I get confused with the holy days of obligation

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Is it true that they are different for each country?
What are they in the US?
 
There are some differences in holy days in parts of the world. I think Canada and the US share the same holy days. Ours are (and I hope I list them all!! :o) :
The Assumption 8/15
All Saints 11/1
The Immaculate Conception 12/8
Christmas Day 12/25
Feast of the Holy family 1/1
Easter Sunday
all Sundays
 
Actually, in Canada there are only two holy days of obligation (in addition to all Sundays):
Christmas, Dec 25
Mary, Mother of God, Jan 1
 
saskatoon said:
There are some differences in holy days in parts of the world. I think Canada and the US share the same holy days. Ours are (and I hope I list them all!! :o) :
The Assumption 8/15
All Saints 11/1
The Immaculate Conception 12/8
Christmas Day 12/25
Feast of the Holy family 1/1
Easter Sunday
all Sundays
Click to expand...
I saw someplace that there are generally 10 Obligational days in the world, but only 8 in the USA; that St. Joseph was an obligatory feast day other than in the USA, and I don’t remember the other one. I don’t have access to the book.
 
When I memorized the Holy Days of Obligation, there were ten. Searching online, it looks like only Scotland still mandates all ten. (Today, The Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul is a Holy Day of Obligation originally, actually).

They are:

The Presentation in the Temple (used to be called Christ’s Circumcision)*
Epiphany
Feast of St. Joseph
The Ascension of Christ*
Corpus Christi
The Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul
The Assumption of the Virgin Mary*
All Saints*
The Immaculate Conception*
Christmas*

In America it’s down to six, apparently (the ones I marked), and some of those can be transferred to the nearest Sunday depending on which day it lands on. After all, we wouldn’t want to burden people with having to attend Mass more often then they absolutely have to. It’s not like we’re aiming for sainthood or something…:rolleyes:

From here: fisheaters.com/time.html (Down near the bottom lists HDoO by country)
 
Rawb said:
When I memorized the Holy Days of Obligation, there were ten. Searching online, it looks like only Scotland still mandates all ten. (Today, The Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul is a Holy Day of Obligation originally, actually).

They are:

The Presentation in the Temple (used to be called Christ’s Circumcision)*
Epiphany
Feast of St. Joseph
The Ascension of Christ*
Corpus Christi
The Feast of Ss. Peter and Paul
The Assumption of the Virgin Mary*
All Saints*
The Immaculate Conception*
Christmas*

In America it’s down to six, apparently (the ones I marked), and some of those can be transferred to the nearest Sunday depending on which day it lands on. After all, we wouldn’t want to burden people with having to attend Mass more often then they absolutely have to. It’s not like we’re aiming for sainthood or something…:rolleyes:

From here: fisheaters.com/time.html (Down near the bottom lists HDoO by country)
Click to expand...
That website doesn’t have it quite right for the US. They have it quite wrong for Canada.
The Holy Days of Obligation by Canon Law are:
Can. 1246 §1. Sunday, on which by apostolic tradition the paschal mystery is celebrated, must be observed in the universal Church as the primordial holy day of obligation. The following days must also be observed: the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension, the Body and Blood of Christ, Holy Mary the Mother of God, her Immaculate Conception, her Assumption, Saint Joseph, Saint Peter and Saint Paul the Apostles, and All Saints.
§2. With the prior approval of the Apostolic See, however, the conference of bishops can suppress some of the holy days of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday.
Click to expand...
In the US they are:

January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (note here, a Marian feast)
Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, the solemnity of the Ascension
August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
November 1, the solemnity of All Saints
December 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
December 25, the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ

The following provisos apply:
  1. Whenever January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, or August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption, or November 1, the solemnity of All Saints, falls on a Saturday or on a Monday, the precept to attend Mass is abrogated.
  2. The Ecclesiastical Provinces of the United States may transfer the Solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ from Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter to the Seventh Sunday of Easter.
    usccb.org/norms/1246.htm
In Canada we have:

January 1, Mary, Mother of God
December 25, the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

In both countries the feasts of the Epiphany and that of the Body & Blood of Christ have been moved to Sunday.

In Canada, the Ascension has also been moved to Sunday and the rest have been suppressed.
In the US, I infer from what I read that the feasts of St. Joseph and St. Peter & St. Paul have also been suppressed.
 
In the US. the feast of the Ascension has been transferred to the Sunday following
 
marleelynn said:
In the US. the feast of the Ascension has been transferred to the Sunday following
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Not everywhere. According to my sources, the ecclesiastical provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, and Omaha do not transfer the celebration.
 
so this year the Assumption is not a day of obligation for the US?

I am surprised that Lent is not a day of obligation.
 
wow Easter is not a day of obligation?
but don’t you have to receive communion on that day?
 
lookaround said:
wow Easter is not a day of obligation?
but don’t you have to receive communion on that day?
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Unlike other holy days of obligation Easter is ALWAYS on a Sunday. And All Sundays are Holy Days of Obligation. So there is no need to set Easter apart. There is no requirement to receive communion on Easter Sunday itself. The requirement is to receive Holy Communion during the Easter Season.

The “obligation” part of “Holy Day of Obligation” refers to the obligation to attend Mass, not the obligation to receive Communion.
 
lookaround said:
so this year the Assumption is not a day of obligation for the US?

