Sundays and holy days of obligation are days on which the faithful are obliged to participate in the Mass.
Holy days mark days in the liturgical year of special importance or that merit special celebration. Worldwide, there is some variation in the dates of celebration of holy days as local Church authorities acknowledge patron saints or allow the celebration of holy days that occur during the week on the nearest Sunday. In England and Wales, according to a 1984 decision of the Bishops’ Conference, holy days which fall on Saturday or Monday are in general transferred to the Sunday.
The table below, list significant dates of the liturgical. Dates of holy days are in bold).
Holy Day | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
Epiphany | 8 Jan | 6 Jan | 5 Jan | 4 Jan |
Ash Wednesday | 22 Feb | 13 Feb | 5 Mar | 18 Feb |
Easter Sunday | 8 Apr | 31 Mar | 20 Apr | 5 Apr |
Ascension | 20 May | 12 May | 1 Jun | 17 May |
Pentecost | 27 May | 19 May | 8 Jun | 24 May |
Corpus Christi | 10 Jun | 2 Jun | 22 Jun | 7 Jun |
SS Peter & Paul | 29 Jun | 30 Jun | 29 Jun | 28 Jun |
Assumption | 15 Aug | 15 Aug | 15 Aug | 16 Aug |
All Saints | 1 Nov | 1 Nov | 2 Nov | 1 Nov |
1st Sunday of Advent | 2 Dec | 1 Dec | 30 Nov | 29 Nov |
Birth of The Lord | 25 Dec | 25 Dec | 25 Dec | 25 Dec |