A friendly reminder, Monday, Dec. 8, is a Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
To avoid confusion, “Immaculate Conception” refers to the Blessed Virgin Mary being conceived without original sin.
At the same time, the Blessed Virgin Mary referred to herself as “the Immaculate Conception” when she appeared at Lourdes, France, in the mid-19th Century.
When Saint Bernadette asked who she was, Mary answered “I am the Immaculate Conception.”
The Blessed Virgin Mary is the Patroness of the United States. The national church for the United States is the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
The Conception of Christ is celebrated on the Solemnity of the Annunciation on March 25, nine months before Christmas, the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord.
There is the same obligation to attend Mass on the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception as on a Sunday, likewise under penalty of grave sin if Mass is missed absent valid excuse.
As explained by the USCCB, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is part of the general list of Holy Days of Obligation.
Yet, while the obligation to attend Mass is lifted when some Holy Days fall on Saturday or Monday, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is not included among that subset. Therefore, when the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception falls on Saturday or, as in 2014, Monday, the obligation still remains.
Holy Days of Obligation
- January 1, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
- Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, the solemnity of the Ascension [moved to Sunday in most cases]
- 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
The only Holy Days that have the obligation to attend Mass lifted when falling on a Saturday or Monday are described below:
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.
So, as can be seen, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception always still carries with it an Obligation to attend Mass absent a valid excuse otherwise.
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