Days of Holy Obligation in South Africa

(Tridentine South Africa )

Article by Marc Aupiais

Catholics in South Africa are obligated to attend church on Sundays throughout the year, and on:



December 25th: (Christmas Day, or Midnight Mass): the Nativity of Our Lord;

Thursday of the Sixth Week of the Easter season: The Ascension of Christ;

August 15th: Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Into Heaven.



The Following days: In South Africa: are transfered to Sundays:


The Feast of the Epiphany (6th of January) is transfered to the Sunday between January 2nd, and January 8th;

The Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi) (usually Thursday after Trinity Sunday), is celebrated in South Africa: on the Sunday after Trinity Sunday: i.e. on the second Sunday after Pentecost.

All Saints (International Date: 1st November) is: in South Africa; celebrated on the Sunday after All Saints, in South Africa.

The Other four Days of obligation: in South Africa, are absolved: meaning that one does not have to attend these:

Immaculate Conception(8th December);
Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God: 1st January;
Saint Joseph: 19 March;
The Apostles: Saint Peter and Saint Paul: 29 June.

Much thanks to Father Chris Townsend of the Southern African Catholic Bishops Conference(SACBC), and to the Archdiocese of Pretoria, who I find highly useful.

Holy Days of Obligation in Canada, Australia, Ireland, England and Wales, and America:

http://www.beginningcatholic.com/catholic-holy-days-of-obligation.html

What are the 10 Holy Days of Obligation

(Journey in a Broken World )

Article by Marc Aupiais

Canon 1246, of the Universal law of the Church: Canon Law, demands: that in addition to Sundays: unless a bishops conference transfers, or alters, with Vatican permission: such: 10 days of Obligation are to be celebrated in the Holy Church. If this is revoked: it needs permission by the Vatican. South Africa has published no information on these in South Africa: to my knowledge: for this reason: we shall simply give the dates of each of these: and assume until further notice: that we are obligated to attend on these: (In South Africa: one must attend on three days other than Sundays: c.f. Days of Holy Obligation in South Africa)

Holy Days of Obligation in the Universal Church: (Day in Red, date in black)

1) The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ : Which is on 25th December: yearly (Christmas Day).

2) The Epiphany : Which is on 6th January: yearly.

3) The Ascension : Which is on the Thursday of the Sixth Week of the Easter season.

4) The Body and Blood of Christ : Which is on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday, which is the Sunday after Pentecost, which is also a Sunday. (11 days aft Pentecost: given below)

5) Holy Mary: the Mother of God : Which is on 1st of January: yearly

6) The Immaculate Conception of Mary : Which is on 8th December, Yearly

7) The Assumption into Heaven: of the blessed Virgin Mary : Which is on 15th August, yearly

8) Saint Joseph : Which is on 19th March, yearly.

9) Saint Peter and Saint Paul the Apostles : Which is on 29 June, yearly.

10) All Saints : Which is on 1st November, yearly.

Much of this information is based on:
http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/holy_days_of_obligation.htm

and The Sunday Missal, and

http://www.beginningcatholic.com/catholic-holy-days-of-obligation.html

Most churches list feast days in the week: if the list shows a day on a Sunday instead, then your church has changed it in your area.

According to the Sunday Missal: Pentacost until 2040 will be: (given in pink, in dark red is Corpus Christi (Body of Christ: called the The Body and Blood of Christ above: a feast day))

2009: 31st May: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 11th June

2010: 23rd May: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 03th June

2011: 12th June: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 23th June

2012: 27th May: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 07th June

2013: 19th May: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 30th May

2014: 08th June: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 19th June

2015: 24th May: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 04th June

2016: 15th May: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 26th May

2017: 04th June: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 15th June

2018: 20th May: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 31th May

2019: 09th June: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 20th June

2020: 31st May: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 11th June

2021: 23st May: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 03th June

2022: 05th June: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 16th June

2023: 28th May: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 08th June

2024: 19th May: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 30th May

2025: 08th June: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 19th June

2026: 24th May: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 04th June

2027: 16th May: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 27th May

2028: 04th June: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 15th June

2029: 20th May: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 31th May

2030: 09th June: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 20th June

2031: 01th June: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 12th June

2032: 16th May: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 27th May

2033: 05th June: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 16th June

2034: 28th May: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 08th June

2035: 13th May: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 24th May

2036: 01th June: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 12th May

2037: 24th May: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 04th May

2038: 13th June: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 24th May

2039: 29th May: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 09th June

2040: 20th May: Body and Blood of Christ will be on 31th May

Information compiled on date of Corpus Christi: from Sunday Missal (2005; Collins; England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland version)

Holy Days of Obligation in the Universal Catholic Church (Latin Rite):

the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension, the Body and Blood of Christ, Holy Mary the Mother of God, her Immaculate Conception, her Assumption, Saint Joseph, Saint Peter and Saint Paul the Apostles, and All Saints.

Some canons of note:

"CHAPTER I.

Feast Days

Can. 1246 §1. Sunday, on which by apostolic tradition the paschal mystery is celebrated, must be observed in the universal Church as the primordial holy day ofobligation. The following days must also be observed: the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension, the Body and Blood of Christ, Holy Marythe Mother of God, her Immaculate Conception, her Assumption, Saint Joseph, Saint Peter and Saint Paul the Apostles, and All Saints.

§2. With the prior approval of the Apostolic See, however, the conference of bishops can suppress some of the holy days of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday.

Can. 1247 On Sundays and other holy days of obligation, the faithful are obliged to participate in the Mass.

Moreover, they are to abstain from those works and affairs which hinder the worship to be rendered to God, the joy proper to the Lord’s day, or the suitablerelaxation of mind and body.

Can. 1248 §1. A person who assists at a Mass celebrated anywhere in a Catholic rite either on the feast day itself or in the evening of the preceding day satisfies theobligation of participating in the Mass.

§2. If participation in the eucharistic celebration becomes impossible because of the absence of a sacred minister or for another grave cause, it is stronglyrecommended that the faithful take part in a liturgy of the word if such a liturgy is celebrated in a parish church or other sacred place according to the prescripts of thediocesan bishop or that they devote themselves to prayer for a suitable time alone, as a family, or, as the occasion permits, in groups of families." (Adapted into proper English)
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/_P4N.HTM

In South Africa: one must attend on three days other than Sundays: c.f. Days of Holy Obligation in South Africa