Does Saturday afternoon wedding count as Sunday obligation?

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alnewman04

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I attended a wedding last Saturday in a different State. It began at 3 PM, and Communion was after 4 PM. We were unable to attend Mass on Saturday following the wedding because of the time that the shuttle left for the reception. We did not make it to Mass on Sunday morning.

Do I need to go to confession this weekend before attending Mass on Sunday? Or, did the nuptial Mass count?

We have really debated this and have found differing opinions online. Thanks!
 
Such being “after the fact” - I would repent of any sin and confess it (tell the Priest what happened) along with any venial sins one wishes to confess…
 
No the Saturday mass that fulfills the Sunday obbligation is the “vespers” mass.

It is after 6 pm and also the liturgy read is the same as the one for the Sunday.
I would confess it to my priest as soon as possible.

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alnewman04 said:
I attended a wedding last Saturday in a different State. It began at 3 PM, and Communion was after 4 PM. We were unable to attend Mass on Saturday following the wedding because of the time that the shuttle left for the reception. We did not make it to Mass on Sunday morning.

Do I need to go to confession this weekend before attending Mass on Sunday? Or, did the nuptial Mass count?

We have really debated this and have found differing opinions online. Thanks!
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There are differing opinions because it varies by diocese. Each diocese sets the time for Saturday Masses that are in anticipation of Sunday. It is usually 4 or 5 pm. I have never heard of one as early as 3pm.

If the Mass was after the diocesan time, it “counts” otherwise it doesn’t. Usually, if it is a Mass that “counts” for Sunday obligation, the priest will make an announcement since this is a common question.
 
No, I don’t think it does. To the best of my understanding, a nuptial Mass is not to replace the Sunday liturgy, even if the wedding is on Sunday.
 
JerryZ said:
No the Saturday mass that fulfills the Sunday obbligation is the “vespers” mass.

It is after 6 pm and also the liturgy read is the same as the one for the Sunday.
I would confess it to my priest as soon as possible.

–
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Not correct. The time is generally after 4 pm, at least in most US dioceses, and the readings do not matter.
 
Such being “after the fact” - I would repent of any sin and confess it (tell the Priest what happened) along with any venial sins one wishes to confess…
 
His_helpmeet said:
No, I don’t think it does. To the best of my understanding, a nuptial Mass is not to replace the Sunday liturgy, even if the wedding is on Sunday.
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Again, not true. A Nuptial Mass - if after the appropriate time in the diocese - indeed fulfills the Sunday obligation.

Canon 1248.1: “A person who assists at a Mass celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the feast day itself or in the evening of the preceding day satisfies the obligation of participating in Mass.”

The Nuptial Mass is, indeed, a Mass celebrated “in a Catholic rite.” The time would be the issue in question, not the fact it was a Nuptial Mass.

You can’t get much more definitive than Canon Law.
 
Thanks for the replies. I just emailed my Priest as well for his ruling. I was planning to go to Confession on Saturday anyway because I have been trying to go once a month. My reason for questioning it before then is whether I need to avoid daily Mass until I make it to Confession. I normally go on Thursdays and wanted to go Saturday morning, but I don’t want to receive if I am in a state of sin.
 
alnewman04 said:
Thanks for the replies. I just emailed my Priest as well for his ruling. I was planning to go to Confession on Saturday anyway because I have been trying to go once a month. My reason for questioning it before then is whether I need to avoid daily Mass until I make it to Confession. I normally go on Thursdays and wanted to go Saturday morning, but I don’t want to receive if I am in a state of sin.
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You don’t have to avoid daily Mass, you just have to avoid Communion for those two days. You are aware that you don’t have to receive each time you’re at Mass, aren’t you?
 
This is a good question to ask your priest. Yes, responses vary.

Dixieeagle is right that Canon Law nowhere stipulates that the readings must be for the particular day for which the obligation holds. And the time frame Canon Law gives (i.e. “evening of the previous day”) is decidedly vague. Most places seem to interpret that as 4pm. I’ve seen at least one place interpret that as any time after noon (which seems to be stretching the definition, in my personal opinion).

So just ask your priest and all will be well. 🙂
 
Phemie said:
You don’t have to avoid daily Mass, you just have to avoid Communion for those two days. You are aware that you don’t have to receive each time you’re at Mass, aren’t you?
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Yes, thank you I am aware. My comment stated that I was unsure if I could “receive” since I don’t know if I am in a state of sin.
 
Joe_5859 said:
This is a good question to ask your priest. Yes, responses vary.

Dixieeagle is right that Canon Law nowhere stipulates that the readings must be for the particular day for which the obligation holds. And the time frame Canon Law gives (i.e. “evening of the previous day”) is decidedly vague. Most places seem to interpret that as 4pm. I’ve seen at least one place interpret that as any time after noon (which seems to be stretching the definition, in my personal opinion).

So just ask your priest and all will be well. 🙂
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Most places interpret ‘evening’ as after 4 p.m. based on Pius XII’s 1953’s Apostolic Constitution ***Christus Dominus ***which said in part:
With Reference to Evening Masses
(Constitution, Rule VI)

By the force of the Constitution the Ordinaries of places have the faculty of permitting the saying of evening Masses in their own territory, should circumstances render this necessary. (…)
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  1. Such Masses, however, may not be said before four o’clock in the afternoon…
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Phemie said:
Most places interpret ‘evening’ as after 4 p.m. based on Pius XII’s 1953’s Apostolic Constitution ***Christus Dominus ***which said in part:
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So that’s where they got that time from. I figured they did not pull it out of thin air. :o
 
alnewman04 said:
I attended a wedding last Saturday in a different State. It began at 3 PM, and Communion was after 4 PM. We were unable to attend Mass on Saturday following the wedding because of the time that the shuttle left for the reception. We did not make it to Mass on Sunday morning.

Do I need to go to confession this weekend before attending Mass on Sunday? Or, did the nuptial Mass count?
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To add my :twocents: to this thread, I think it depends in part on the jurisdiction. Some dioceses allow a Saturday “vigil” Mass to be done earlier than the standard 4pm. IIRC, Las Vegas is one such, and there may be others. A quick call to the rectory or the chancery of the place where the wedding was held should give a definitive answer.
 
alnewman04 said:
Thanks for the replies. I just emailed my Priest as well for his ruling. I was planning to go to Confession on Saturday anyway because I have been trying to go once a month. My reason for questioning it before then is whether I need to avoid daily Mass until I make it to Confession. I normally go on Thursdays and wanted to go Saturday morning, but I don’t want to receive if I am in a state of sin.
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Of course you don’t have to avoid daily Mass. And you only need to avoid Communion if you are in a state of mortal sin, which requires three conditions:
  1. Grave matter.
  2. Full knowledge.
  3. Deliberate consent.
While missing the Sunday obligation is, indeed, a grave matter, your post indicates that you may have lacked full knowledge, and, possibly, deliberate consent.
 
malphono said:
To add my :twocents: to this thread, I think it depends in part on the jurisdiction. Some dioceses allow a Saturday “vigil” Mass to be done earlier than the standard 4pm. IIRC, Las Vegas is one such, and there may be others. A quick call to the rectory or the chancery of the place where the wedding was held should give a definitive answer.
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Christmas Vigil Masses in Diocese of Richmond were allowed to start at 3pm this past year. I was there at one Mass
 
I just did a little research on this last week prior to a Saturday wedding. It appears that even canon lawyers are divided on the issue, on what constitutes “afternoon”. Some say the Mass needs to be at 4 or after; some say noon or after. And we are left to choose which one we will follow.
 
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