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Holy Days of Obligation in the Catholic Church and the Most Important Solemnities & Feasts in the Catholic Calendar
On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are obliged to participate in the Holy Mass. - (Canon Law 1244-1253)
Holy days of obligation are feast days on which Catholics are required to attend Holy Mass and to avoid (to the extent that they are able) servile work. The faithful go to Mass on these days to rejoice. The Church invites the faithful to Mass on these holy days to recall that there is a reason to rejoice -
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life." (John 3: 16.)
From this perspective, holy days of obligation are a gift. The faithful take a step back from preoccupations to remember what is true, good, and beautiful.
Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy. For six days you shall labour and do all your work. But the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God; you shall not do any work—you, your son, or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore, the Lord blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it. Exodus 20: 8 - 11
Every Sunday, the Lord's Day, is recognized as a holy day of obligation and Catholics are bound to participate in Holy Mass on Sunday or at an anticipated Mass on Saturday in the late afternoon or evening.
There are currently 10 Holy Days of Obligation in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church and five in the Eastern Catholic Churches.
Solemnity of Mary - January 1
Epiphany - January 6
Solemnity of St. Joseph - March 19
Ascension - 40 days after Easter
Corpus Christi - Thursday after Trinity Sunday
Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul - June 29
Assumption - August 15
All Saints Day - November 1
Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception - December 8
Christmas - December 25
learnreligions.com/holy-days-of-obligation | Holy Days of Obligation
Moreover, they are to abstain from those works and affairs which hinder the worship to be rendered to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s day, or the suitable relaxation of mind and body.
Sunday, on which by apostolic tradition the paschal mystery is celebrated, must be observed in the universal Church as the primordial holy day of obligation. The following days must also be observed: the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension, the Body and Blood of Christ, Holy Mary the Mother of God, her Immaculate Conception, her Assumption, Saint Joseph, Saint Peter and Saint Paul the Apostles, and All Saints. (Code of Canon Law - 1244-1253)
Why Isn’t Easter A Holy Day Of Obligation?
Easter ALWAYS falls on a Sunday. Every Sunday is a Holy Day of Obligation! So, although not listed, Easter is a Holy Day of Obligation!
Holy Week is the most important week in Catholicism.
Palm Sunday, Jesus triumphantly enters Jerusalem
Monday of Holy Week, Jesus clears out the temple with a whip
Tuesday of Holy Week, Jesus is anointed with oil at Bethany and preaches on the Mount of Olives
Spy Wednesday, Jesus is betrayed by Judas
Holy Thursday, Jesus celebrates the Last Supper, prays in the Garden of Gethsemane, and is arrested
Good Friday, Jesus is sentenced to death, scourged, beaten, crucified, and dies on the Cross
Holy Saturday, Jesus is buried in the tomb and descends into hell
Easter Sunday, Jesus rises from the dead
The most solemn days in the Church year
What is the Sacred Paschal Triduum?
The Sacred Paschal Triduum is the three most solemn days of the liturgical year; Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil. These are the “high holy days” of the entire Church year in which we celebrate the Paschal Mystery, first, the passion, suffering, and death of our Lord Jesus, followed by his resurrection, the triumph of the holy cross, and Christ’s decisive victory over sin and death.
The whole of the Christian faith is founded on the action of these three days, with Maundy Thursday instituting the Holy Eucharist; Good Friday, the sacrificial death of Jesus; Holy Saturday, the victory of Christ over death and hell; and ultimately, Easter Sunday’s celebration of new creation.
Easter is the greatest feast in the Christian calendar. On this Sunday, Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. For Catholics, Easter Sunday comes at the end of 40 days of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving known as Lent. Holy Pascha (Easter) - Resurrection Sunday - The Solemnity of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ - Solemnity of Solemnities, Feast of Feasts.
The Church year
The liturgical year, or church year, is a cycle of seasons and days that helps determine when to celebrate saints and read scripture. The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used by many Christians, including Catholics, to ensure that holidays and celebrations fall on specific dates.
