Attending Mass on Halloween night

[LizzThompson]

I’m in RCIA and am making plans for All Saints Day.
We live outside of town and my non Catholic husband wants to take our children to town on Halloween to trick or treat, but that will mean I can’t go back into town the next day for Mass.
Can I attend Mass on the 31st and miss on the 1st or should I ask my husband to take the children to a closer “trunk-or-treat” and attend on the 1st?

 

[MagdalenaRita]

Can I attend Mass on the 31st and miss on the 1st or should I ask my husband to take the children to a closer “trunk-or-treat” and attend on the 1st?

In my parish we always have a Mass on the 31st that fulfills your All Saints Day obligation. I actually prefer that particular evening Mass.

 

[Joe_5859]

Is the Mass on the 31st an evening Mass? If so, then it would fulfill the obligation for All Saints Day.

That said, if you are in RCIA and are not yet Catholic, the obligation to attend Mass does not yet apply to you—though of course it is a great idea to go!

 

[LizzThompson]

Yes it is. That’s what I wanted to know and didn’t know how to put it!
They made it sound like it wasn’t a big deal if we made it to mass yet but I figured now is the time to sort these things out.
Thank you!

 

[PetraG]

You didn’t ask this, but I’m a country kid and I like trick or treating at our close neighbors. We didn’t go to many places, because our neighbors lived so far apart, but when you’re way out there you appreciate all the kids you get to come by. I wouldn’t trade that for trick or treating at the houses of strangers, no matter how much candy it got me. (We did know people in town, but our closest neighbors would have missed us.)

Our parish priest decorated the parish house; it was one of the best places to go trick or treating. (He always saw Halloween as kicking off the month of remembering our mortality and the need to pray for the dead.)

 

[TomH1]

Can I attend Mass on the 31st and miss on the 1st

Yes, if the Mass on the 31st October is in the evening.

You can fulfil the obligation of going to Mass on all Sundays and other holy days of obligation by going to Mass on the day itself or on the previous evening. The obligation can be fulfilled in any Catholic Church, Latin or Eastern, and in any liturgical rite of those churches.

 

[Cor_ad_Cor]

And in addition to what’s been shared above, it can be any Mass; it doesn’t need to use the prayers/readings of All Saints Day to “count” for your obligation (although that fails to consider the intention/spirit of why you’re going). Any Mass - funeral, wedding, Mass of the day for Thursday, etc.

 

[Canvas]

Yes. The Vigil Mass for All Saints Day does fulfill your obligation.

In most Catholic Parishes, Sunday Mass is offered on Saturday evening (after 4 pm in most places) as well as calendar Sunday. These are authentic Sunday Masses and fulfill your Sunday obligation.

Any Mass on the day of obligation or on the preceding evening fulfills the obligation, even if it has different readings.

 

[poche]

The answer is yes. That is the meaning of Halloween, All Hallows Eve.The feast of All Saints is so holy (it is a solemnity) that teh night before is holy too.