Name days: a simple way to keep the community close

In Greek tradition, a name day often matters more than a birthday. It connects a person to their saint and to the community. For a parish, it is a natural moment to tell each parishioner: we remember you.

Why it matters

Many parishioners come to church only a few times a year. A personal greeting from the priest or the parish keeps the relationship open between the great feasts.

The difficulty

The church calendar has hundreds of names, variants (Giannis, Ioanna, Ioannis) and movable feasts that change date every year, such as St George, which moves to after Pascha when it falls before it. By hand, someone always gets missed.

How to organise it

• Record each member's name day, with their consent.
• Prepare a short, warm greeting in advance.
• Check each morning who is celebrating and send the greetings.
• On major feasts, mention those celebrating in the homily or newsletter.

With respect

A greeting should be personal and discreet. Do not share public lists of those celebrating without their consent.

In Convivia, the church calendar and greetings are built in. See the features.