WHY DO WE HAVE HOLY DAYS OF OBLIGATION?

“The paschal mystery is the life, passion, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ—the central theological realities of every liturgical celebration which are most especially experienced by the Christian community on Sunday, the day of the resurrection.” Commentary on the Code of Canon Law 1246.

WHAT IS A HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION?

In the Roman Catholic Church, Holy Days of Obligation are the days on which, as canon 1247 states:

“On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are obliged to participate in the Mass. Moreover, they are to abstain from those works and affairs which hinder the worship to be rendered to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s day, or the suitable relaxation of mind and body.”

HOLY DAY OBSERVANCE

A person who assists at a Mass celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the Holy Day of Obligation itself or after 4:00 PM of the evening of the preceding day satisfies the obligation of participating in the Mass. Canon Law #1248-§1.

HOLY DAYS OF OBLIGATION

The 1983 Code of Canon Law identifies every Sunday as "the primordial holy day of obligation" in the universal Church. “Remember, keep holy the Sabbath.” In addition to every Sunday, there are 6 other Holy Days of Mass attendance obligation observed in the United States:

• The Nativity of the Lord Jesus Christ (Christmas, Dec. 25)
  
  
• The Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God (Octave of Christmas, Jan. 1) Refer to Note #1
  
  
• The Ascension of the Lord (40 days after Easter, but transferred now from Thursday to Sunday in South Carolina) Refer to Note #2
  
  
• The Assumption of Mary (Aug. 15) Refer to Note #3
  
  
• The Solemnity of All Saints (Nov. 1) Refer to Note #4
  
  
• The Immaculate Conception of Mary (Dec. 8)
  

Church calendars and missals are printed to follow the determinations of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

Reference: Reverend Monsignor Dennis M. Schnurr. (2002). Canon 1246 - United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Washington, DC. _____________________________________

Notes:

(1,3,4) On January 1,1993, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops determined that the holy days of Mary, the Mother of God (Jan. 1), the Assumption of Mary (Aug. 15) and All Saints Day (Nov. 1) would not carry the Mass attendance obligation whenever they fall on either a Saturday or a Monday. However, whenever those three holy days fall on a Tuesday, a Wednesday, a Thursday or a Friday, they do continue to carry the familiar Mass attendance obligation. This decision of the American Bishops was approved by the Vatican on July 4, 1992.

(2) On July 5, 1999, the American Bishops received approval from the Vatican to transfer the observance of the holy day of the Ascension, and its Mass attendance obligation, from Ascension Thursday to the following Sunday. The bishops of each American province were to decide whether to adopt that transfer. Our Atlanta Province bishops, of which South Carolina is a part, have adopted that transfer so that from now on the Ascension is to be observed on that Sunday.