The Catholic Church draws attention to six days – apart from Sunday – when it calls the faithful to come together in praise, prayer, and Eucharist (thanksgiving) for God’s gifts of love to us.  These are the Holy Days. The six Holy Days are:

• Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (December 8th),
• The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas),
• Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God (January 1st),
• Ascension of the Lord (the date moves with Easter),
• Solemnity of the Assumption (August 15th), and
• Solemnity of All Saints (November 1st).

Notice that Ash Wednesday is not on the list, even though it’s one of the busiest days of the year for most parishes.

There is a wrinkle. When the Assumption, All Saints, or the Solemnity of Mary falls on a Monday or Saturday, there is no Mass obligation, although Catholics are encouraged to celebrate these beautiful feasts. The Immaculate Conception, as the Patronal Feast of the United States, is always a day of obligation, except when it falls on a Sunday, in which case it’s moved to Monday the Ninth, as it is now in 2013. While it remains a Holy Day, it remains without the obligation to attend Mass.