The liturgical year includes a cycle of seasons and days that helps determine when to celebrate saints and read scripture.
The Gregorian calendar was created to reform the Julian calendar, primarily for liturgical reasons.
The Gregorian calendar has the same months and lengths as the Julian calendar.
The Gregorian calendar differs from astronomical observations by one day.
The Gregorian calendar differs from the Julian calendar in how they calculate Easter and approximate the length of the tropical year.
The Gregorian calendar states that years that are evenly divisible by 100 are not leap years, except for those that are also evenly divisible by 400.
Evangelizing with the Calendar
How can we use the calendar to evangelize?
How do we give Christmas back its true and authentic Christian meaning amid the spending orgy?
How can we use Good Friday and Easter to teach children about Christ’s death and resurrection?
Can the tradition of Lent teach us something about fasting?
catholic.com/evangelizing-with-the-calendar
The Movable Feasts
With the exception of Holy Family and Epiphany, all these feasts are dependent on one feast: Easter. Once Easter is determined, all the others line up with the date of Easter.
Feast of the Holy Family
EPIPHANY (for some countries like the United States)
Baptism of the Lord
Ash Wednesday
PASSION SUNDAY
HOLY THURSDAY
GOOD FRIDAY
EASTER
OCTAVE OF EASTER/DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY
ASCENSION
PENTECOST
MOST HOLY TRINITY
Memorial of Blessed Virgin Mary (BVM), Mother of the Church
CORPUS CHRISTI
SACRED HEART
Memorial of the Immaculate Virgin Mary
CHRIST THE KING
Solemnities, Feasts & Memorials by Months
Solemnities, Feasts & Memorials by Months
January
January
1: Octave Day of Christmas, MARY, MOTHER OF GOD – Solemnity
2: Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, bishops and doctors – Memorial
3: The Most Holy Name of Jesus – Optional Memorial
4: Elizabeth Ann Seton – Memorial (United States)
5: John Neumann, bishop, Memorial (United States)
6: EPIPHANY (for some countries where it is a Holy Day of Obligation. Other countries including U.S. celebrate on the first Sunday after 1 January) – Solemnity, or Andre Bessette, religious (United States)
7: Raymond of Penyafort, priest – Optional Memorial
8:
9:
10:
11:
12:
13: Hilary of Poitiers, bishop and doctor – Optional Memorial
14:
15:
16:
17: Anthony of Egypt, abbot – Memorial
18:
19:
20: Fabian, pope and martyr; or Sebastian, martyr – Optional Memorials
21: Agnes, virgin and martyr – Memorial
22: Vincent, deacon and martyr – Optional Memorial
23: Vincent, deacon and martyr; Marianne Cope, virgin – Optional Memorials (United States)
24: Francis de Sales, bishop and doctor – Memorial
25: The Conversion of Paul, apostle – Feast
26: Timothy and Titus, bishops – Memorial
27: Angela Merici, virgin – Optional Memorial
28: Thomas Aquinas, priest and doctor – Memorial
29:
30:
31: John Bosco, priest – Memorial
Movable Feasts:
Sunday after Epiphany (or, if Epiphany is celebrated on 7 or 8 January, the following Monday): Baptism of the Lord – Feast
February
February
1:
2: Presentation of the Lord – Feast
3: Blase, bishop and martyr, or Ansgar, bishop – Optional Memorials
4: Agatha, virgin and martyr – Memorial
5:
6: Paul Miki and companions, martyrs – Memorial
7:
8: Jerome Emiliani, priest, or Josephine Bakhita, virgin – Optional Memorials
9:
10: Scholastica, virgin – Memorial
11: Our Lady of Lourdes – Optional Memorial
12:
13:
14: Cyril, monk, and Methodius, bishop – Memorial
15:
16:
17: Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order – Optional Memorial
18:
19:
20:
21: Peter Damian, bishop and doctor of the Church – Optional Memorial
22: Chair of Peter, apostle – Feast
23: Polycarp, bishop and martyr – Memorial
