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News & Events Holy Days of Obligation Holy Days of Obligation in 2012
Every Sunday is considered a holy day of obligation in the Catholic faith and the faithful are called to worship at Mass every Sunday. In addition, the principal liturgical feasts that honor the mysteries of the Lord, the Virgin Mary, and the saints are Catholic Holy Days of Obligation.
For St. Bartholomew and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, the table below provides the non-Sunday Holy Day of Obligation schedule for 2012.
| Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God |
Sunday, January 1 |
This solemnity recognizes Mary as the Mother of Our Lord. |
| Easter Sunday | Sunday, April 8 |
Though not considered Holy Days of Obligation, the Triduum – Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday (celebration of Easter Vigil) - are among the holiest of the Liturgical Year. This year those three days fall on April 5th/6th/7th. |
| Feast of the Ascension | Sunday, May 20 |
Traditionally celebrated on Thursday, some dioceses in the United States commemorate this feast on the following Sunday. The Archdiocese of Cincinnati is among those. It is considered a day of obligation for those dioceses who celebrate it on a Thursday. |
| Feast of the Assumption of Mary | Wednesday, August 15 |
This feast celebrates the Assumption of the Blessed Mother into heaven. |
| Feast of All Saints | Thursday, November 1 |
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| Feast of the Immaculate Conception | Saturday, December 8 |
This feast commemorates God’s preparation of Mary to be the Mother of Jesus at her conception. Since Mary as the Immaculate Conception is the Patroness of the United States, this feast is always a Holy Day of Obligation, except when it falls on a Sunday, when the liturgies of the Sunday prevail. |
| Christmas | Tuesday, December 25 |
This feast commemorating the Nativity of the Lord is always a Holy Day of Obligation. |
The following feasts and commemorations are important but are not Holy Days of Obligation--unless they fall on a Sunday:
| Feast of the Epiphany | Sunday, January 8 |
Epiphany, the 12th day after Christmas, celebrates the visit of the three kings or wise men to the Christ Child, signifying the extension of salvation to the Gentiles. |
| Ash Wednesday | Wednesday, February 22 |
Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, the season of preparation for the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Sunday. |
| The First Sunday of Lent | Sunday, February 26 |
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| Pentecost | Sunday, May 27 |
Pentecost Sunday, which marks the end of the Easter season, celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles. |
| Holy Trinity | Sunday, June 3 |
Trinity Sunday falls one week after Pentecost Sunday, and it is the day that the Catholic Church has set aside to honor the most fundamental of Christian beliefs—the Holy Trinity. |
| Corpus Christi, Feast of the Body & Blood of Christ |
Sunday, June 10 |
|
| Feast of All Souls | Friday, November 2 |
All Souls Day is a solemn feast commemorating those who have died and are now in Purgatory. |
| Feast of Christ the King | Sunday, November 25 |
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| The First Sunday of Advent | Sunday, December 2 |
