One holy day that often slips off many people's radar is the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on December 8.
It is not a typical feast day, such as Christmas or Easter, and is easily missed.
What is also confusing is that sometimes when a holy day of obligation is on a Monday, the obligation to attend is dispensed by local bishops.
Such is not the case with the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception in the United States.
Patronal feast
It is a custom of each country in the world to adops a set of patron saints, members of the heavenly court who are special intercessors for all those within a particular country's borders. It took the bishops of the newly created United States of America 70 years to appoint the Blessed Virgin Mary as patroness of their country. In doing so, they invoked Mary under her title of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.
It was a choice met with unanimous support, one that was based on many different factors.
The decision was reached on May 13, 1846, during the Sixth Provincial Council of Baltimore.
With enthusiastic acclaim and with unanimous approval and consent, the Fathers [of the Council] have chosen the Blessed Virgin Mary, conceived without sin, as the Patroness of the United States of America.
Furthermore, holy days of obligation are currently governed by the local bishops’ conferences and can vary from country to country. For example, December 12 (feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe) is a holy day of obligation in Mexico (Our Lady of Guadalupe is also the patron of the country).
It makes sense then that December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, is a day of obligation in the United States. This day honors our primary patron and will always be a day when Catholics in the United States are obligated to attend Mass.
If you are currently living outside of the United States, it is best to check with your local diocese to see if December 8 is a holy day of obligation for you.
