I believe the earliest a Vigil Mass can begin is 4 PM.How early can a Vigil Mass for Sunday or a Hold Day of Obligation be? It always has somewhat confused me because even though I do attend many times for convenience, I notice that a mass can also be performed at night for that same day on other days say for a Novena etc. I was just wondering if anyone knows the specific rules regarding Vigil and any site that discusses it? From what I understand they are a fairly recent allowance in the Church.
Are you in Las Vegas? Because I believe that Vegas is the only place that has it that early.The nearby Cathedral has Saturday Mass for Sunday obligation around 2:00 PM. (United States)
The mass said on Sat. evening for Sunday is not a Vigil Mass. It is the Sunday Mass said on Sat. evening. A vigil Mass has it’s own readings, etc. The Mass on Sat. evening is the same as on Sunday. One example of a Vigil Mass is the Easter Vigil. That may be where part of your confusion lies.How early can a Vigil Mass for Sunday or a Hold Day of Obligation be? It always has somewhat confused me because even though I do attend many times for convenience, I notice that a mass can also be performed at night for that same day on other days say for a Novena etc. I was just wondering if anyone knows the specific rules regarding Vigil and any site that discusses it? From what I understand they are a fairly recent allowance in the Church.
Actually, nope. Conservative midwest diocese. There doesn’t seem to be an extraordinary reason that I’m aware of.Are you in Las Vegas? Because I believe that Vegas is the only place that has it that early.
Pretty much everywhere else is 4PM unless there is some kind of extraordinary reason.
May I ask which diocese?Actually, nope. Conservative midwest diocese. There doesn’t seem to be an extraordinary reason that I’m aware of.
I may be wrong on this, but I thought that any Mass said after 4:00 pm on a Saturday, whether it be a Mass with Saturday readings, actual vigil readings, or for another occasion still counted as fulfilling your Sunday obligation. I don’t believe there is a stipulation that the readings used needed to be strictly for the Vigil or Sunday.The mass said on Sat. evening for Sunday is not a Vigil Mass. It is the Sunday Mass said on Sat. evening. A vigil Mass has it’s own readings, etc. The Mass on Sat. evening is the same as on Sunday. One example of a Vigil Mass is the Easter Vigil. That may be where part of your confusion lies.
Here is an explanation from the EWTN website. There is an addendum, so be sure to read that too:
ewtn.com/library/Liturgy/zlitur242.HTM
Hope this helps.
That is correct.I may be wrong on this, but I thought that any Mass said after 4:00 pm on a Saturday, whether it be a Mass with Saturday readings, actual vigil readings, or for another occasion still counted as fulfilling your Sunday obligation. I don’t believe there is a stipulation that the readings used needed to be strictly for the Vigil or Sunday.
ChadS
You’re correct. I believe the person you were responding to was simply making the point that the usual Saturday evening Mass is not a Vigil Mass of which there are only 8:I may be wrong on this, but I thought that any Mass said after 4:00 pm on a Saturday, whether it be a Mass with Saturday readings, actual vigil readings, or for another occasion still counted as fulfilling your Sunday obligation. I don’t believe there is a stipulation that the readings used needed to be strictly for the Vigil or Sunday.
ChadS
You are correct. I am talking about the usual Sunday Mass which is celebrated on Sat. evenings. The readings are the Sunday readings. These are not Vigil Masses. However, if a Vigil Mass happens to fall on a Sat. evening, it certainly fulfills our Sunday obligation, as would any Mass held at that time on Sat. The point was: people are calling the regular Sunday Mass said on Sat. evening a Vigil Mass, and it is not. It is the Sunday Mass and fulfills the Sunday obligation. The same with Holy Days, although many of those do have a Vigil Mass and it fulfills the obligation for the Holy Day. An example would be Christmas and Easter Vigils. Even though it may sound picky, it really is important to use the correct term so people aren’t confused as to their Sunday and Holy Day obligations.I may be wrong on this, but I thought that any Mass said after 4:00 pm on a Saturday, whether it be a Mass with Saturday readings, actual vigil readings, or for another occasion still counted as fulfilling your Sunday obligation. I don’t believe there is a stipulation that the readings used needed to be strictly for the Vigil or Sunday.
ChadS
You are correct, though there is some discussion re: the earliest time and the interpretation of “evening.”I may be wrong on this, but I thought that any Mass said after 4:00 pm on a Saturday, whether it be a Mass with Saturday readings, actual vigil readings, or for another occasion still counted as fulfilling your Sunday obligation. I don’t believe there is a stipulation that the readings used needed to be strictly for the Vigil or Sunday.
ChadS