I am surprised that Lent is not a day of obligation.
Click to expand...
Lent? Do you mean Ash Wednesday? Lent is the 40 day period we prepare for Easter.
 
lookaround said:
Is it true that they are different for each country?
What are they in the US?
Click to expand...
Just look them up every year at the USCCB websites and your Diocese website to get the ones that you need to observe. As you have seen from this thread there can be variances.
 
Phemie said:
That website doesn’t have it quite right for the US. They have it quite wrong for Canada.
The Holy Days of Obligation by Canon Law are:
In the US they are:

January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (note here, a Marian feast)
Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, the solemnity of the Ascension
August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
November 1, the solemnity of All Saints
December 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
December 25, the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ

The following provisos apply:
  1. Whenever January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, or August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption, or November 1, the solemnity of All Saints, falls on a Saturday or on a Monday, the precept to attend Mass is abrogated.
  2. The Ecclesiastical Provinces of the United States may transfer the Solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ from Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter to the Seventh Sunday of Easter.
    usccb.org/norms/1246.htm
In Canada we have:

January 1, Mary, Mother of God
December 25, the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

In both countries the feasts of the Epiphany and that of the Body & Blood of Christ have been moved to Sunday.

In Canada, the Ascension has also been moved to Sunday and the rest have been suppressed.
In the US, I infer from what I read that the feasts of St. Joseph and St. Peter & St. Paul have also been suppressed.
Click to expand...
In Canada, the Ascension has also been moved to Sunday and the rest have been suppressed.
Click to expand...
I find it very sad that in Canada our Bishops have removed Holy Days of Obligation.
I have always appreciated our American Catholic brothers and sisters for upholding more Holy Days of Obligation with sincere thanks to American Bishops and Priests who seem to uphold a better devotion and respect to our great Catholic heritage than “some” clergy members in Canada.

I just don’t get it here in Canada. From the continual watering down of the Sacred Liturgy to a more liberated cafeteria styled liturgy to make people in congregations happy for what?
It’s so disturbing.
 
When a holy day of obligation falls on a Monday or a Saturday, the obligation to participate in the Eucharist is abrogated. The three holydays affected are:
Code: 
* January 1, Mary Mother of God
* August 15, Assumption
* November 1, All Saints
Note that these days remain “holydays,” solemnities. Even though there is no obligation to participate in the Eucharist, ritual Masses (e.g., Funeral Masses) may not be celebrated. The texts and readings are from the liturgy of the solemnity.
-drvc.org

I want to make sure I understand. The Assumption (Saturday, August 15) this years will not be a day of obligation?
 
lookaround said:
I want to make sure I understand. The Assumption (Saturday, August 15) this years will not be a day of obligation?
Click to expand...
Here’s the instruction for the United States source]:

In addition to Sunday, the days to be observed as holy days of obligation in the Latin Rite dioceses of the United States of America, in conformity with canon 1246, are as follows:

January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God;
Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, the solemnity of the Ascension;
August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary;
November 1, the solemnity of All Saints;
December 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception;
December 25, the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

**Whenever **January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, or **August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption, **or November 1, the solemnity of All Saints, falls on a Saturday or on a Monday, the precept to attend Mass is abrogated.
 
SuscipeMeDomine said:
Here’s the instruction for the United States source]:

In addition to Sunday, the days to be observed as holy days of obligation in the Latin Rite dioceses of the United States of America, in conformity with canon 1246, are as follows:

January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God;
Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, the solemnity of the Ascension;
August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary;
November 1, the solemnity of All Saints;
December 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception;
December 25, the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

**Whenever **January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, or **August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption, **or November 1, the solemnity of All Saints, falls on a Saturday or on a Monday, the precept to attend Mass is abrogated.
Click to expand...
So its the Sunday Mass that is no longer the obligation?
Saturday August 15 you have to be at Church not Sunday.

Sorry if I am coming off as thick
 
lookaround said:
Is it true that they are different for each country?
What are they in the US?
Click to expand...
At one time there were at least three dozen days designated as Holy Days of Obligation. Early in the twentieth century, Pope St. Pius X changed the number to eight but a few years later the number was again changed to the ten that are now designated. Even then, Bishops had the authority to ask for permission to determine which days would be celebrated in their own countries or dioceses.
It is my understanding that the full ten designated days are only celebrated in one of the Swiss cantons and Vatican City itself. This does not include the city of Rome which celebrates the days according to the rules of the Diocese of Rome. Some countries even have certain feast days which are not of the ten mandated by Canon Law that they have called Days of Obligation. For example, the feast day of St. Patrick in Ireland, Whit Monday ( the day after Pentecost Sunday ) and Dec. 26, Second Christmas Day in Germany. Also in Germany some dioceses celebrate one or more of the ten days that are not part of the six mandated for the whole country.
It can be very confusing especially when one is travelling or relocating to a different country but it isn’t something that is new to the Church. It is up to us to be aware of the liturgical calendar and when major feast days occur so we can make inquiries as to what are the Holy Days of Obligation in whatever location we might find ourselves.
 
lookaround said:
So its the Sunday Mass that is no longer the obligation?
Saturday August 15 you have to be at Church not Sunday.

Sorry if I am coming off as thick
Click to expand...
No. The US bishops have decided that whenever August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption falls on a Saturday (as it does this year) you are not required to attend Mass.

If you would like to go to Mass on Saturday to celebrate the Assumption, that’s fine. If you don’t want to go to Mass that Saturday, it’s also fine.

Sunday Mass is always required.
 
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