Days of Obligation in the US

[jmfiore]

What are the Holy Days of Obligation in the US, and the rules pertaining to them i.e. fasting, certain prayers, etc and do the same rules of attendance apply to them as mass on Sunday being that you must go unless through no fault of your own you cannot attend due to illness etc. As I work in healthcare and work 12 hour shifts which might include 7a-7p which would make me at work pretty much during all the times mass would be offered on Holy days?

Thank you.

 

[Chatter163]

Google is your friend.

 

[DanJay1983]

There are six holy days of obligation in total:

1. January 1st - Mary, Mother of God
2. Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter (or 40th day of Easter) - Ascension of the Lord (this feast has been moved to the following Sunday in many dioceses so that you would not have an obligation to attend Mass on Thursday, but you would have to check with your specific diocese)
3. August 15th - Assumption of Mary
4. November 1st - All Saints Day
5. December 8th - Immaculate Conception
6. December 25th - Christmas

If the feast for Mary, Mother of God, Assumption of Mary, or All Saints Day falls on a Saturday or Monday (#s 1, 3, and 4 above), then your obligation to attend Mass is fulfilled by going to Mass on the Sunday in between. This rule does not apply for #s 2, 5, and 6 above as you must attend Mass on those actual feast days regardless of the day of the week that they fall on. As always, attending a Vigil Mass the evening before fulfills your obligation.

This was the first Google hit if you want more details:
catholicism.about.com/od/holydaysandholidays/tp/Holy-Days-Of-Obligation-United-States.htm

Hope that helps!

Dan

 

[Joe_5859]

Welcome to CAF!

Dan is correct. Here is the official documentation from the US Bishops’ website:

usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/canon-law/complementary-norms/canon-1246.cfm

The only days of fasting are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, but neither are Holy Days of Obligation. And Fridays during Lent are days of abstinence from meat, though we are to do some sort of penance every Friday, even outside of Lent.

If you work in the health care field, that sometimes makes it impossible to get to Mass. Check with your priest about this. If you have work obligations that cannot be changed, then you cannot be obligated to that which is impossible for you to fulfill. Your local priest would be in a better position to guide you on how this works with your individual situation. Quitting your job over it is usually not the best course of action. But then we don’t want to make excuses if we really can do it just because it might be a bit more difficult. Your priest will be able to help you sort it out.

 

[jmfiore]

I use masstimes.org to find Catholic churches and their mass times around where I live and work to find a time I could go.

Do most churches hold vigil masses for holy days too or just Sundays? (I am a confirmed Catholic, but I just dont remember learning any of this in my CCD program – I had to ask my Priest at my first confession in over 10 years what a mortal sin was…)

 

[MissRose73]

Some places may offer a vigil Mass for the Holy Day which can satisfy the obligation for those in circumstances like an unusual work schedule may be able to attend. Check online with your local diocese and local churches to see what is available.

 

[Joe_5859]

I use masstimes.org to find Catholic churches and their mass times around where I live and work to find a time I could go.

Do most churches hold vigil masses for holy days too or just Sundays? (I am a confirmed Catholic, but I just dont remember learning any of this in my CCD program – I had to ask my Priest at my first confession in over 10 years what a mortal sin was…)

Some do, some don’t. It’s tough to generalize. Most parishes tend to have their regular daily Mass in the morning rather than the evening. When a Holy Day of Obligation falls on a weekday, some parishes add an additional evening Mass the day before to serve as a Vigil, while others will add an evening Mass on the day of the Holy Day. If the parish only has one priest, they usually don’t do both. Whether for the Vigil or on the Holy Day, both would usually be around 6 or 7pm to accommodate people who work regular 9-5 jobs (which I guess doesn’t apply to you. ).

But, again, it varies a lot from place to place, so it’s always good to check ahead. Masstimes.org is great for that. I would always recommend contacting the parish directly just to double check, though. Sometimes parishes don’t update their information online that quickly.