24:
25:
26:
27:
28:
March
March
1:
2:
3: Katharine Drexel, virgin – Optional Memorial (United States)
4: Casimir – Optional Memorial
5:
6:
7: Perpetua and Felicity, martyrs – Memorial
8: John of God, religious – Optional Memorial
9: Frances of Rome, religious – Optional Memorial
10:
11:
12:
13:
14:
15:
16:
17: Patrick, bishop – Optional Memorial
18: Cyril of Jerusalem, bishop and doctor – Optional Memorial
19: JOSEPH HUSBAND OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY – Solemnity
20:
21:
22:
23: Turibius of Mogrovejo, bishop – Optional Memorial
24:
25: ANNUNCIATION OF THE LORD – Solemnity
26:
27:
28:
29:
30:
31:
April
April
1:
2: Francis of Paola, hermit – Optional Memorial
3:
4: Isidore, bishop and doctor of the Church – Optional Memorial
5: Vincent Ferrer, priest – Optional Memorial
6:
7: John Baptist de la Salle, priest – Memorial
8:
9:
10:
11: Stanislaus, bishop and martyr – Memorial
12:
13: Martin I, pope and martyr – Optional Memorial
14:
15:
16:
17:
18:
19:
20:
21: Anselm of Canterbury, bishop and doctor of the Church – Optional Memorial
22:
23: George, martyr, or Adalbert, bishop and martyr – Optional Memorial
24: Fidelis of Sigmaringen, priest and martyr – Optional Memorial
25: Mark the Evangelist – Feast
26:
27:
28: Peter Chanel, priest and martyr; or Louis Grignon de Montfort, priest – Optional Memorials
29: Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctor of the Church – Memorial
30: Pius V, pope – Optional Memorial
May
May
1: Joseph the Worker – Optional Memorial
2: Athanasius, bishop and doctor – Memorial
3: Philip and James, Apostles – Feast
4:
5:
6:
7:
8:
9:
10: Damien de Veuster, priest – Optional Memorial (United States)
11:
12: Nereus and Achilleus, martyrs or Pancras, martyr – Optional Memorial
13: Our Lady of Fatima – Optional Memorial
14: Matthias the Apostle – Feast
15: Isidore the Farmer – Optional Memorial (United States)
16:
17:
18: John I, pope and martyr – Optional Memorial
19:
20: Bernardine of Siena, priest – Optional Memorial
21: Christopher Magallanes and companions, martyrs – Optional Memorial
22: Rita of Cascia – Optional Memorial
23:
24:
25: Bede the Venerable, priest and doctor; or Gregory VII, pope or Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, virgin – Optional Memorials
26: Philip Neri, priest – Memorial
27: Augustine (Austin) of Canterbury, bishop – Optional Memorial
28:
29:
30:
31: Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Feast
Movable Feasts:
Monday after Pentecost: Mary Mother of the Church – Memorial
First Sunday after Pentecost: MOST HOLY TRINITY – Solemnity
Thursday after Holy Trinity or, where this is not a holyday of obligation, on the following Sunday: CORPUS CHRISTI – Solemnity
June
June
1: Justin Martyr – Memorial
2: Marcellinus and Peter, martyrs – Optional Memorial
3: Charles Lwanga and companions, martyrs – Memorial
4:
5: Boniface, bishop and martyr – Memorial
6: Norbert, bishop – Optional Memorial
7:
8:
9: Ephrem, deacon and doctor – Optional Memorial
10:
11: Barnabas the Apostle – Memorial
12:
13: Anthony of Padua, priest and doctor – Memorial
14:
15:
16:
17:
18:
19: Romuald, abbot – Optional Memorial
20:
21: Aloysius Gonzaga, religious – Memorial
22: Paulinus of Nola, bishop or John Fisher, bishop and martyr and Thomas More, martyr – Optional Memorials
23:
24: BIRTH OF JOHN THE BAPTIST – Solemnity
25:
26:
27: Cyril of Alexandria, bishop and doctor – Optional Memorial
28: Irenaeus, bishop and martyr – Memorial
29: PETER AND PAUL, Apostles – Solemnity
30: First Martyrs of the Church of Rome – Optional Memorial
Movable Feasts:
Friday following the second Sunday after Pentecost: SACRED HEART OF JESUS – Solemnity
Saturday following the second Sunday after Pentecost: Immaculate Heart of Mary – Memorial
July
July
