‘Summer Christmas’: Why does the Church celebrate the birthday of St. John the Baptist?

Statue of St. John the Baptist with golden cross, Charles Bridge, Prague, Czech Republic. / Credit: Oldrich Barak/Shutterstock Rome Newsroom, Jun 24, 2025 / 11:13 am (CNA). St. John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, is one of only three people in history — after Jesus and Mary — whose birthday is celebrated in the Church’s liturgy. In fact, the Nativity of St. John the Baptist on June 24 is a solemnity, meaning it is the highest form of Catholic…