2020 Holy Day of Obligation falls on a Sunday; Saturday vigil covers both?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Flipson
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
F

Flipson

Guest
Okay, so I did a search on this, but with a bevy of answers over the years, I’ve wound up pretty confused.

As we know, All Saints Day is a Holy Day of Obligation, and this year it falls on Sunday, which of course is always a Holy Day of Obligation. I attended the Saturday vigil Mass at 4 PM earlier today; did I only fulfill one obligation, and thus need to go again tomorrow? I could go to an 8 PM Sunday Mass if need be. (I don’t believe there’s diocese-wide dispensation due to COVID-19 in my area anymore, so my situation should be considered “as normal” here.)

As far as I know, someone attending on Sunday would only need to go once, even if it’s a “Double Holy Day” (so to speak), is that correct? So are both of my obligations already fulfilled, or…?
 
You’re good! :+1:t2:

FWIW, Sunday usually supersedes a feast anyway, so it’s usually not double anything. If it is, you still don’t need two Masses!
 
Last edited:
You’re good! :+1:t2:

FWIW, Sunday usually supersedes a feast anyway, so it’s usually not double anything. If it is, you still don’t need two Masses!
If a Sunday and a HDO fall on the same day, you dont need to double up. Occasionally some feasts will get transferred though, to the nearest Saturday or Monday, and at such times you will need to attend two masses, one for the Sunday and another for the feast, and cannot make.one do double duty.
 
Last edited:
You only need one Mass in this case. The Mass for Sunday, Nov. 1 and All Saints Day are one and the same in 2020. Had Nov. 1 been a Saturday, it still would not have required two Masses. Most Holy Days of Obligation, if they fall on a Saturday or Monday, do not require two Masses, as they are normally transfered to Sunday.

If Christmas falls on a Sunday, you only need one Mass.

However, when the 4th Sunday of Advent falls on Dec. 24 or if Christmas falls on a Saturday, you do need to attend two Masses. Christmas and Sundays are always obligatory. The only other Holy Day of Obligation like this in the US is Dec. 8, The Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
 
There is no Sunday on November 1 this year; all Masses will be in celebration of All Saints Day. If you check the calendar, last Sunday was the 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time and next Sunday will be the 32nd Sunday. We have no 31st this year.
 
Last edited:
Ahhh, while searching, it was the issue of “double duty” that continuously threw me for a loop, and I just didn’t know if this was one of those situations.
 
However, when the 4th Sunday of Advent falls on Dec. 24 or if Christmas falls on a Saturday, you do need to attend two Masses. Christmas and Sundays are always obligatory.
One caveat, though: in many dioceses at the present time, the obligation has been suspended due to the pandemic. So, there might not be any obligation in your diocese at all, today.
 
One caveat, though: in many dioceses at the present time, the obligation has been suspended due to the pandemic. So, there might not be any obligation in your diocese at all, today.
Very true. I am pretty sure that much of the US is dispensed from Masses of Obligation.

My explanation was more about how things work in normal situations.
 
When a solemnity of precept (the technically correct name) falls on and is observed on a Sunday you do not have two obligations. There is only one obligation. Solemnities out rank Sundays in Ordinary Time. Therefore, this year (2020) when 1st November fell on a Sunday the day was kept as All Saints.

This creates only one obligation. That obligation could have been met (the day has gone now) by going to any celebration of the Eucharist in any rite in any Catholic church on the Saturday evening or at any time on the Sunday.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top