1: Junípero Serra, priest – Optional Memorial (United States)
2:
3: Thomas the Apostle – Feast
4:
5: Anthony Zaccaria, priest – Optional Memorial or Elizabeth of Portugal – Optional Memorial (United States)
6: Maria Goretti, virgin and martyr – Optional Memorial
7:
8:
9: Augustine Zhao Rong and companions, martyrs – Optional Memorial
10:
11: Benedict, abbot – Memorial
12:
13: Henry – Optional Memorial
14: Camillus de Lellis, priest – Optional Memorial or Kateri Tekakwitha, virgin – Memorial (United States)
15: Bonaventure, bishop and doctor – Memorial
16: Our Lady of Mount Carmel – Optional Memorial
17:
18: Camillus de Lellis, priest – Optional Memorial (United States)
19:
20: Apollinaris, bishop and martyr – Optional Memorial
21: Lawrence of Brindisi, priest and doctor – Optional Memorial
22: Mary Magdalene – Feast
23: Birgitta, religious – Optional Memorial
24: Sharbel Makhluf, hermit – Optional Memorial
25: James, apostle – Feast
26: Joachim and Anne – Memorial
27:
28:
29: Martha – Memorial
30: Peter Chrysologus, bishop and doctor – Optional Memorial
31: Ignatius of Loyola, priest – Memorial
August
August
1: Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, bishop and doctor of the Church – Memorial
2: Eusebius of Vercelli, bishop, or Peter Julian Eymard, priest – Optional Memorials
3:
4: Jean Vianney (the Curé of Ars), priest – Memorial
5: Dedication of the Basilica of Mary Major – Optional Memorial
6: Transfiguration of the Lord – Feast
7: Sixtus II, pope, and companions, martyrs, or Cajetan, priest – Optional Memorial
8: Dominic, priest – Memorial
9: Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), virgin and martyr – Optional Memorial
10: Lawrence, deacon and martyr – Feast
11: Clare, virgin – Memorial
12: Jane Frances de Chantal, religious – Optional Memorial
13: Pontian, pope, and Hippolytus, priest, martyrs – Optional Memorialli>
14: Maximilian Mary Kolbe, priest and martyr – Memorial
15: ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY– Solemnity
16: Stephen of Hungary – Optional Memorial
17:
18:
19: John Eudes, priest – Optional Memorial
20: Bernard of Clairvaux, abbot and doctor of the Church – Memorial
21: Pius X, pope – Memorial
22: Queenship of Blessed Virgin Mary – Memorial
23: Rose of Lima, virgin – Optional Memorial
24: Bartholomew the Apostle – Feast
25: Louis or Joseph of Calasanz, priest – Optional Memorial
26:
27: Monica – Memorial
28: Augustine of Hippo, bishop and doctor of the Church – Memorial
29: The Beheading of John the Baptist, martyr – Memorial
30:
31:
September
September
1:
2:
3: Gregory the Great, pope and doctor – Memorial
4:
5:
6:
7:
8: Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Feast
9: Peter Claver, priest – Optional Memorial (Memorial in United States)
10:
11:
12: Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Optional Memorial
13: John Chrysostom, bishop and doctor – Memorial
14: Exaltation of the Holy Cross – Feast
15: Our Lady of Sorrows – Memorial
16: Cornelius, pope, and Cyprian, bishop, martyrs – Memorial
17: Robert Bellarmine, bishop and doctor – Optional Memorial
18:
19: Januarius, bishop and martyr – Optional Memorial
20: Andrew Kim Taegon, priest, and Paul Chong Hasang and companions, martyrs – Memorial
21: Matthew the Evangelist, Apostle, Evangelist – Feast
22:
23: Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio), priest – Memorial
24:
25:
26: Cosmas and Damian, martyrs – Optional Memorial
27: Vincent de Paul, priest – Memorial
28: Wenceslaus, martyr or Lawrence Ruiz and companions, martyrs – Optional Memorial
29: Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels – Feast
30: Jerome, priest and doctor – Memorial
October
October
1: Thérèse of the Child Jesus, virgin and doctor – Memorial
2: Guardian Angels – Memorial
3: Francis of Assisi – Memorial
