Complete List of Roman Catholic Holy Days for 2011

If you awakened on New Year's Day and wondered if you should be getting ready to go to church, you had lots of company. When it comes to the holy days of obligation for Roman Catholics in the United States, what's required each year is usually somewhat confusing. When a date is listed as a holy day, Catholics are required to go to church and attend an observance of the occasion.

The source of the confusion is the existence of both these holy days of obligation and what's known as moveable feasts. The latter are special days associated with calendar dates of observance that shift from year to year and that are celebrated by Catholics as well as a number of Protestants.

Holy Days of Obligation

According to About.com Catholicism, here is a calendar summary of the standard holy days of obligation in the United States. Note that when Mary, Mother of God; the Assumption; or All Saints falls on a Saturday or a Monday, Latin Rite Catholics in the U.S. are not obligated to attend mass to observe them.

Mary, Mother of God, January 1. This holy day is traditionally observed on New Year's Day or the preceding evening if local parishes offer observances then. It commemorates Mary as the Mother of God. Catholic bishops have declared that it isn't a holy day of obligation in the U.S. for 2011 because it falls on a Saturday, according to the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia.

Easter Sunday, April 24. Considering both Christmas and Easter, many Christians consider Easter Sunday the most sacred feast on the calendar. It commemorates the resurrection of Christ and the chance for an eternal life with God. It also ends the 30 somber days of Lent. In order to stay in good standing, Roman Catholics need to receive the Eucharist at least once during the Easter season.

Ascension of the Lord, June 2. In most U.S. dioceses, this holy day will be transferred to Sunday, June 5, 2011. It commemorates Christ's ascension 40 days after the resurrection. Church dogma says that the Apostles looked on as He bodily ascended to Heaven.

Assumption of Mary, August 15. Catholics are not required to observe it as a holy day of obligation in 2011 because it falls on a Monday. It marks the assumption of Mary's incorrupt body into Heaven.

All Saints Day, November 1. It's always the day after Halloween. By the final days of the Roman Empire, there were so many saints who had been martyred that the Church created this holy day to commemorate them in common.

The Immaculate Conception, December 8. The purpose of this commemoration is probably the most misunderstood of all those associated with holy days of obligation. It honors the immaculate conception of Mary, not Christ. "Immaculate" refers to be born without sin.

Christmas, December 25. In 2011, it falls on a Sunday. The name of this holiday is actually a shortened form of Christ's mass. This holy day commemorates the birth of Christ and is often observed at masses on Christmas Eve.

Moveable Feasts

Here is the list of Catholic special observances for 2011 that are not considered holy days of obligation.

Ash Wednesday, March 9. This observance kicks off the penitential season of Lent, during which Catholics prepare for East and Christ's resurrection. Catholics are generally encouraged to go to mass on Ash Wednesday and receive the imposition of ashes on their foreheads.

Palm Sunday, April 17. It always falls on the Sunday immediately before Easter and marks the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem.

Holy Thursday, April 21. Catholics and Protestants alike sometimes refer to this day as Maundy Thursday. Its purpose is to remember Christ's Last Supper. It also commemorates the beginning of the Eucharist, the sacrament of the Mass and the priesthood.

Good Friday, April 22. Many Catholics mistakenly believe this is a holy day. It's a point of high drama in the liturgical year for all Christians as they remember the passion, crucifixion and death of Jesus. Catholics are nonetheless required to fast and remain meatless on this day unless their circumstances excuse them from these requirements. In addition to an afternoon liturgy, most Catholic churches have an evening remembrance focusing on the Stations of the Cross.

Holy Saturday, April 23. It's a time of preparation. No masses are scheduled on the day before Easter. At dusk, the church is stripped, and preparations begin for the Easter Vigil, at which most new members enter the Catholic Church.

Divine Mercy Sunday, May 1. This feast dates to 2000 and the naming of Faustina a saint. It commemorates Christ's divine mercy and always falls on the Sunday immediately after Easter.

Pentecost, June 12. This Sunday feast has its roots in the Old Testament, when it celebrated the Jews' first covenant with God on Mount Sinai. It was on Pentecost that Christ's disciples received the gift of the Holy Spirit and began preaching in the languages of all those present in the crowd. This feast is often referred to as the birthday of the Church since it also marked the establishment of the New Covenant.

Trinity Sunday, June 19. Celebrated a week after Pentecost, it marks the mystery of the Holy Trinity.

Corpus Christi, June 23. For 2011, the observance of this Thursday feast will be transferred to Sunday, June 26. It marks the institution of the sacrament of Holy Communion during the Last Supper and dates to the 1200s.

First Sunday of Advent, November 27. Catholics and some Protestants celebrate it four Sundays prior to Christmas. It marks the beginning of the Advent season, which is actually considered a solemn season of prayer, fasting and confession.

Sources:

http://catholicism.about.com/od/holydaysandholidays/a/2011_Lit_Cal.htm

http://arlingtondiocese.org/worship/worship_holy_days.php