Question
What are the holy days in the church? Can they change from diocese to diocese?
--Happy in Honolulu
Answer
In Canon Law for the universal church, number 1246, these are the holy days of obligation:
- Sundays,
- The Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ (December 25),
- the Epiphany,
- the Ascension,
- the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ,
- Holy Mary Mother of God (January 1),
- her Immaculate Conception (December 8)
- and Assumption (August15),
- Saint Joseph (March 19),
- the Apostles Saints Peter and Paul (June 29), and finally,
- All Saints (November 1).(bullets added for emphasis).
Paragraph two of this canon continues:
However, the conference of bishops can abolish certain holy days of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday with prior approval of the Apostolic See.
Even a diocese can petition for a transfer or abolition, as is the case in the diocese of Honolulu, where you are writing. In your diocese only December 8 and December 25 are the two holy days of obligation. For most of the United States of America, these are the holy days: January 1, Ascension (when celebrated on a Thursday), August 15, November1, December 8 and December 25. The others in the canon list have been transferred to Sunday or not days of obligation.