4:
5: Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, priest – Optional Memorial (United States)
6: Bruno, priest – Optional Memorial; Blessed Marie-Rose Durocher, virgin – Optional Memorial (United States)
7: Our Lady of the Rosary – Memorial
8:
9: Denis and companions, martyrs or John Leonardi, priest – Optional Memorial
10:
11: John XXIII, pope – Optional Memorial
12:
13:
14: Callistus I, pope and martyr – Optional Memorial
15: Teresa of Jesus, virgin and doctor – Memorial
16: Hedwig, religious or Margaret Mary Alacoque, virgin – Optional Memorial
17: Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyr – Memorial
18: Luke the Evangelist – Feast
19: Jean de Brébeuf, Isaac Jogues, priests and martyrs; and their companions, martyrs or Paul of the Cross, priest – Optional Memorial; (United States Jean de Brébeuf et al is a Memorial, and Paul of the Cross moved to Oct 20)
20: (Paul of the Cross, priest – Optional Memorial, United States)
21:
22: John Paul II, pope – Optional Memorial
23: John of Capistrano, priest – Optional Memorial
24: Anthony Mary Claret, bishop – Optional Memorial
25:
26:
27:
28: Simon and Jude, apostles – Feast
29:
30:
31:
November
November
1: ALL SAINTS – Solemnity
2: COMMEMORATION OF ALL SOULS – ranked with solemnities
3: Martin de Porres, religious – Optional Memorial
4 : Charles Borromeo, bishop – Memorial
5:
6:
7:
8:
9: Dedication of the Lateran basilica – Feast
10: Leo the Great, pope and doctor – Memorial
11: Martin of Tours, bishop – Memorial
12: Josaphat, bishop and martyr – Memorial
13: Frances Xavier Cabrini, virgin – Memorial (United States)
14:
15: Albert the Great, bishop and doctor – Optional Memorial
16: Margaret of Scotland or Gertrude the Great, virgin – Optional Memorials
17: Elizabeth of Hungary, religious – Memorial
18: Dedication of the basilicas of Peter and Paul, Apostles – Optional Memorial; Rose Philippine Duchesne, virgin – Optional Memorial (United States)
19:
20:
21: Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Memorial
22: Cecilia, martyr – Memorial
23: Clement I, pope and martyr or Columban, religious – Optional Memorial; Blessed Miguel Agustín Pro, priest and martyr – Optional Memorial (United States)
24: Andrew Dung-Lac and his companions, martyrs – Memorial
25: Catherine of Alexandria, martyr – Optional Memorial
26:
27:
28:
29:
30: Andrew the Apostle – Feast
Movable Feasts:
Last Sunday in Ordinary Time (last Sunday before 27 November): OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, KING OF THE UNIVERSE – Solemnity
December
December
1:
2:
3: Francis Xavier, priest – Memorial
4 : John Damascene, priest and doctor – Optional Memorial
5:
6: Nicholas, bishop – Optional Memorial
7: Ambrose, bishop and doctor – Memorial
8: IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY – Solemnity
9: Juan Diego – Optional Memorial
10:
11: Damasus I, pope – Optional Memorial
12: Our Lady of Guadalupe – Optional Memorial (Feast for United States)
13: Lucy of Syracuse, virgin and martyr – Memorial
14: John of the Cross, priest and doctor – Memorial
15:
16:
17:
18:
19:
20:
21: Peter Canisius, priest and doctor – Optional Memorial
22:
23: John of Kanty, priest – Optional Memorial
24:
25: NATIVITY OF THE LORD (CHRISTMAS) – Solemnity
26: Stephen, the first martyr – Feast
27: John the Apostle and evangelist – Feast
28: Holy Innocents, martyrs – Feast
29: Thomas Becket, bishop and martyr – Optional Memorial
30:
31: Sylvester I, pope – Optional Memorial
Movable Feasts:
Sunday within the Octave of Christmas (or, if there is no such Sunday, 30 December): The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph – Feast
Proper Calendar for the Dioceses of the United States of America
Proper Calendar for the Dioceses of the United States of America
January
January
1:
