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“A much greater source of anxiety to Us is the style of action of those who maintain that liturgical worship should shed its sacred character, who foolishly say we should substitute for sacred items & furnishings ordinary common things in daily use.” —Pope Saint Paul VI (14 Oct 1968)

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Views from the Choir Loft

Holy Days of Obligation: Immaculate Conception

Andrew R. Motyka · December 3, 2014

HIS YEAR, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary falls on Monday, December 8 (yes, it’s always on December 8, but last year it was on Monday, December 9 in the Ordinary Form. We’ll come back to that). One question that we get pretty often in the Office of Worship is, “is it a Holy Day of Obligation this year?”

The confusion is somewhat understandable. When most other days of obligation in the United States fall on a Saturday or a Monday, the obligation is lifted. The faithful are encouraged to attend Mass on these days, but it is not obligatory.

Immaculate Conception, like Christmas, is a special case. This solemnity is the patronal feast of the United States of America, and so has an even greater importance in this country. Even when December 8 falls on a Saturday or a Monday, it is a Holy Day of Obligation. One is required to attend Mass on that day.

The next question that follows fairly often is whether or not someone could attend Mass on the evening of Sunday, December 7, and have it fulfill the obligation to attend on Immaculate Conception. Let’s set aside the question of “double dipping” your obligation (something that canonists disagree on, and I’m no canonist), and explain the basic question. According to Canon Law, your obligation to attend Mass is fulfilled “by assistance at a Mass which is celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the holy day or on the evening of the preceding day. (Canon 1248.1)” Let’s break that apart a little bit, because there are a few points to be made here.

1. Your obligation can be fulfilled by any Catholic rite. You can attend a Maronite Catholic liturgy, an Anglican Ordinariate liturgy, or any other Catholic liturgy which is in communion with the Church.

2. Mass in the evening of the preceding day fulfills your obligation, just like attending a Mass of anticipation on a Saturday evening fulfills your Sunday obligation.

3. Note that the obligation is tied to the day, not to the particular feast. This may seem legalistic, but it is actually better for pastoral need. For example, last year’s Immaculate Conception was “bumped” to Monday, December 9, because the feast fell on the Second Sunday of Advent. That Sunday ranks higher in precedence to the Immaculate Conception, so the feast could not be celebrated that day. However, because the obligation is tied to the day (December 8), the transferred feast is not obligatory. What readings are heard, or what Mass is said, is not relevant to whether or not the faithful’s obligation has been fulfilled.

Putting all of this information together, we can say that one can fulfill his or her obligation to attend Mass on December 8 of this year by attending a Mass on the evening of Sunday, December 7. Since December 7 is the Second Sunday of Advent, however, the Mass celebrated on that day must be the Advent Sunday, not the Immaculate Conception. However, since obligation is tied to the day and not to the Mass celebrated, even this situation fulfills obligation. So, sidestepping the question of “double dipping” (let’s assume you attended Mass this Sunday morning, as well), the evening Mass “counts.”

Note that in cases where you genuinely are unable to make it to Mass because of uncontrollable circumstances that cannot be overcome, your obligation is lifted anyway.

Also, even if “double dipping” is legal, you might not be doing your soul any favors by aiming for the Minimum Daily Requirement of your faith. So get thee to Mass.

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Holy Day Of Obligation United States Last Updated: January 1, 2020

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About Andrew R. Motyka

Andrew Motyka is the Archdiocesan Director of Liturgical Music and Cathedral Music for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.—(Read full biography).

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Corpus Christi Watershed

President’s Corner

    “What Martin Luther Said…”
    My pastor asked me to write little columns for the bulletin each week. The article for 20 July 2025 has been posted, and it’s called: “What Luther Said…” Martin Luther (an ex-priest and apostate) was an infamous heretic whose ignorance of JESUS CHRIST was only exceeded by his filthy and disgusting vulgarity.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    “Music List” • 15th in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    Some have expressed interest in perusing the ORDER OF MUSIC I prepared for the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (13 July 2025). If such a thing interests you, feel free to download it as a PDF file. As always, the Responsorial Psalm, Gospel Acclamation, and propers for this Sunday are also provided at the the feasts website.
    —Jeff Ostrowski
    15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C)
    This coming Sunday—13 July 2025—is the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C). All the chants have been conveniently assembled and posted at the feasts website. The OFFERTORY, Ad Te Levávi, is particularly beautiful.
    —Jeff Ostrowski

Quick Thoughts

    Pope Pius XII Hymnal?
    Have you ever heard of the Pope Pius XII Hymnal? It’s a real book, published in the United States in 1959. Here’s a sample page so you can verify with your own eyes it existed.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    “Hybrid” Chant Notation?
    Over the years, many have tried to ‘simplify’ plainsong notation. The O’Fallon Propers attempted to simplify the notation—but ended up making matters worse. Dr. Karl Weinmann tried to do the same in the time of Pope Saint Pius X by replacing each porrectus. You can examine a specimen from his edition and see whether you agree he complicated matters. In particular, look at what he did with éxsules fílii Hévae.
    —Corpus Christi Watershed
    Antiphons Don’t Match?
    A reader wants to know why the Entrance and Communion antiphons in certain publications deviate from what’s prescribed by the GRADUALE ROMANUM published after Vatican II. Click here to read our answer. The short answer is: the Adalbert Propers were never intended to be sung. They were intended for private Masses only (or Masses without music). The “Graduale Parvum,” published by the John Henry Newman Institute of Liturgical Music in 2023, mostly uses the Adalbert Propers—but sometimes uses the GRADUALE text: e.g. Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (29 June).
    —Corpus Christi Watershed

Random Quote

“No official approbation is required for hymns, songs, and acclamations written for the assembly.”

— Statement by the “Bishops’ Committee on the Liturgy” (10-NOV-1996)

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