The Exaltation of the Cross honors Christ's Cross, an instrument made sacred by the Lord's offering of Himself upon it for our salvation. It is celebrated in both Catholicism and Orthodoxy on September 14. Click here to learn about the history of this feast day on Franciscan Media.

Solemnities, Feasts, and Memorials are days which are celebrated in commemoration of the sacred mysteries and events recorded in the history of our redemption, in memory of the Virgin Mother of Christ, or of His apostles, martyrs, and saints.

About the image: Exaltation of the True Cross, a painting by Adam Elsheimer (1578-1610), is part of the Altarpiece of the Holy Cross at the Städel Museum in Frankfurt, Germany.