• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Cathedral of Mary Our Queen nativity scene. The Catholic faithful have an obligation to attend Mass twice between the afternoon of Dec. 23 and Dec. 25, to participate in Masses for the fourth Sunday of Advent, and for Christmas. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

Quirk of calendar requires two obligations for Masses at Christmas time

December 4, 2023
By Catholic Review Staff
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Christmas, Local News, News, Worship & Sacraments

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

By a quirk of the calendar that happens every five or six years, Advent 2023 is the shortest it can be. The fourth “week” of Advent is only one day, Dec. 24.

As a result, the Catholic faithful have an obligation to attend Mass twice between the afternoon of Dec. 23 and Dec. 25, to participate in Masses for the fourth Sunday of Advent, and for Christmas.

According to guidance from the Archdiocese of Baltimore, “The obligation to attend Mass for the fourth Sunday of Advent and the Solemnity of Christmas are two separate obligations which cannot be fulfilled by attending one Mass. Those who wait until 4 p.m. or later on Sunday, Dec. 24, to fulfill their obligation for the fourth Sunday of Advent would need to attend Mass on Christmas Day to fulfill their obligation for the Solemnity of Christmas.”

What that boils down to is that you can attend a vigil Mass Saturday, Dec. 23, or a Mass Dec. 24 before 4 p.m. to fulfill the first obligation. Then you would attend a Christmas Eve vigil Mass Dec. 24 or a Christmas Day Mass Dec. 25. 

So, you could fulfill the obligations by attending two Masses on Dec. 24 – one in the morning for the fourth Sunday of Advent and another after 4 p.m. for Christmas.

A somewhat similar situation comes up the following weekend without the requirement to attend two Masses, as New Year’s Day is designated as the Solemnity of Mary. It is also the World Day of Prayer for Peace, first designated as such by Pope St. Paul VI in 1967. 

All Masses celebrated in the Archdiocese of Baltimore after 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 31, are to be celebrated for the Solemnity of Mary. However, the Solemnity of Mary is not a holy day of obligation in 2024, since it falls on a Monday. “Those attending Mass after 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 31, fulfill their Sunday obligation,” the guidance from the archdiocese said. 

The next time this situation comes up will be when Dec. 24 falls on a Sunday again in 2028.

Read More Local News

Radio Interview: The true story of ‘Xavier Rynne’

Archdiocese of Baltimore offers resources for parishes to assist migrants

Third annual gun buyback scheduled for Aug. 9

Driver arrested after crashing into entrance of Esperanza Center

Construction underway on new north addition to St. Joseph’s Nursing Home 

Prince of Peace merges with St. Francis de Sales in Harford County

Copyright © 2023 Catholic Review Media

Print Print

Share
Share on Facebook
Share
Share this
Pin
Pin this
Share
Share on LinkedIn

Primary Sidebar

Catholic Review Staff

Click here to view all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Prince of Peace merges with St. Francis de Sales in Harford County

  • Detroit archbishop fires theologians Ralph Martin, Eduardo Echeverría from seminary

  • Archdiocese of Baltimore offers resources for parishes to assist migrants

  • Construction underway on new north addition to St. Joseph’s Nursing Home 

  • A butterfly lands on a flowering bush with purple blossoms A Miracle for a Baby in Rhode Island (and for all of us)

| Latest Local News |

Radio Interview: The true story of ‘Xavier Rynne’

Archdiocese of Baltimore offers resources for parishes to assist migrants

Third annual gun buyback scheduled for Aug. 9

Driver arrested after crashing into entrance of Esperanza Center

Construction underway on new north addition to St. Joseph’s Nursing Home 

| Latest World News |

Massacre ‘of faithful in the house of God’ in Congolese Catholic church leaves 43 dead

Pope welcomes young people to Rome for jubilee, thanks media for promoting truth

Cardinal Tomasi: Religious communities can play key roles in nuclear disarmament

Warsaw archbishop ‘devastated, crushed’ by priest’s arrest in brutal murder of homeless man

Jubilee of Youth chance to celebrate hope, fraternity in world at war, panel says

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Radio Interview: The true story of ‘Xavier Rynne’
  • Massacre ‘of faithful in the house of God’ in Congolese Catholic church leaves 43 dead
  • Pope welcomes young people to Rome for jubilee, thanks media for promoting truth
  • Cardinal Tomasi: Religious communities can play key roles in nuclear disarmament
  • Warsaw archbishop ‘devastated, crushed’ by priest’s arrest in brutal murder of homeless man
  • Jubilee of Youth chance to celebrate hope, fraternity in world at war, panel says
  • New York archdiocese sees hundreds of responses to ‘Called By Name’ program
  • Can’t afford a Catholic college? Think again. Many offer full tuition options
  • Detroit archbishop fires theologians Ralph Martin, Eduardo Echeverría from seminary

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

en Englishes Spanish
en en