I. the Easter Vigil II. Holy Days of Obligation III. Special Celebrations for Dioceses and Parishes IV
Liturgical Calendar Notes I. The Easter Vigil II. Holy Days of Obligation III. Special Celebrations for Dioceses and Parishes IV. Rogation Day Prayer Service The Easter Vigil The first Mass of Easter, the Easter Vigil, falls between nightfall of Holy Saturday and daybreak of Easter Sunday. The General Norms for the Liturgical Year and the Calendar, no 21, states: The Easter Vigil, during the holy night when Christ rose from the dead, ranks as the “mother of all vigils.” Keeping watch, the Church awaits Christ’s resurrection and celebrates it in the sacraments. Accordingly, the entire celebration of this vigil should take place at night, that is, it should either begin after nightfall or end before the dawn of Sunday. Individual parishes can check the following website to determine nightfall in their area: http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.html On this website, nightfall is listed as “End civil twilight.” Liturgical Calendar Notes 1 Holy Days of Obligation On December 13, 1991 the members of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops of the United States of American made the following general decree concerning holy days of obligation for Latin rite Catholics: In addition to Sunday, the days to be observed as holy days of obligation in the Latin Rite dioceses of the United States of America, in conformity with canon 1246, are as follows: January 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, the solemnity of the Ascension (observed on the 7th Sunday of Easter in Kentucky Dioceses) 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 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.
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