By Fr. Santiago Izquierdo
As a priest only in his second year of priesthood, I am frequently experiencing new things, like unique situations when administering the sacraments and different pastoral encounters. But as 2025 comes to a close, I have realized that it was a distinctive liturgical year that priests ordained after 2014 have also not experienced.
In the liturgical calendar, when memorials and feasts fall on a Sunday, the Sunday solemnity almost always supersedes the saint’s celebration in the Mass. But this year, there were four liturgical celebrations that are not holy days of obligation but since all four fell on a Sunday this year and the rubrics call for them to be celebrated even if they fall on a Sunday, they de facto became “holy days of obligation.”
They were the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul (June 29), the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Sept. 14), Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (Nov. 2), and the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica (Nov. 9). The last time that these dates fell on a Sunday was in 2014, so it wasn’t just relatively new priests experiencing celebrating these liturgies on a Sunday, but it was all priests ordained in the last 10 years, including my pastor, Father Stoley (ordination class of 2015). All occur during Ordinary Time, so different colored stoles and chasubles were worn when normally they would have been green. But it wasn’t just the liturgical color that was different, but also the prayers of the Mass and the readings that went with the respective celebration. But having the four fall on Sundays made for a unique pastoral opportunity: since most Catholics are not daily Mass-goers, they do not usually go to Mass on these feasts since they normally fall during the week. Thus, the homilies on those four days were opportunities to preach on not-too-familiar liturgical feasts and related topics.
The Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, according to the first paragraph of Canon 1246 of Canon Law, is actually a holy day of obligation in the universal Church. But since the next paragraph grants episcopal conferences the power to suppress the obligation of some of the universal holy days of obligation within their territories, the USCCB has done so with regards to Saints Peter and Paul unless it falls on a Sunday, like this year. When looking at the importance of this solemnity, it is no surprise that it is a holy day of obligation in the universal Church. And priests had the opportunity this past June to explain its vast importance to Sunday Mass goers, as the Prince of the Apostles and the Apostles of the Gentiles are key cornerstone saints in the Church. I reflected in my homily on how they mirror the mythical founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, in that these two saints founded the Christianity of the Eternal City through their ministry and martyrdom there. Also, how they both emphasized vital aspects of Catholicism, like Saint Peter highlighting the papacy and the governance of the hierarchy and Saint Paul’s life stressing the evangelical and missionary nature of the Church. And with the first pope from the United States being elected just eight weeks prior, it was fitting to preach on the importance of being in communion with the Bishop of Rome.
And just as red was worn on June 29, it was also worn on the second special feast to fall on a Sunday this year: the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. I took advantage to preach on the Lord’s Passion in a time well outside of Lent and Holy Week and how for Catholics, the cross is the visible sign of Jesus’ utter triumph over Satan, sin and death and why we have our crosses with the corpus affixed to it as a constant reminder of that one and necessary sacrifice. And this feast also calls to mind Saint Helena and Constantine and how the consecration of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and first public veneration of the True Cross occurred on Sept. 13 and 14 of 335.
Then on Nov. 2, I was excited to wear black vestments on a Sunday when celebrating All Souls Day. While white and violet can be worn on this day, I took advantage of using a color that is rarely used outside of funerals. It was the perfect opportunity to preach on the reality of purgatory and the importance of praying for the poor souls. Also, many don’t quite understand indulgences, so it was also a great occasion to preach to many on what they are and how we should take advantage of them, for ourselves and people who have died.
Finally, one week later, the fourth and last special feast to fall on a Sunday this year occurred when celebrating the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica. Having been there twice, I preached on the beauty of this church and how it — not Saint Peter’s — is actually the most important church for Catholics because, as the inscription on its facade states, the Lateran Basilica is the “Omnium Urbis et Orbis Ecclesiarum Mater et Caput,” which translates to “Mother and Head of all the Churches of the City and of the World.” As the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome, it is the cathedral of the pope, and it has the pope’s official cathedra, or chair, which symbolizes his teaching authority and his role as head governor of the Diocese of Rome and by extension, the universal Church. This feast was also an opportunity to preach on why Catholics celebrate the dedication of a church and how the physical church, especially the altar, is a symbol of Christ and how we are called to be living stones built on the cornerstone that is our Lord.
While the wait for the next time that these four celebrations fall on Sunday won’t be as long as last time (it will occur again in 2031), it was a blessing to have these four feasts become holy days of obligation for myself and hopefully for all the faithful who went to Mass and heard prayers and homilies that they do not often hear on a normal Sunday.
