Holy days of obligation
Days when Catholics are asked to go to Mass, as on a Sunday. In Nigeria there are four: Christmas, the Ascension, the Assumption and All Saints.
Next holy day · In 16 days
All Saints
Sunday 1 November 2026
The Church honours all the saints in heaven, the famous and the unknown, and remembers that every baptised person is called to be holy. The next day, 2 November, is All Souls, when we pray for everyone who has died.
All Saints falls on a Sunday this year, so the usual Sunday Masses keep it, though some parishes add an extra Mass or change their times.
Find Mass on All Saints
These are each church’s Sunday times, plus any special times it has told us about. Parishes announce holy-day times a week or two before, so check with the parish.
After that
Christmas · Friday 25 December 2026
The Church celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem: God the Son, born of the Virgin Mary, coming among us as one of us. It is one of the two greatest feasts of the year, with Easter, and the start of the Christmas season.
Ascension · Thursday 6 May 2027
Forty days after Easter, the Church celebrates the risen Jesus returning to the Father. Before he goes, he promises the Holy Spirit and sends his disciples to make disciples of all nations. In Nigeria it is kept on its Thursday.
Assumption · Sunday 15 August 2027
The Church celebrates Mary, the Mother of God, taken up body and soul into the glory of heaven at the end of her earthly life. She goes ahead of us into the life her Son promises to everyone who follows him.
All Saints · Monday 1 November 2027
The Church honours all the saints in heaven, the famous and the unknown, and remembers that every baptised person is called to be holy. The next day, 2 November, is All Souls, when we pray for everyone who has died.
Never miss one
Add every holy day for the next two years to your calendar, with a reminder the evening before. If your calendar lets you subscribe, it stays up to date.
Every Sunday is also a day of obligation. If you’re unsure what applies where you are, ask your parish priest. Know your parish’s holy-day times? Tell us.