The Narthex
The Erosion of January 1
U.S. Catholics do not understand why this is a holy day on the octave day of Christmas
By John M. Grondelski | January 5th 2026 1:07 PMThe Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, celebrated on January 1, the Octave of Christmas, is a holyday of obligation. There’s an argument to be made that its status is progressively being eroded. Looking at some parish bulletins, I noticed a cutback in the number of Masses offered. That anecdotal…
READ FULL BLOG POSTMore Holy Day Havoc
Canonical alchemists can turn every Mass-attendance 'burden' into a dispensation
By John M. Grondelski | January 31st 2025 1:20 PMWelcome to today’s episode of “As the Holydays Turn.” When last we tuned in, the Catholic bishops of the United States were in a quandary. In 2024, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on December 8 fell on a Sunday. According to the norms of the liturgical calendar, when a…
READ FULL BLOG POSTAscension: Learning to Prayerfully Wait
Tampering with Ascension Thursday warps both Scripture and our preparation in God's time
By John M. Grondelski | May 9th 2024 1:01 PMOnce more, Ascension Thursday is upon us and once again we see the liturgical and theological incoherence the Catholic bishops of the United States caused, in the name of being “pastoral” while exercising canonical fiat, in the liturgical calendar. I have three major criticisms of what they have done --…
READ FULL BLOG POSTWhy Aren't We Celebrating January 1?
Why continue the Saturday or Monday holyday 'get-out-of-Mass-free' card?
By John M. Grondelski | December 26th 2023 3:46 PMThanks to the Catholic Bishops of the United States’ Complementary Norms, January 1, 2024 -- the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God -- will not be a holyday of obligation. That’s because, under those Norms, certain holydays cease being holydays of obligation if they fall on Saturdays or Mondays. The…
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