Holy Church celebrates the saving work of Christ on prescribed days in the course of the year with sacred remembrance. Each week, on the day called the Lord’s Day, she commemorates the Resurrection of the Lord, which she also celebrates once a year in the great Paschal Solemnity, together with his blessed Passion. In fact, throughout the course of the year the Church unfolds the entire mystery of Christ and observes the birthdays of the Saints. (Sacrosanctum Concilium #102)

All Saints and All Souls 2024

A quick clarification of the Masses to be celebrated October 31st – November 3rd, 2024.

The Solemnity of All Saints – Masses can be celebrated from October 31st 4pm – November 1st 11:59pm. All Saints is a Holy Day of Obligation.

The Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed (All Souls) – Mass can be celebrated from November 2nd 12am – November 2nd 3:59pm

The 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time – Mass can be celebrated from 4pm onwards.

December 8th – Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

*** December 9th is a Holy Day of Obligation!!! ***

In 2024, December 8 is the Second Sunday of Advent, so the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is transferred to Monday, December 9.  Previously, in the US, when the DATE was transferred the obligation was abrogated. That will no longer be true.

*FROM THE USCCB:    Earlier this year, Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki, Chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Canonical Affairs and Church Governance, wrote to the Holy See seeking clarification about the obligation to attend Mass when a holy day of obligation in Advent, Lent, or Easter falls on Sunday and the Solemnity is transferred to Monday. In a memo to the U.S. bishops dated Thursday, October 10, Bishop Paprocki communicated the Dicastery for Legislative Text’s response: “the feast must be observed as a day of obligation on the day to which it is transferred.” 

In light of this new directive, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception Monday, December 9, 2024
is to be observed as a Holy Day of Obligation.

Guide to Which Mass is to be Celebrated ~

USCCB 2023 Liturgical Calendar

USCCB 2024 Liturgical Calendar

USCCB 2025 Liturgical Calendar

Table of Permissibility for Ritual Masses, Votive Masses, and Masses of Various Needs and Occasions

This handy guide will help you to determine if a special Mass can be said on any given liturgical day!

Day Liturgical Notes
1 Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (green) Dt 4:1-2, 6-8/Jas 1:17-18, 21b-22, 27/Mk 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 (125) Pss II

Votive and Ritual Masses permitted with permission of the Ordinary.
2 Monday of the Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (green) 1 Cor 2:1-5/Lk 4:16-30 (431)
3 Memorial of St. Gregory the Great, Pope and Doctor of the Church (white) 1 Cor 2:10b-16/Lk 4:31-37 (432)
4 Wednesday of the Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (green) 1 Cor 3:1-9/Lk 4:38-44 (433)
5 Thursday of the Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (green) 1 Cor 3:18-23/Lk 5:1-11 (434)
6 Friday of the Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (green) 1 Cor 4:1-5/Lk 5:33-39 (435)
7 Saturday of the Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (green) [BVM} 1 Cor 4:6b-15/Lk 6:1-5 (436)
8 Twenty-Third Sunday of Ordinary Time (green) Is 35:4-7a/Jas 2:1-5/Mk 7:31-37 (128) Pss III

Votive and Ritual Masses permitted with permission of the Ordinary.
9 Memorial of St. Peter Claver (white) 1 Cor 5:1-8/Lk 6:6-11 (437)
10 Tuesday of the Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (green) 1 Cor 6:1-11/Lk 6:12-19 (438)
11 Wednesday of the Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (green) 1 Cor 7:25-31/Lk 6:20-26 (439)
12 Thursday of the Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time (green/white) 1 Cor 8:1b-7, 11-13/Lk 6:27-38 (440)
13 Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (white) 1 Cor 9:16-19, 22b-27/Lk 6:39-42 (441)
14 Feast of The Exaltation of the Holy Cross (red) Nm 21:4b-9/Phil 2:6-11/Jn 3:13-17 (638) Pss Prop
15 TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (green) Is 50:4c-9a/Jas 2:14-18/Mk 8:27-35 (131) Pss IV

