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…
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