The National Catholic Church of America follows the General Roman Calendar,
for the Roman Rite,
with adaptations, in its observance of the Liturgical Year.
Celebrating the Paschal Mystery of Christ’s life, death, Resurrection and Ascension,
and honoring his Holy Mother Mary and all the saints, whose heroic virtue and example
call us to emulate them in their living out of the gospel, we experience the power
that comes from the retelling of the Christian story in our daily lives.
While each celebration of the Holy Eucharist (Mass) is a celebration of the Paschal
Mystery, Sunday, the first day of the week, has primacy as a holy day when all Christians
are called to assemble and share, in word and sacrament, the presence of the Lord in their midst.
In addition to the Sundays of the year, there are certain days which are given ranks of
importance in the descending order of solemnities, feasts, obligatory memorials and optional
memorials. By episcopal authority, certain solemnities are observed as "holy days of
obligation", when the faithful are required to attend Mass unless illness or other
serious reasons make it impossible to do so. In the NCCA there are three holy days of
obligation. These are:
The Solemnity of the Ascension (Ascension Thursday or the following Sunday)
The Solemnity of All Saints (November 1)
The Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (December 25)
The obligation to attend Mass on these days can be fulfilled by participating in a vigil mass, held on the previous evening. When All Saints Day falls on a Saturday or a Monday, the obligation does not apply.
None of these obligations are imposed under "pain of sin", but in the spirit of a call to celebrate important events in the life of our Lord and his saints.
NCCA Rites
Clergy and faithful of the National Catholic Church of America may belong to one of
two major rites of the Church; the Roman Rite or the Anglican Rite.
The Roman Rite
Those associated with our Roman Rite parishes and ministries celebrate the "novus
ordo" rite Mass currently in use by the Roman Catholic community, minus the papal references, or a monastic rite
appropriate to their religious order. In all other respects the Vatican II sacramental rites
are used, with appropriate pastoral
adaptations. With the approval of the Primate, faith communities wishing to celebrate
the Tridentine Mass may be established, provided that these celebrations are in keeping
with the inclusive and affirming spirituality of the Church.
The Anglican Rite
Those clergy and faithful who are received into the NCCA from churches of the Anglican
tradition, and who wish to retain their liturgical practices in a Catholic Church, use the
rite of celebration of the Holy Eucharist (Mass) according to the "Book of Common
Prayer" or "The Book of Alternative Services of The Anglican Church of
Canada", with
appropriate modifications. Anglican Rite clergy and faithful follow the Anglican
Calendar and use the Anglican rites in the celebration of the other sacraments of the
Church, with some adaptations.
