ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEDICATION OF PARISH CHURCHES

The optional or obligatory memorial of the patron saint of a parish is observed within the parish with the liturgical rank of a Solemnity (UNLYGRC, Table of Liturgical Days, I.4.c).

RITUAL MASSES: “Ritual Masses are connected to the celebration of certain Sacraments or Sacramentals.  They are prohibited on the Sundays of Advent, Lent, and Easter, on Solemnities, on the days within the Octave of Easter, on the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls’ Day), on Ash Wednesday, and during Holy Week, and furthermore due regard is to be had for the norms set out in the ritual books or in the Masses themselves [General Instruction of the Roman Missal, no. 372].

The Order of Celebrating Matrimony:

• If the marriage is celebrated on a Sunday or Solemnity, the Mass of the day is used with the nuptial blessing and the special final blessing according to the circumstances.
• When the wedding Mass may not be held, one of the readings from the texts provided for the Marriage celebration (nos. 144-187) may be chosen, except from Holy Thursday to Easter, on the Solemnities of Epiphany of the Lord, Ascension, Pentecost, or the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, or on Holydays of Obligation.
• However, the Order of Celebrating Matrimony without Mass may be celebrated on the above days except during the Sacred Paschal Triduum.
• On the Sundays of Christmas Time and in Ordinary Time, the entire wedding Mass may be used in Masses that are not parish Masses.
• When a Marriage is celebrated during Advent or Lent or other days of penance, the special nature of these liturgical times are to be considered [Rite of Marriage, no. 32].

FUNERAL MASSES:  Funeral Masses are not permitted on Solemnities that are Holydays of Obligation, Holy Thursday, the Sacred Paschal Triduum, and the Sundays of Advent, Lent, and Easter [see General Instruction of the Roman Missal, no. 380 and Order of Christian Funerals, typical edition, no. 271].

TABLE OF LITURGICAL DAYS ACCORDING TO THEIR ORDER OF PRECEDENCE

Universal Norms for the Liturgical Year and the General Roman Calendar, no. 59 and Ceremonial of Bishops, Appendix II

Table of Liturgical Days According to their Order of Precedence

1. The Paschal Triduum of the Passion and Resurrection of the Lord.

2. The Nativity of the Lord, the Epiphany, the Ascension, and Pentecost.

• Sundays of Advent, Lent, and Easter.
• Ash Wednesday.
• Weekdays of Holy Week from Monday up to and including Thursday.
• Days within the Octave of Easter.

3. Solemnities inscribed in the General Calendar, whether of the Lord, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or of the Saints.

• The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed.

4. Proper Solemnities, namely:

• The Solemnity of the principal Patron of the place, city, or state.
• The Solemnity of the dedication and of the anniversary of the dedication of one's own church.
• The Solemnity of the Title of one's own church.
• The Solemnity either of the Title
  or of the Founder
  or of the principal Patron of an Order or Congregation.

5. Feasts of the Lord inscribed in the General Calendar.

6. Sundays of Christmas Time and the Sundays in Ordinary Time.

7. Feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of the Saints in the General Calendar.

8. Proper Feasts, namely:

• The Feast of the principal Patron of the diocese.
• The Feast of the anniversary of the dedication of the cathedral church.
• The Feast of the principal Patron of a region or province, or a country, or of a wider territory.
• The Feast of the Title, Founder, or principal Patron of an Order or Congregation and of a religious province, without prejudice to the prescriptions given under no. 4.
• Other Feasts proper to an individual church.
• Other Feasts inscribed in the Calendar of each diocese or Order or Congregation.

9. Weekdays of Advent from December 17 up to and including December 24.

• Days within the Octave of Christmas.
• Weekdays of Lent.

10. Obligatory Memorials in the General Calendar.

11. Proper Obligatory Memorials, namely:

• The Memorial of a secondary Patron of the place, diocese, region, or religious province.
• Other Obligatory memorials inscribed in the Calendar of each diocese, or Order or Congregation.

12. Optional memorials, which, however, may be celebrated, in the special manner described in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal and of the Liturgy of the Hours, even on the days listed in no. 9.

In the same manner Obligatory Memorials may be celebrated as Optional Memorials if they happen to fall on the Lenten weekdays.

13. Weekdays of Advent up to and including December 16.

Weekdays of Christmas Time from January 2 until the Sunday after the Epiphany.

Weekdays of Easter Time from Monday after the Octave of Easter up to and including the Saturday before Pentecost.

Weekdays in Ordinary Time.

Universal Norms for the Liturgical Year and the General Roman Calendar, nos.60-61:

60. If several celebrations fall on the same day, the one that holds the highest rank according to the Table of Liturgical Days is observed.  However, a Solemnity impeded by a liturgical day that takes precedence over it should be transferred to the closest day not listed under nos. 1-8 in the Table of Precedence, provided that what is laid down in no. 5 is observed.  As to the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, whenever it falls on any day of Holy Week, it shall always be transferred to the Monday after the Second Sunday of Easter.

Other Celebrations are omitted in that year.

61. Should on the other hand, Vespers (Evening Prayer) of the current day's Office and First Vespers (Evening Prayer I) of the following day be assigned for celebration on the same day, then Vespers (Evening Prayer) of the celebration with the higher rank in the Table of Liturgical Days takes precedence; in cases of equal rank, Vespers (Evening Prayer) of the current day takes precedence.

TABLE OF RUBRICS GOVERNING RITUAL MASSES,
MASSES FOR VARIOUS NEEDS AND OCCASIONS,
AND MASSES FOR THE DEAD

Ceremonial of Bishops, Appendix III, 1989.
Revised to reflect the new ordering in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal, third typical edition, 2002.

Table of Rubrics Governing Ritual Masses, Masses for Various Needs and Occasions and Masses for the Dead

V1   =      Ritual Masses [General Instruction of the Roman Missal, no. 372].
Masses for various needs and occasions and votive Masses, in cases of serious need or pastoral advantage, at the direction of the local Ordinary or with his permission [GIRM, no. 374].
V2   =      Masses for various needs and occasions and votive Masses, in cases of serious need or pastoral advantage, at the discretion of the rector of the church or the priest celebrant [GIRM, no. 376].
V3   =      Masses for various needs and occasions and votive Masses chosen by the priest celebrant in favor of the devotion of the people [GIRM, nos. 373 and 375].

D1   =      Funeral Mass [GIRM, no. 380].
D2   =      Mass on the occasion of news of a death, final burial, or the first anniversary [GIRM, no. 381].
D3   =      Daily Mass for the dead [GIRM].  When D1 and D2 are not permitted, neither is D3.

+      =      permitted.
–      =      not permitted.