Visit Us Email

jude@catholicinsight.com

Visit Us Call

(+234) 8080656284

(+234) 9085811457

church doctrine

Catholic holy days of obligation

Catholic Holy Days of Obligation: The Complete List

Catholic Holy Days of Obligation

January 4, 2025

Category: News and Events

Catholic holy days of obligation are the days on which we’re expected to go to Mass. This list includes every single Sunday, along with a few additional days. Some feasts, such as Easter, are always celebrated on a Sunday, so they are always obligatory. But when are you supposed to attend Mass outside of Sundays?

What Are the Holy Days of Obligation?

The Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church says that there are nine holy days of obligation other than Sundays, but it also says that the local conference of bishops may suppress some of them or transfer them to a Sunday.

Bishops in the United States have suppressed the feast of Saint Joseph and the feast of Saints Peter and Paul as holy days of obligation. In addition, the feast of Epiphany is always celebrated on a Sunday in the U.S.

Your Sunday and holy day obligation can be dispensed for a just cause. This may include physical illness or having an inability to go to Mass, such as being the only caregiver for someone who is homebound. Catholics are encouraged to use their prudential judgment and guidance from their priests in determining such a dispensation.

You are always welcome to join the Oblates of the Virgin Mary community online at daily and Sunday virtual Masses.

US Catholic Holy Days of Obligation for 2025

This leaves us with six holy days of obligation outside of Sundays. The following feast days are holy days of obligation in the U.S. for 2025:

  • January 1: Solemnity of Mary
  • May 29: Ascension of Jesus — Celebrated on the sixth Thursday after Easter Sunday*
  • August 15: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  • November 1: Solemnity of All Saints*
  • December 8: Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
  • December 25: Christmas

*An individual bishop may transfer a holy day to a Sunday. This is the case in most US dioceses with the Ascension of Jesus, which is transferred to the Seventh Sunday of Easter. Since the Solemnity of All Saints falls on a Saturday, it may also be transferred to the closest Sunday. Check with your local diocese.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Popular Posts

  • Catholic Church

    The Catholic Church (Latin: Ecclesia Catholica), also known as the Roman Catholic Church,[note 1] is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025.[4][5][8] It is among the world’s oldest and largest international institutions and has played a prominent role in the history and development of Western civilization.[9][10][11][12] The Church consists of 24 sui iuris (autonomous) churches, including the Latin Church and 23 Eastern Catholic Churches, which comprise…

  • All Souls

    All Souls’ Day, also called The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed,[2] is a day of prayer and remembrance for the faithful departed,[3] observed by Christians on 2 November.[4][5] In Western Christianity, including Roman Catholicism and certain parts of Lutheranism and Anglicanism, All Souls’ Day is the third day of Allhallowtide, after All Saints’ Day (1 November) and All Hallows’ Eve (31 October).[6] Before the standardization of Western Christian observance on 2 November…

  • All Saints

    All Saints’ Day, also known as All Hallows’ Day,[3] the Feast of All Saints,[4][5] the Feast of All Hallows,[6] the Solemnity of All Saints,[6] and Hallowmas,[6][7] is a Christian solemnity celebrated in honour of all the saints of the Church, whether they are known or unknown.[7][8][9][10] From the 4th century, feasts commemorating all Christian martyrs were held in various places,[3] on various dates near Easter and Pentecost. In the 9th century, some churches in the British Isles began holding the…

Categories

Archives

Tags

canonization (1) Cardinal christoph Schonborn (1) Carlo Acutis (1) catholic News (3) Eucharist (1) Pier Giorgio Frassati (1) Pope Francis (2) World Youth Day (1)