Is Ascension a Holy Day of Obligation?
Is Ascension a Holy Day of Obligation?A lot of confusion reigns about the feast of the Ascension of Our Lord, the day on which Jesus Christ, 40 days after rising from the dead, ascended bodily into Heaven. In most of the dioceses of the United States, the celebration of the feast has been transferred to the following Sunday, so many Catholics think that the Ascension is no longer considered a Holy Day of Obligation.Answer: The Feast of the Ascension remains a Holy Day of Obligation throughout the United States. The day on which it is celebrated, however, varies. The 40th day after Easter Sunday is always a Thursday, and the feast has traditionally been celebrated on that Thursday. However, because attendance at Ascension Thursday Masses had been falling for years, the bishops of the United States, in accordance with canon