Votive and Ritual Masses permitted with permission of the Ordinary.
16 Memorial of St. Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs (red) 1 Cor 11:17-26, 33/Lk 7:1-10 (443)
17 Tuesday of the Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (green) 1 Cor 12:12-14, 27-31a/Lk 7:11-17 (444)
18 Wednesday of the Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (green) 1 Cor 12:31—13:13/Lk 7:31-35 (445)
19 Thursday of the Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (green) 1 Cor 15:1-11/Lk 7:36-50 (446)
20 Memorial of Ss. Andrew Kim Tae-gŏn, Priest, and Paul Chŏng Ha-sang and Companions, Martyrs (red) 1 Cor 15:12-20/Lk 8:1-3 (447)
21 Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist (red) Eph 4:1-7, 11-13/Mt 9:9-13 (643) Pss Prop
22 TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (green) Wis 2:12, 17-20/Jas 3:16—4:3/Mk 9:30-37 (134) Pss I

Votive and Ritual Masses permitted with permission of the Ordinary.
23 Memorial of St. Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest (white) Prv 3:27-34/Lk 8:16-18 (449)
24 Tuesday of the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (green) Prv 21:1-6, 10-13/Lk 8:19-21 (450)
25 Wednesday of the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (green) Prv 30:5-9/Lk 9:1-6 (451)
26 Thursday of the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (green/red) [Saints Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs] Eccl 1:2-11/Lk 9:7-9 (452)
27 Memorial of St. Vincent de Paul, Priest (white) Eccl 3:1-11/Lk 9:18-22 (453)
28 Saturday of the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (green) Eccl 11:9—12:8/Lk 9:43b-45 (454)
29 TWENTY-SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (green) Nm 11:25-29/Jas 5:1-6/Mk 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 (137) Pss II
30 Memorial of St. Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church (white) Jb 1:6-22/Lk 9:46-50 (455)

Holydays of Obligation ~

Holy Days of Obligation for 2024 are:

  • ***January 1, 2024 (Monday) – Mary Mother of God, NOT A HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION THIS YEAR***
  • May 12th, 2024 (Sunday) – The Solemnity of the Ascension is transferred to the following Sunday in the Diocese of Phoenix.
  • August 15, 2024 (Thursday) – The Solemnity of the Assumption of the BVM is a Holy Day of Obligation.
  • November 1, 2024 (Friday) – The Solemnity of All Saints is a Holy Day of Obligation.
  • December 9, 2024 – Because the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception falls on a Sunday this year, the observance is transferred to Monday December 9th. It is a Holyday of Obligation.
  • December 25th (Wednesday) – the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord is a Holyday of Obligation.

Holy Days of Obligation for 2025 are:

  • January 1, 2025 (Wednesday) – Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, is a Holy Day of Obligation.
  • August 15, 2025 (Friday) – Solemnity of the Assumption of the BVM is a Holy Day of Obligation
  • November 1, 2025 (Saturday) – The Solemnity of All Saints is NOT a Holy Day of Obligation
  • December 8, 2025 (Monday) – the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the BVM is a Holy Day of Obligation.
  • December 25, 2025 (Thursday) – the Solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord is a Holy Day of Obligation.

Canon 1246, §2 – Holy Days of Obligation

On December 13, 1991 the members of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops of the United States of America made the following general decree concerning holy days of obligation for Latin Rite Catholics:

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.

This decree of the Conference of Bishops was approved and confirmed by the Apostolic See by a decree of the Congregation for Bishops (Prot. N. 296/84), signed by Bernardin Cardinal Gantin, Prefect of the Congregation, and dated July 4, 1992.

As President of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, I hereby declare that the effective date of this decree for all the Latin Rite dioceses of the United States of America will be January 1, 1993, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.

Given at the offices of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, DC, November 17, 1992.

Most Reverend Daniel E. Pilarczyk
Archbishop of Cincinnati
President, NCCB

Monsignor Robert N. Lynch
General Secretary, NCCB