Dies festi de praecepto
Holy days of obligation 2026 Australia
Besides every Sunday, the Church in Australia keeps two holy days of obligation. In 2026, two of them bind on a weekday: Catholics go to Mass that day, or at a vigil Mass the evening before.
- Saturday 15 August
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- Friday 25 December
The Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)
Not holy days of obligation in Australia
- The Epiphany: on the Sunday between 2 and 8 January.
- The Ascension: on the Seventh Sunday of Easter.
- The Body and Blood of Christ: on the Sunday after Trinity Sunday.
- Mary, the Holy Mother of God, Saint Joseph, Saints Peter and Paul, All Saints and the Immaculate Conception: not days of obligation.
How the rules work
Canon law names ten holy days for the whole Church and lets each bishops’ conference move some of them to a Sunday or lift the obligation, so the list differs from country to country. Some conferences also move a holy day that falls on a Saturday or a Monday to the Sunday beside it, or keep the feast but lift the obligation that year.
When the calendar itself moves a holy day — the Immaculate Conception off a Sunday of Advent, Saint Joseph off a Sunday of Lent or out of Holy Week — the Dicastery for Divine Worship ruled in January 2025 that the obligation does not move with it.
Dioceses can grant their own dispensations in a particular year; your parish will say. See also the liturgical year 2026 and the ranks of celebrations.