This is a csv file which can be imported into Microsoft Outlook 2003, as well as into other applications such as a spreadsheet. Save the file to your disc and then import into Outlook using File -> Import and Export (or File -> Open -> Import in Outlook 2010) to start the Import and Export Wizard.

This file will also import into Outlook 2010 and Outlook 2007. There appear to be some formatting issues caused by Outlook auto-formatting the imported text, but this does not affect the content.

Although Outlook allows the import of .ics and .vcs files, do not load the iCal and vCal files from this site, as they are not configured for Outlook.

This is an iCalendar file which can be imported into version 2 or later of Apple’s iCal desktop calendar (the current version of iCal is 5.0). There are two ways of using this option.

One way is to save the .ics file to your hard disc, then in iCal select the menu command File -> Import, select the default iCal option, and then choose the file that you saved. You will probably want to load the data into its own new calendar so that you can manage it separately. From here you can sync the calendar to an iPhone, iPad, iPod, Blackberry, or other Smartphone or PDA.

Alternatively you can subscribe to the calendar directly from within iCal. This can be done by choosing the menu option On this page select the option iCal and iOS subscription together with the other options you require. This will display a page with another link on it. Copy the link to the clipboard by right-clicking and selecting ‘Copy link’ or ‘Copy shortcut’ or similar option. Then in iCal choose the menu option Calendar -> Subscribe... and paste the link that you have just copied into the Subscribe to: box. The advantage of this method is that you can refresh the subscribed calendar with iCal, should there be any corrections or updates. You do not have to remove the old entries and reload a new file. The disadvantage is that a subscribed calendar cannot be altered, so you will be unable to add notes or other information into the CW calendar in iCal.

This file does not import into older versions of iCal, including version 1.5.5 which is the version freely available on Apple’s website. Version 2 and later appear to be only available with Mac OS X from 10.4. If you are using iCal v1.5 then you can import this vCal file.

This file is not recommended for use with Outlook. Instead use the .csv version.

You can subscribe to the calendar directly from your iPhone, iPad or other iOS device. Browse to this page on your iPhone (etc) and select the option iCal and iOS subscription together with the other options you require. This will display a page with another link on it. Tap on this link to download the Calendar file; your iPhone (etc) will then ask you if you want to import the file into your Calendar.

Agendus for Windows – Palm Desktop Edition shares the same files as Palm Desktop for Windows. The simplest way of importing into Agendus is to quit Agendus, start Palm Desktop for Windows, and import the Palm vCal file (below). Then quit Palm Desktop and restart Agendus.

This is a vCalendar file which can be imported into Palm Desktop for Windows. It may also be useful for importing into other calendar applications. Import via the menu File -> Import, then select ‘vCal file’, and choose the .vcs file). You will need to slightly tidy up afterwards, as it gets the import wrong on the last Sunday of March and the last Sunday of October (i.e. when Summer Time begins and ends) -- you will have to turn the items on those dates into ‘all day’ events rather than timed events.

This file is not recommended for use with Outlook. Instead use the .csv version.

This is a vCalendar file which can be imported into Palm Desktop for Macintosh. Import using the menu command File -> Import, and choose the .vcs file.

Apple’s Safari web browser seems to refuse to save files with the suffix .vcs, and instead it appends an extra suffix .ics which prevents the file from being imported into Palm Desktop. The solution to this is to find the file in the Finder and to rename it to remove the .ics suffix. You might need to have the Finder preference ‘Show all file extensions’ ticked in order to see the .ics file extension.

I do not have extensive experience of MS Entourage, and have not found a way in which calendar data can be imported into it. However, the following workaround is offered. Please note that this workaround has only been tested with Entourage 2004, and not with Entourage 2008, to which I do not have access. (Please let me know of any success with Entourage 2008.)

This workaround imports the data into iCal and then syncs it across to Entourage. Start both Entourage and iCal. In Entourage open the Preferences panel (Entourage -> Preferences... menu). In the ‘General Preferences’ section select ‘Sync Services’, and then in the main Preferences panel tick the box marked ‘Synchronize events and tasks with iCal and .Mac’. After a short wait (perhaps several minutes), a new calendar will be inserted into iCal, labelled ‘Entourage’. You may need to agree to this in an alert dialogue box that appears. Now, in iCal, import the iCal version of the almanac download file. Make sure that you import into this new ‘Entourage’ calendar in iCal. The CW data will appear in iCal, and, after another lengthy pause (another few minutes) will also appear in Entourage.

I no longer provide a Palm Desktop Archive version of the Almanac. The following instructions apply to earlier years when that was available.

1. Download the required file to your local hard drive. In most browsers you can do this by right-clicking on the link and selecting ‘save as...’ or similar. With a one-button Mac mouse click and hold to get the pop-up menu.
2. On your PC open the Palm Desktop and select the Datebook.
3. Optionally create a new user to examine the archive -- see below.
4. On the ‘File’ menu select ‘Import...’
5. Choose the file cw-cal.dba and select ‘Open’
6. Hotsync your Palm or Palm Pilot. Your Palm will now include all the fixed dates of the Common Worship Calendar

EXAMINING THE ARCHIVE

You may wish to examine and perhaps modify the archive before merging it into your Datebook. To do this follow these steps:

1. Create a new user in the Palm Desktop by selecting ‘Edit Users...’ from the ‘Users’ menu at the top right of the Desktop.
2. Select this user. You are now presented with an empty Desktop Datebook, Addressbook, etc. Your real data is still available under the ‘Users’ menu. This new user will not be Hotsynced.
3. Import the Datebook archive file using the procedure above.
4. You can now browse and edit the Calendar.
5. If you have modified the Calendar and wish to use your modified version then export the Datebook to a Datebook archive (dba) file. You may wish to overwrite cw-cal.dba or to create a new dba file. To export an archive select ‘Export...’ from the ‘File’ menu.
6. Switch back to your real user.
7. Import the original or the modified archive into your Desktop datebook. This will merge the Calendar into your Datebook.
8. Hotsync to transfer the Calendar to your Palm or Palm Pilot.