May any Catholic go to Mass on Saturdays?

by Admin · Published June 10, 2025 · Updated June 7, 2025

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Question: It has been my understanding that when Canon Law introduced the Saturday evening Mass in the 70s, this was to facilitate Catholics to fulfil their obligation to attend Mass in circumstances where they are unable to attend on the Sunday. But it seems that a Catholic is free to always attend Saturday evening Masses, even if the reason for that is, for example, to enjoy sleeping in every Sunday. What is correct?

Answer: The Sunday Mass is both a communal gathering and the celebration of the Paschal Mystery. Attending Sunday Mass is a way for Catholics to participate in this mystery as a community and to receive the grace that comes from the Eucharist, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (1382).

As you note, the practice of the Saturday Vigil Mass was introduced as a pastoral solution to allow those who may have conflicts or commitments on Sunday to participate in the Eucharistic celebration, and thereby fulfil their Sunday obligation.

Since the liturgical day begins at sunset, the Saturday evening Mass is seen as the first Mass of Sunday, thus allowing the faithful to fulfil their Sunday obligation. Both the Saturday Vigil and Sunday Mass provide the same sacramental grace.

The Church teaches that the Eucharist is a singular event that transcends time. Thus, according to the Catechism, whether celebrated on Saturday evening or on Sunday morning, the Mass is the same in its essence and significance, as is the celebration of the same sacrament (1324).

While attending the Saturday Vigil Mass is legitimate and fulfils our Sunday obligation, the intention behind attending should be rooted in a desire to worship God and to fulfil the Sunday obligation, rather than as a means to avoid attending Mass on Sunday for the sake of convenience.

At the same time, the Church places no sanction on people who attend Saturday evening Mass, even if their intention is to sleep in on Sunday (which may be necessary for people who on other days have no opportunity for that form of regeneration).

Pope John Paul II in his 1998 apostolic letter Dies Domini, which encouraged the faithful to engage in activities that foster a deeper understanding of the day, suggested that the observance of Sunday should be marked by a spirit of joy and rest, which can be initiated with the Saturday evening Mass (52).

Published in the March 2025 issue of The Southern Cross magazine