Complete List of Roman Catholic Holy Days for 2012

One of the tasks Roman Catholics undertake with each new year is figuring out which are the Church's holy days of obligation and moveable feasts. Most dioceses publish an online calendar of important dates. However, knowing which ones are actually holy days is crucial, because the faithful are required to attend an observance of those days at a Catholic church.

Diocesan calendars are also sometimes confusing because they don't always differentiate between holy days of obligation and other days the Church refers to as moveable feasts. The dates of moveable feasts vary from one year to the next.

The schedule of holy days of obligation gets even more complicated when a holy day falls on certain days of the week. According to the Catholic Diocese of Arlington (Virginia), U.S. Catholics who observe the Latin Rite--most American Catholics--aren't required to attend mass for three observances when they fall on a Saturday or a Monday. They include the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God; the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary; and All Saints.

What Are the Holy Days of Obligation for 2012?

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (January 1). This year, it falls on a Sunday, so no additional observance is required. This important feast always occurs on the octave (eighth) day of Christmas, About.com Catholicism reports.

Easter Sunday (April 8). This holy day marks the end of the 40 days of Lent. Catholics are required to receive the Eucharist a minimum of one time during the Easter season.

Ascension (May 17). It commemorates Christ's ascension to Heaven 40 days after his resurrection. For 2012, the Ascension of the Lord falls on a Thursday. In many dioceses, the observance will be transferred to Sunday, May 20, where the observance takes the place of the Seventh Sunday of Easter.

Assumption (August 15). The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary falls on a Wednesday in 2012. This holy day honors the death of Mary and the assumption of her body into Heaven without decay. This is a very old observance of the Church, celebrated universally by the sixth century. In Eastern Churches, it's known as the Feast of the Dormition.

All Saints Day (November 1). This holy day of obligation always directly follows Halloween. It probably dates to the late fourth century and honors all Catholic saints, known and unknown.

Immaculate Conception (December 8). Dating to the seventh century, this feast is often mistaken as marking the conception of Christ. In fact, it commemorates the conception of Mary, who was born without sin, according to Catholic doctrine.

Christmas Day (December 25). The largest observances of the celebration of Christ's birth, which falls on a Tuesday in 2012, are often the masses of Christmas Eve.

What Are the Moveable Feasts for 2012?

While important observances in the Church calendar, these occasions are not holy days of obligation.

Ash Wednesday (February 22). Ash Wednesday and the imposition of ashes in the sign of the cross on the foreheads of the faithful mark the start of the somber season of Lent. The 40 days of Lent serve as a means to prepare Catholics for Easter.

Palm Sunday (April 1). This moveable feast recalls Christ's entry into Jerusalem and is always the Sunday immediately preceding Easter.

Holy Thursday (April 5). Also known as Maundy Thursday, it serves as a reminder of the Last Supper. It's the oldest celebration of Holy Week and also marks the institution of the Eucharist, the priesthood and the mass.

Good Friday (April 6). A common misconception is that Good Friday, which marks Christ's passion and crucifixion, is a holy day. However, Catholics are required to observe a day of fasting and meatless meals unless their personal circumstances merit excusing them from these practices.

Holy Saturday (April 7). Catholic churches spend the entire day preparing for Easter, which actually begins with the Easter Vigil on Saturday night. It is during this observance that most new members formally become Roman Catholics.

Divine Mercy Sunday (April 15). This feast day helps Catholics remember Christ's divine mercy. It was instituted on April 30, 2000, the day on which Maria Faustina Kowalska was declared a saint (St. Faustina).

Pentecost Sunday (May 27). On Pentecost, the disciples of Christ received the Holy Spirit and started to preach in all the languages used by the crowd present. Many consider Pentecost the birthday of the Church.

Trinity Sunday (June 3). This solemn observance always occurs the Sunday following Pentecost. It became universal in the 14^th century and reminds the faithful that the three persons of God--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--are all equally God and can't be divided.

Corpus Christi (June 7). Occurring on a Thursday in 2012, this observance in most dioceses will be transferred to Sunday, June 10. It commemorates the birth of the sacrament of the Eucharist during the Last Supper.

First Sunday of Advent (December 2). It occurs four Sundays before Christmas. This Sunday heralds the beginning of the Advent season, which is often misunderstood. Advent is actually a somber, preparatory season like Lent instead of a long Christmas celebration.

Sources:

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

http://catholicism.about.com/od/holydaysandholidays/a/2012_Lit_Cal.htm