Can you have a funeral Mass on this date?
A Catholic funeral Mass can be celebrated on any day except a few the Church sets apart. Pick the date you have in mind.
The rule
“Among the Masses for the Dead, the Funeral Mass holds first place. It may be celebrated on any day except for Solemnities that are Holydays of Obligation, Thursday of Holy Week (Holy Thursday), the Paschal Triduum, and the Sundays of Advent, Lent, and Easter, with due regard also for all the other requirements of the norm of the law.”
On those days the Church provides a funeral liturgy outside Mass (Order of Christian Funerals, no. 178): the readings, prayers, final commendation and committal, without Communion. The funeral Mass can also be held on another day.
Common questions
- Can you have a funeral Mass on Holy Thursday?
- Can you have a funeral Mass on Good Friday?
- Can you have a funeral Mass on Holy Saturday?
- Can you have a funeral Mass on Easter Sunday?
- Can you have a funeral Mass on Ash Wednesday?
- Can you have a funeral Mass on All Saints Day?
- Can you have a funeral Mass on Christmas Day?
- Can you have a funeral Mass on a Sunday?
- Can you have a funeral Mass on a holy day of obligation?
The next days with no funeral Mass
| Date | Day | Funeral Mass |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, November 1, 2026 | All Saints | No funeral Mass |
| Sunday, November 22, 2026 | Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe | Ask your parish |
| Sunday, November 29, 2026 | first Sunday of Advent | No funeral Mass |
| Sunday, December 6, 2026 | second Sunday of Advent | No funeral Mass |
| Tuesday, December 8, 2026 | The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Patroness of the USA | No funeral Mass |
| Sunday, December 13, 2026 | third Sunday of Advent | No funeral Mass |
| Sunday, December 20, 2026 | fourth Sunday of Advent | No funeral Mass |
| Friday, December 25, 2026 | The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) | No funeral Mass |
| Friday, January 1, 2027 | The Octave Day of the Nativity of the Lord: Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God | No funeral Mass |
| Sunday, January 3, 2027 | The Epiphany of the Lord | Ask your parish |
| Sunday, February 14, 2027 | first Sunday of Lent | No funeral Mass |
| Sunday, February 21, 2027 | second Sunday of Lent | No funeral Mass |
Full lists: 2026 · 2027 · 2028. When the US lifts a holy day’s obligation (a Saturday or Monday), a funeral Mass is allowed (Diocese of Erie, Liturgical Year 2026).