8 Apr 17 May 27 May 7 June 2 Dec
1850 F 13 Feb 31 Mar 9 May 19 May 30 May 1 Dec
1851 E 5 Mar 20 Apr 29 May 8 June 19 June 30 Nov
1852 DC 25 Feb 11 Apr 20 May 30 May 10 June 28 Nov
1853 B 9 Feb 27 Mar 5 May 15 May 26 May 27 Nov
1854 A 1 Mar 16 Apr 25 May 4 June 15 June 3 Dec
1855 G 21 Feb 8 Apr 17 May 27 May 7 June 2 Dec
1856 FE 6 Feb 23 Mar 1 May 11 May 22 May 30 Nov
1857 D 25 Feb 12 Apr 21 May 31 May 11 June 29 Nov
1858 C 17 Feb 4 Apr 13 May 23 May 3 June 28 Nov
1859 B 9 Mar 24 Apr 2 June 12 June 23 June 27 Nov
1860 AG 22 Feb 8 Apr 17 May 27 May 7 June 2 Dec
1861 F 13 Feb 31 Mar 9 May 19 May 30 May 1 Dec
1862 E 5 Mar 20 Apr 29 May 8 June 19 June 30 Nov
1863 D 18 Feb 5 Apr 14 May 24 May 4 June 29 Nov
1864 CB 10 Feb 27 Mar 5 May 15 May 26 May 27 Nov
1865 A 1 Mar 16 Apr 25 May 4 June 15 June 3 Dec
1866 G 14 Feb 1 Apr 10 May 20 May 31 May 2 Dec
1867 F 6 Mar 21 Apr 30 May 9 June 20 June 1 Dec
1868 ED 26 Feb 12 Apr 21 May 31 May 11 June 29 Nov
1869 C 10 Feb 28 Mar 6 May 16 May 27 May 28 Nov
1870 B 2 Mar 17 Apr 26 May 5 June 16 June 27 Nov
1871 A 22 Feb 9 Apr 18 May 28 May 8 June 3 Dec
1872 GF 13 Feb 31 Mar 9 May 19 May 30 May 1 Dec
1873 E 26 Feb 13 Apr 22 May 1 June 12 June 30 Nov
1874 D 18 Feb 5 Apr 14 May 24 May 4 June 29 Nov
[Transcriber's note: The following table is from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominical_letter.
A: common year starting on Sunday (or ending on Sunday)
B: common year starting on Saturday (or ending on Saturday)
C: common year starting on Friday (or ending on Friday)
D: common year starting on Thursday (or ending on Thursday)
E: common year starting on Wednesday (or ending on Wednesday)
F: common year starting on Tuesday (or ending on Tuesday)
G: common year starting on Monday (or ending on Monday)
AG: leap year starting on Sunday (or ending on Monday)
BA: leap year starting on Saturday (or ending on Sunday)
CB: leap year starting on Friday (or ending on Saturday)
DC: leap year starting on Thursday (or ending on Friday)
ED: leap year starting on Wednesday (or ending on Thursday)
FE: leap year starting on Tuesday (or ending on Wednesday)
GF: leap year starting on Monday (or ending on Tuesday)]