Liturgical Calendars from the USCCB

2025 Calendar 2026 Calendar 2027 Calendar

Holy Days of Obligation (2025-2027)

December 8 (Immaculate Conception)

• 2025 (Monday) is a holy day of obligation

December 25 (Christmas)

• 2025 (Thursday) is a holy day of obligation. The funeral Mass may not be celebrated.

January 1 (Christmas Octave & Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God)

• 2024 (Wednesday) is a holy day of obligation. The funeral Mass may not be celebrated.

The Solemnity of the Ascension
The liturgical celebration of the Ascension has been transferred to the Seventh Sunday of Easter in the province of Wisconsin and throughout most of the Midwest. (For celebrations in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, the Ascension is not transferred and is celebrated on the Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, according to the pre-conciliar calendar).

August 15 (Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary)

• 2025 (Friday) is a holy day of obligation. The funeral Mass may not be celebrated.

November 1 (All Saints)

• ​​​​​​​2025 (Saturday) Since this Holy Day falls on a Saturday, the obligation is suspended.

 

Notes on Wedding Masses

Please note that when a Solemnity falls on a Saturday, the prayers & readings from the Mass of the Day are to be used for Wedding Masses. This is true regardless of whether or not the Solemnity is a holy day of obligation. The parts proper to the Wedding Mass (for example the consent, blessing of rings, vows) are, of course, always used. The nuptial blessing and special blessing may be used according to the circumstances. (For more information see the introduction to the Rite of Marriage, no. 11; GIRM, 372.) If a Wedding is celebrated outside of Mass on a solemnity, there are no restrictions regarding the Scripture or prayers.
 

Notes on Funeral Masses

The Funeral Mass “may be celebrated on any day except for Solemnities that are holydays of obligation, Thursday of Holy Week (Holy Thursday), the Paschal Triduum, and the Sundays of Advent, Lent, and Easter, with due regard also for all the other requirements of the norm of the law” (GIRM, 380). On days when the Funeral Mass may not be celebrated, the Funeral Liturgy Outside Mass may be used (see Order of Christian Funerals, no. 177).

Please note that the nature of the Masses of the Dead is such that a Funeral Mass should not be “combined” with a solemnity.  For example, one wouldn't want to sing the Gloria at a funeral, but if someone tried to “combine” a funeral Mass with the Mass for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, that's exactly what would happen.  You could celebrate a Baptism or a Wedding during the Mass of Immaculate Conception (using the texts of the Mass of the Day), but not the funeral rites.

Diocese of Madison Liturgical Documents and Information

• Saint Michael Prayer (Reproducible Card)
• Intercessions for the Triumph of Good Over Evil
• Letter from Bishop Morlino to Priests on Communion Under Both Kinds (October 10, 2011)
• Memo from Office of Worship on Communion Under Both Kinds (October 13, 2011)
• Norms for Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (June 10, 2007)
• Norms for Purification of Vessels (June 10, 2007)
• Musical Suggestions for the Sacrament of Confirmation (May 25, 2007)
• Bulletin Inserts: Reverent Reception of Holy Communion (July 1, 2008)

 

United States Conference for Catholic Bishops

• Roman Missal Information
• U.S. Bishops' Committee on Divine Worship
• The Mass
• Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship (2007)
• Built of Living Stones: Art, Architecture, and Worship (2000)

 

Universal Church Documents on Worship

• Sacramentum Caritatis: Post-Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Benedict XVI on the Eucharist (2007)
• Letter of Pope Benedict XVI to Bishops Regarding Motu Proprio "Summorum Pontificum" (2007)
• Catechism of the Catholic Church on Liturgy and the Sacraments
• Compendium of the Catholic Church on Liturgy and the Sacraments
• Redemptionis Sacramentum (2004)
• Mane Nobiscum Domine: Apostolic Letter of Pope John Paul II for the Year of the Eucharist (2004)
• Chirograph Celebrating 100th Anniversary of Pope Pius X's Motu Proprio on Sacred Music (2003)
• Spiritus et Sponsa: Apostolic Letter of Pope John Paul II Commenting on the Council and Liturgy (2003)
• Address of Pope John Paul II to US Bishops on the Liturgy (1998)
• Address of Pope John Paul II to French Bishops on the Liturgy (1997)
• Musicam Sacram: Introduction to Music in the Liturgy (1967)
• Sacrosanctum Concilium: The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (1963)
• Documents of the Second Vatican Council

