PARTICULAR CALENDAR AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES FOR THE DIOCESE OF TYLER FOR THE 2020 December 1, 2019 to November 28, 2020 Sunday: Year A | Weekday: Cycle II

Saturday, February 1, 2020 World Day for Consecrated Life

Note: Mass begins at 10 a.m. at the Cathedral of the Saturday, February 8, 2020 World Marriage Day Mass

Note: Mass begins at 2 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception Monday, February 24, 2020 Anniversary of the Dedication of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

Note: Observed as a in the Cathedral and a feast in all other locations in the diocese.i Texts from the appropriate Mass from the Common of the Dedication of a Church are used. Sunday, March 1, 2020 Rite of Election and Calling of the Candidates

Note: The Liturgy begins at 4 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Sunday, March 8, 2020 Rite of Election and Calling of the Candidates

Note: The Liturgy begins at 4 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Note: Mass begins at 11 a.m. at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Friday, August 7, 2020 Mass of Thanksgiving for with Recommitment of Promises

Note: Mass begins at 6:30 p.m.at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Monday, September 7, 2020 Anniversary of the Death of Bishop Charles E. Herzig, First Bishop of Tyler

Note: For daily Masses, priests are encouraged to use the Mass for the Dead, Various Prayers for the Dead (IV), For a Bishop, For a Diocesan Bishop (A). Tuesday, October 6, 2020 “Red Mass” ( of the Holy Spirit) for the Legal Community

Note: Mass begins at 6 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Saturday, November 28, 2020 Anniversary of the Episcopal Ordination of Bishop Joseph E. Strickland

Note: For daily Masses, priests are encouraged to use the Mass for Various Needs, For Holy Church (I), For the Bishop (3).

Updated: Sept. 12, 2019 Holy Days of Obligation In addition to all Sundays, the following Holy Days of Obligation are observed for the current liturgical year:ii Wednesday, December 25, 2019 Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord Wednesday, January 1, 2020 Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Regarding the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8) Since December 8, 2019, is the Second Sunday of , the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary is transferred to Monday, December 9, 2019. The obligation to attend Mass, however, does not transfer. The Optional of Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, December 9, is omitted this year. Regarding the Lenten Scrutinies (March 15, 22, 29) The scrutinies in preparation for the Baptism of the catechumens (the elect) who are to be admitted to the sacraments at the Vigil are celebrated in a solemn manner during Mass on the Third (March 15), Fourth (March 22), and Fifth (March 29) Sundays of .iii The scrutinies are not optional. The rites found in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults are to be faithfully observed. Regarding the (April; 11) In order to ensure sufficient darkness and observe the law that the celebration take place “during the night”iv, at least 45 minutes, and preferably one hour, should elapse after sunset before the Easter Vigil begin. In 2020, sunset on April 21 occurs at approximately 7:50 p.m. across the Diocese of Tyler. Therefore, the celebration of the Easter Vigil may not be scheduled to begin before 8:30 p.m. Regarding the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord (May 24) The ecclesiastical province of Galveston-Houston, which includes the Diocese of Tyler, has perpetually transferred this solemnity to the following Sunday - May 24, 2020, which is its day.v Thursday, May 21, 2020, is observed as an Easter Weekday. Regarding the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Aug. 15) Because the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15, falls on a Saturday in 2020, the precept to attend Mass is abrogated. Pastoral Note: Liturgical texts for Masses after 4 p.m. on August 15 are to be for the 20th Sunday in Time.vi Regarding Feast Days In each parish, the anniversary of the dedication of the parish church and the feast of patron (title) of the parish are celebrated as . When these occur during , they may be transferred to the next Sunday.vii Regarding the Ember and Rogation Days While not required by universal law and no longer part of the , Bishop Strickland encourages the pastoral observance of the following special days as times to entreat the Lord for the good of the Church and to offer him special thanksgiving.viii June 3, 5, and 6, 2020 September 16, 18, and 19, 2020

Updated: Sept. 12, 2019 On these days, fasting and abstinence is encouraged, though not required. For 2020, Bishop Strickland requests that the Mass for Various Needs, For Our Oppressors (42) be used on these days, when possible. Regarding Certain Prayers to which are Attached In accord with the Handbook of Indulgences, pastors are invited to promote the following acts or public recitation of the prayers on the appropriate days, outside of Mass. An explanation of indulgences and reminders of the conditions necessary for obtaining the may be opportune on these days (cf. Norm 20). December 31, 2019 (Final Day of the Year) – Public singing/recitation of the Te Deum (Grant 26 §1, 2°) January 1, 2020 (First Day of the Year) – Public singing/recitation of the Veni Creator (Grant 26 §1, 1°) June 14, 2020 (Corpus Christi) – Participating in a solemn Eucharistic (Grant 7 §1, 3°) June 19, 2020 (Most of ) – Public recitation of the Act of Reparation (Grant 3) November 22, 2020 (Christ the King) – Public recitation of the Act of Dedication of the Human Race to Christ the King (Grant 2)

i Order of the Dedication of a Church, 26 ii Code of Law, canon 1246, §1; NCCB Complimentary Norm to canon 1246, §2 (Nov. 17, 1992). iii Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, 141, 146. iv , Rubrics for the Easter Vigil, 3; Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and Calendar, 21. v The ecclesiastical provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, and the State of Nebraska have retained the celebration of the Ascension of the Lord on Thursday, while all other provinces have transferred this solemnity to today, the Seventh Sunday of Easter. vi In the celebration of Mass, precedence is always to be given (“præcedentia semper danda est”) to the feast of precept, regardless of the ranks of the two consecutive feasts. “De Calendario Liturgico Exarando pro Anno 1984- 1985,” Notitiæ 20 [1984], 603-605). vii Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and Calendar, 58; Order of the Dedication of a Church, 26. viii Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and Calendar, 45-47.

Updated: Sept. 12, 2019