4: Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious –Memorial
5: John Neumann, Bishop –Memorial
6: André Bessette, Religious – Optional Memorial
22: Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children (January 23, when January 22 falls on a Sunday)
23: Vincent, Deacon and Martyr; Saint Marianne Cope, Virgin– Optional Memorials
March
March
3: Katharine Drexel, Virgin – Optional Memorial
May
May
10: Damien de Veuster, Priest – Optional Memorial
15: Isidore , Farmer > – Optional Memorial
July
July
1: Junípero Serra, Priest – Optional Memorial
4: Independence Day – Optional Memorial
5: Elizabeth of Portugal – Optional Memorial
14: Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin –Memorial
18: Camillus de Lellis, Priest – Optional Memorial
September
September
9: Peter Claver, Priest – Optional Memorial
October
October
5: Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, Priest – Optional Memorial
6: Blessed Marie Rose Durocher, Virgin – Optional Memorial
19: John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions, Martyrs – Memorial
20: Paul of the Cross, Priest – Optional Memorial
November
November
13: Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin –Memorial
18: Rose Philippine Duchesne, Virgin – Optional Memorial
23: Blessed Miguel Agustín Pro, Priest and Martyr – Optional Memorial
Movable Feasts:
Fourth Thursday — Thanksgiving Day
December
December
8: IMMACULATE CONCEPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY – Solemnity (Patronal Feastday of the United States of America)
12: Our Lady of Guadalupe – Feast
Movable Feasts In the Proper of Time
Movable Feasts In the Proper of Time
Sunday between January 2 and 8 — THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD – Solemnity
Sunday after the Most Holy Trinity — THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST – Solemnity
The above is the listing of all the feast days for the General Roman Calendar of the Liturgical Year. Each year will have some dates not included because they fall on Sunday or a particular liturgical season. This gives a full overview of all the possible saint and feast days for every year. Although these are all listed with the feast, the different formatting provides a visual of the different type of feast days within the Liturgical Calendar.
Key: BOLD AND ALL CAPS is a Solemnity; Bold with Regular type is a Feast; Regular type is a Memorial and Italic is an Optional Memorial.
https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=1337#move
Naming Your Baby - A saint or biblical name!
Naming Your Baby - A saint or biblical name!
Names of Saints - Alphabetical Listing, Daily & Monthly Listing:
Overview of the Liturgical Year and Calendar
What is the Liturgical Year? The Catechism of the Catholic Church provides a succinct definition:
[It is] the celebration throughout the year of the mysteries of the Lord’s birth, life, death, and Resurrection in such a way that the entire year becomes a “year of the Lord’s grace.” Thus the cycle of the liturgical year and the great feasts constitute the basic rhythm of the Christian’s life of prayer. (1168)
Holy Days of Obligation
Holy days of obligation are feast days on which Catholics are required to attend Mass and to avoid (to the extent that they are able) servile work. The observance of Holy Days of Obligation is part of the Sunday Duty, the first of the Precepts of the Church, and are listed in Canon 1246 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law. Holy Days of Obligation are days other than Sundays on which Catholics are required to participate in the Mass, the primary form of worship. Any feast celebrated on a Sunday, such as Easter, falls under normal Sunday Duty and thus isn't included in a list of Holy Days of Obligation.
