Catholics are required to attend Mass every Sunday and on specific holy days of obligation. In 2026, one of those days also falls on a Sunday, and it's happening this weekend. On Nov. 1, the solemnity of All Saints will replace the 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time.
On Saturday, Oct. 31, and on Sunday, Nov. 1, Evening Prayer 1 of the Liturgy of the Hours is for All Saints and the vigil Mass on Saturday will observe the Mass of All Saints.
What is the solemnity of All Saints?
Solemnities rank above feasts and memorials and are the highest liturgical celebrations in the Catholic Church. They honor significant mysteries of the Christian faith, including events in the lives of Jesus and Mary, as well as key saints.
The solemnity of All Saints celebrates all Christian saints — those formally canonized by the Church and those who are not but have attained heaven. It is typically a holy day of obligation.
The observance of the solemnity begins with evening prayer (first vespers) the evening before on Oct. 31 — known as All Hallows' Eve or Halloween — and is followed on Nov. 2 by All Souls' Day, a day in which the entire Church prays for all of the dead.
Solemnities that fall on Saturdays and Mondays
Sometimes a solemnity that falls on a Sunday will be moved to a Monday.
For example, in 2024, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8 fell on a Sunday in Advent so the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) transferred the solemnity to the Monday.
The Vatican has clarified that Catholics in the United States must still attend Mass on holy days of obligation even when they are transferred to Mondays or Saturdays, correcting a long-standing practice in the U.S. Church.
The USCCB liturgical calendars for 2026 and 2027 can be found here and here.