Choral and Liturgical Music

• Chants of the Roman Missal
• Chants of the Extraordinary Form
• Music Suggestions for the Order of Christian Funerals
• National Association of Pastoral Musicians
• Sing to the Lord: Music in Divine Worship (USCCB, 2007)
• Musicam Sacram: Instruction on Music in the Liturgy (Holy See, 1967)
• Guide to Copyright Information for Church Musicians

 

Other Liturgical Music Links

• Association for Church Musicians (Madison-area organization)
• Choral Net (for choir directors)
• Choral Public Domain Library (free choral music downloads)
• Lectionary Choral Anthem Project (choral music suggestions for the Sundays of the year)
• Musicanet (international database of choral music)

 

Mass Propers

• Brief History: The Ordinary of the Mass and the Proper of the Mass
• Musical Resources and Implementation Suggestions (last updated 8/12/2016)
• Using Standard Psalms, Songs, and Choral Music

Apostolate for Persons with Disabilities

• Hearing Loops
• Weekly Signed Televised Mass
  • Sundays at 6 a.m. - WISC-TV/News 3
  • Sundays at 7 a.m. - TVW and Direct TV 14

 

Celiac Disease and Alcohol Dependence

• Celiac Disease, Alcohol Intolerance, and the Church's Pastoral Response (April 2016) 
• North American Society for the Study of Celiac Disease Confirms Use of Low-Gluten Host for Catholic Mass (September 2017) 
• Low-Gluten Hosts Approved for Use At Mass
  • Congregation of Benedictine Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, Altar Breads Department, 31970 State Highway P, Clyde, Missouri 64432
  • T.H. Stemper Company, 1125 E. Potter Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53207
• Mustum Approved for Use at Mass (for those with alcohol intolerance)
  • Mont La Salle Altar Wines

 

Other Organizations

• Xavier Society for the Blind
• National Catholic Office for the Deaf
• National Catholic Partnership on Disability

• Lecturas para cada Domingo (Sunday Lectionary Readings in Spanish)
• Instituto Nacional Hispano de Liturgia (National Hispanic Institute of Liturgy)
   

El Año Litúrgico

• Año litúrgico: La celebración anual de los tiempos y los santos - USCCB Website

 

El Adviento

• Celebraciones de Adviento en el Misal Romano - USCCB Website
• La Corona de Adviento - USCCB Website

 

La Cuaresma

• Retiro Cuaresmal en Casa - Office of Family & Faith Formation, Diocese of Sacramento
• La gran fiesta: origen y sentido del Triduo Pascual - USCCB Website
• Cómo participar del Triduo Pascual en familia - Revista Vive! - Catholic Magazine

 

Folletos/Materiales

Discounted Resources in Spanish and English from the Office of Worship (For a detailed description, visit www.ltp.org). For a discount, place orders through the Office of Worship.

• Manual para Proclamadores de la palabra 2007
• Palabra de Dios 2007
• 2007 Year of Grace Laminated Liturgical Calendar--Spanish
• 2007 Year of Grace Paper Liturgical Calendar--Spanish
• Packet of 25 Notebook Size Year of Grace Calendars--Spanish
• ¿Qué haré este año para la Cuaresma? What Am I Doing for Lent This Year?
• Folletos de los días asombrosos: Los tres días para guardar: lo que hacemos desde el Jueves Santo hasta el Domingo de Pascua / The Three Days to Save