"The Church punctuates the liturgical year by celebrating various events important to the mystery of our salvation. During the course of the liturgical year, the Church celebrates the whole mystery of Christ, from His incarnation and birth to His ascension, to Pentecost and the founding of the Church, and finally to the second coming of Christ in judgment on the Solemnity of Christ the King. On Sundays in particular, we commemorate the Resurrection, when our Lord triumphed over sin and death. In a special way, the Church also honors our Blessed Mother, marking those special events of her participation in the mystery of salvation. Finally, the Church also commemorates the memorial days of saints, who through their lives bring to the minds of the faithful the call to holiness. Saints’ days are celebrated with few exceptions on the date of the saint’s death– their birth into eternal life.
Solemnities
Solemnities are the celebrations of greatest importance. Each Solemnity begins on the prior evening with first vespers (evening prayer) and several of the solemnities have their own Vigil Mass. On these days, both the Gloria and the Creed are recited. Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation (which in the United States are the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God, Ascension, Assumption, All Saints, Immaculate Conception, and Christmas) are always considered solemnities. Other examples of solemnities include the Solemnity of St. Joseph (March 19), the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Friday after the Feast of Corpus Christi), and the Solemnity of St. Peter and St. Paul (June 29).
Feasts
Feasts are of secondary importance in our liturgical calendar and are celebrated on a particular day. These feasts do not have a first vespers or Vigil Mass on the prior evening. An exception would be the feasts of the Lord which occur on Sundays in Ordinary Time and Sundays in the Christmas season. For example, the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (February 2) has its own first vespers. On these days, the Gloria is recited but not the Creed.
Memorials
Next in line are memorials, which are classified as either obligatory or optional. Memorials commemorate a saint or saints. Obligatory memorials must be observed whereas optional memorials do not have to be observed. For example, the memorial of St. John Bosco (January 31) is obligatory while the memorial of St. Blase (February 3) is optional. Only the memorials of those saints who are of “universal significance” are observed by the whole Church and marked in the general liturgical calendar.
missionsantaines.org/liturgical-year-holy-days-obligation-solemnities-and-feast-days
The Order of Precedence
catholicculture.org/commentary/reading-fine-print-for-liturgical-calendar-part-1
Sundays (including Epiphany, Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday, Pentecost, etc.) are always obligatory or Holy Days of Obligation!
To grow in faith and holiness, in addition to the obligatory Sunday Mass and Holy Days of Obligation, discover the richness and beauty contained in the Church’s liturgical calendar. These holy days and solemnities are a great place to enrich your spiritual life! To ensure that you don’t forget these celebrations, note the dates on your calendar now and you’ll be prepared for the whole year!
Check out What is the difference between a solemnity, a feast, and a memorial?
How does a saint’s feast day get assigned a date on the calendar? aleteia.org/how-does-a-saints-feast-day-get-assigned
Where Do Saint Days Come From and Why Do Some Saints Have More Than One Feast Day? catholiccompany.com/where-do-saint-days-come-from
Find out the Important Days of the Liturgical Calendar in the Catholic Church up until the year 2100 & 9999!
Catholic Church Important Days Liturgical Calendar 2024-2100
Catholic Church Important Days Liturgical Calendar 1900-9999
Calendar of Feast Days · Saints & Angels · Marian Feasts
Catholic Feast Days - A Catholic Life
Calendar of Saints - TraditionalCatholic.net
Feast Day Calendar - Catholic Apostolate Center
Marian Feasts - Catholic Apostolate Center
The Feasts of Our Lady - Marian Feasts - CatholicTradition.org
CALENDAR OF FEAST DAYS - Saints & Angels
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