The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception: Understanding Its Significance and Observance

by Fr. John Granato  |  12/08/2024  |  Words from Fr. John

My Dear Friends,

Today is the great solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. Because it falls on a Sunday in Advent, Holy Mother Church has moved this solemnity this year to tomorrow, December 9th. There has been a lot of confusion concerning whether it is a Holy Day of Obligation this year. Normally, the Bishops in the United States have taken away the obligation if the holy day falls on a Monday or a Saturday. This concerns only the holy days of January 1st (Mary, Mother of God), August 15th (the Assumption), and November 1st (All Saints). For the moment, the solemnity of the Ascension still falls on Thursday, forty days after Easter. The other two holy days in the United States are Christmas and Immaculate Conception. If these days fall on a Monday or a Saturday, they are still to be celebrated as a Holy Day of Obligation. But when the Immaculate Conception falls on a Sunday, the bishops of the United States always rescind the obligation.

About a month ago or so, the Vatican wrote a clarification stating that even when moved from Sunday to Monday, the obligation still exists to attend Mass. Since calendars have already been set in the parishes, many bishops are dispensing us this year from the obligation on Monday, December 9th. Even though we will not be celebrating it as a Holy Day of Obligation this year, it is still an important feast day and a way to honor our Blessed Mother, especially since one of our churches is named after the Immaculate Conception.

I encourage you to try and attend Mass, either the usual morning Mass on Monday morning at 8 am in Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Harwinton or the 6 pm Mass in the Immaculate Conception Church in New Hartford. God prepared our Blessed Mother to be a true vessel and tabernacle of our Lord on this day. Mary was being prepared to be the Ark of the Covenant. How can this be? Because at her conception in the womb of St. Anne, Mary was conceived without Original Sin. We will celebrate the feast of her birthday nine months from now on September 8th. When Mary said “yes” to the Angel Gabriel, she did indeed know that she would be the Mother of the Savior. She knew as she carried our Lord in her womb for nine months; she knew as she brought him to the temple; she knew when she found him at the temple 12 years later; she knew as he started his ministry; and she knew as she saw him crucified and placed in the sepulcher. If you ask Mary if she knew, she will clearly say, “Yes, of course I knew.” The Immaculate Conception gave her that grace.

God bless.