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rwinner
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Does anyone know why the Solemnity was waived in California? I thought it was only supposed to be waived if it fell on a Saturday or a Monday.
Terry
Terry
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Phemie
Guest
My understanding is that it’s a Holy Day of Obligation in the Archdiocese of San Francisco but not in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
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MSSheBear
Guest
It isn’t in my diocese. I plan to go to Mass anyway. I don’t know why it has been abrogated or whatever but there may be a very good reason.
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centurionguard
Guest
In general, this particular Holy Day has the obligation to attend Mass waived in the two ecclesiastical provinces of California. All dioceses in California belong to the provinces of San Fransisco and Los Angeles. I believe there are a few dioceses where the bishops have decided not to go along with their neighboring dioceses.
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Chatter163
Guest
It is not the Solemnity that is waived in these dioceses, but the obligation to attend Holy Mass. It is still the feast day.
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missadeangelis
Guest
Canon #1246 refers to the Conference of Bishops having the authority (with the permission of the Holy See) to make such decisions. Does this extend to individual Bishops now?
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rwinner
Guest
I appreciate the responses but no one has stated why the dispensation was made. There must have been an important reason why most Catholics in California will be staying home on the most ancient feast day to our Blessed Mother. Even if we wanted to attend, The Mass Schedule for regular Tuesday Is not likely to be very accommodating.
Terry
Terry
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1ke
Guest
The bishops in CA have not given a reason, nor are the obligated to do so.
In past years, the bishops have-- in concert-- given a dispensation for January 1 each year. Neither the ecclessial province nor individual bishops have the authority to abbrogate the Holy Day, only the entire US BIshop’s Conference could do so. The bishops in CA have simply given an ad hoc dispensation each year-- which is within their canon law authority to do.
The new bishop in San Francisco has discontinued the practice in his diocese. Jan 1 is once again a day of obligation in SF archdiocese.
Also Note: Hawaii, by the indult received from the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments on May 26, 1990, and the subsequent nihil obstat from the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, follows the Holy Day obligations of the Ecclesial Province of the Pacific and therefore the only two days of obligation in Hawaii are Christmas and Immaculat Conception.
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Booter
Guest
I was worried about this back in 2009 when I was going to the Rose Parade/Rose Bowl…I wasn’t looking to get out of going to Mass but I took advantage of the situation. The Rose Parade could be a reason though since people come from all over the country to see it and it is in the morning
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KCT
Guest
I was at a standing room only 10:30am Mass this morning with lots of families and little kids. It was a wonderful way to start the new year. 
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TheRealJuliane
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Vico
Guest
The Mass attendance is aborogated when on Saturday or Monday.
Did you ever notice that in Hawaii there are only two holy days of obligation for the Latin Church besides Sundays, even though there are ten universally? They require the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and Christmas. The bishops will make a pastoral decision.
January 1 has a varied history. It is not a holy-day of obligation in every place in the world. Oct 11 Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (from 1931) and Jan 1 Feast of the Circumcision, changed in 1974 to the Jan 1 Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God.
In many eastern Catholic Churches Jan 1 is celebrated the Feast of St. Basil and Oct 1 the Protection of the Theotokos. In eastern Catholic Churches there are five holy days of obligation instead of ten, but there are also variations.
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maltmom
Guest
We only had about 50. I was disappointed when I pulled into the parking lot and saw less cars then on Sunday morning. For me, going to Mass is a joy.I was at a standing room only 10:30am Mass this morning with lots of families and little kids. It was a wonderful way to start the new year.
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Elizium23
Guest
The diocese I visit in Southern California is a mess. My father and I spot-checked 5-10 parish websites, and many didn’t say whether or not it was an obligation, one said explicitly it was not, and two said it was. Our pastor said it was, we went to Mass on Monday night, it was well-attended and the collection was good.
Tomorrow I am calling the chancery to ask them why it’s such chaos and what the real story is.
Tomorrow I am calling the chancery to ask them why it’s such chaos and what the real story is.
Normally, yes, e.g. Immaculate Conception on Monday in 2013; but not so for the Immaculate Conception on Saturday in 2012.
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babochka
Guest
Yes, but today is Tuesday.
We went to Divine Liturgy this morning, and although it is not a Holy Day of Obligation, it was well attended, including a few non-parishioners fulfilling their Obligation.
To confirm what others have said, it seems that in Northern California, at least in the diocese of Sacramento, it is a Holy Day of Obligation.
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Vico
Guest
There is no Mass obligation for the Immaculate Conception on Sunday in 2013 where they transferred the celebration. USCCB complimentary norms for 1246.2 for the Latin Church, shows the aborogation rule applies only to three.
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
- 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,
And for Ascension transfer:… 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 according to the following procedure. …
usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/canon-law/complementary-norms/canon-1246.cfm
When I was at Mass this morning our pastor announced there was some confusion as to whether or not today was a Holy Day of Obligation. He said that IF the Archbishop did not give a dispensation then it is a day of obligation but if the bishop did give a dispensation then it is NOT a day of obligation. The con-celebrating priest apparently leaned over and said that the Archbishop DID give the dispensation. (Both priests are seminary faculty; the one who did know is a liturgy teacher.) I do not know when the Archbishop actually issued the dispensation.
I don’t believe my parish was the only one confused.
I am of the opinion that the confusion is due to fact that California has two fairly new Archbishops and a whole lot of diocesan and parish staffers who have never really known how the annual dispensations have “worked”.
I know that to those of us who frequent this forum, making clear announcements about what is and what is not a day of obligation would seem to be of utmost importance,. However such matters are often lost in the craziness that happens during the Christmas season. When you have new leadership thing get even more confusing.
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marytk
Guest
If I understand, yes on Monday December** 9** 2013 we will celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, moved because it lands on a Sunday of Advent. It will not be a day of obligation. In 2014 it will be on Monday, December 8 and it will be a Holy Day of Obligation.
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