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'A '''solemnity''' is a [[feast day]] of the [[Ranking of liturgical days in the Roman Rite|highest rank]] in the [[liturgical calendar]] of the [[Roman Rite]], celebrating a mystery of faith such as the [[Trinity]], an event in the life of [[Jesus]], his mother [[Blessed Virgin Mary|Mary]], or another important [[saint]]. The observance begins with the [[vigil#Eves of religious celebrations|vigil]] on the evening before the actual date of the feast. Unlike feast days of the rank of feast (other than feasts of the Lord) or those of the rank of memorial, solemnities replace the celebration of [[Sunday]]s outside of Advent, Lent and Easter (those in [[Ordinary Time]]).<ref name=UN59>[http://www.liturgyoffice.org.uk/Calendar/Info/GNLY.pdf Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar], 59</ref> The word comes from [[Latin]] ''sollemnitas'', derived from ''sollus'' (whole) and ''annus'' (year), indicating an annual celebration.<ref>[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0059%3Aentry%3Dsollemnis Lewis and Short, ''sollemnis'']</ref> ==Ranking== The solemnities of [[Christmas|Nativity of the Lord]], the [[Epiphany (holiday)|Epiphany]], the [[Ascension of the Lord|Ascension]], and [[Pentecost]] are outranked only by the [[Paschal Triduum]]. Other solemnities inscribed in the [[General Roman Calendar]] give way also to the following celebrations: :The Paschal Triduum :Sundays of [[Advent]], [[Lent]], and [[Eastertide|Easter]] :[[Ash Wednesday]] :Weekdays of [[Holy Week]] up to and including Thursday :Days within the [[Octave (liturgical)|Octave]] of Easter [[#Proper solemnities|Solemnities inscribed in particular calendars]] yield not only to these, but also to the [[All Souls' Day|Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed]].<ref name=UN59/> my fat dog's name is wing wing!! With the exceptions noted in the table below regarding the solemnities of Saint Joseph and the Annunciation of the Lord, a solemnity that falls on the same day as a celebration of higher rank is transferred to the next day not occupied by a solemnity, a Sunday or a feast.<ref name=UN60>[http://www.liturgyoffice.org.uk/Calendar/Info/GNLY.pdf Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar], 60</ref> Among solemnities inscribed in the General Roman Calendar, those of the Lord have precedence over those of the Blessed Virgin and these latter over solemnities of other saints. Thus if, for instance, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus coincides with that of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist or that of Saints Peter and Paul, it is these that are transferred to the next free day. Among solemnities inscribed in particular calendars (proper solemnities) the order of precedence is: :The solemnity of the principal patron of the place, city or state :The solemnity of the dedication or anniversary of the dedication of one's own church :The solemnity of the title of one's own church (the mystery or saint to which it is dedicated) :The solemnity of either the title or the founder of a [[religious institute]] ==List and dates== The solemnities inscribed in the [[General Roman Calendar]] and which are therefore observed throughout the [[Latin Church]] are indicated in the following list. {| class="wikitable" |- valign=top ! Date ! Solemnity ! Notes about date |- |1 January |[[Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God|Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God]] |Octave of Christmas, Circumcision of the Lord, New Year's Day |- |6 January |[[Epiphany (holiday)|Epiphany of the Lord]] |Where not a [[holy day of obligation]], transferred to the Sunday between 2 January and 8 January, inclusive |- |19 March |[[Saint Joseph's Day|Saint Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary]] |If the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, where observed as a holy day of obligation, coincides with [[Palm Sunday]], it is, by exception to the general rule, anticipated to Saturday 18 March; where not observed as a holy day of obligation, the [[episcopal conference]] may transfer it to a date outside of Lent.<ref>[http://www.liturgyoffice.org.uk/Calendar/Info/GNLY.pdf Universal Norms on the Liturgical Year and the Calendar], 56</ref> |- |25 March |[[Annunciation|Annunciation of the Lord]] |If the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord falls on any day of Holy Week, it is always transferred to the Monday after the Second Sunday of Easter (30 March to 9 April),<ref name=UN60/> rather than, in accordance with the general rule, to the next day not occupied by a celebration with at least the rank of feast |- |(22 March to 25 April) |[[Easter|Resurrection of the Lord (Easter)]] |Concludes the [[Paschal Triduum]] that commemorates also the last supper, passion, death, burial and resurrection of Christ. See [[Computus]] for date computation. Begins [[Octave of Easter]], eight consecutive days celebrated as one continuous solemnity, ending 29 March to 2 May). See also [[Resurrection of Jesus]]. |- |Thursday after the Sixth Sunday of Easter (40th day of Eastertide - 30 April to 3 June) |[[Ascension of the Lord]] |If not a [[holy day of obligation]], transferred to replace the Seventh Sunday of Easter (3 May to 6 June) |- |50th day of Eastertide (10 May to 13 June) |[[Pentecost]] |(Whitsunday); always on a Sunday |- |Sunday after Pentecost (17 May to 20 June) |[[Trinity Sunday]] | |- |Thursday after Trinity Sunday (21 May to 24 June) |[[Corpus Christi (feast)|Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ]] |"Corpus Christi"; in some dioceses, celebrated on the following Sunday (24 May to 27 June). |- |Friday (8 days after Corpus Christi Thursday, 5 days after Corpus Christi Sunday) (29 May to 2 July) |[[Feast of the Sacred Heart|Most Sacred Heart of Jesus]] | |- |24 June |[[Nativity of St. John the Baptist|Nativity of Saint John the Baptist]] | |- |29 June |[[Feast of Saints Peter and Paul|Saints Peter and Paul]] | |- |15 August |[[Assumption of Mary]] | |- |1 November |[[All Saints' Day|All Saints]] | |- |Last Sunday before Advent (20–26 November) |[[Feast of Christ the King|Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe]] |Replaces 34th Sunday in Ordinary Time |- |8 December |[[Feast of the Immaculate Conception|Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary]] | |- |25 December |[[Christmas|Nativity of the Lord (Christmas)]] |everywhere a holy day of obligation; see also [[Nativity of Jesus]] |} ===Proper solemnities=== There are also solemnities not inscribed in the General Roman Calendar, which are observed in particular places, regions, churches or [[religious institute]]s. The optional memorial of [[Saint Patrick]] on 17 March is a solemnity in Ireland, the memorial of Saint [[Josemaría Escrivá]] on 26 June is a solemnity within the prelature of [[Opus Dei]], and the optional memorial of [[Our Lady of Mount Carmel]] on 16 July is a solemnity for the [[Carmelites]]. A partial list of proper solemnities follows: {| class="wikitable" |- valign=top ! Date ! Solemnity ! Country or religious order |- |19 January |Saint [[Henry (bishop of Finland)]] |Finland |- |1 March |[[Saint David]] |Wales |- |17 March |[[Saint Patrick's Day|Saint Patrick]] |Ireland (holy day of obligation) and Australia |- |23 April |[[Saint George]] |England |- |23 April |Saint [[Adalbert of Prague]] |Poland |- |3 May |[[:pl:Najświętsza_Maryja_Panna_Królowa_Polski|Our Lady, Queen of Poland]] |Poland |- |8 May |Saint [[Stanislaus of Szczepanów]] |Poland |- |8 May |[[Our Lady of Luján]] (Nuestra Señora de Luján) |Argentina |- |24 May |[[Mary Help of Christians]] |Australia |- |24 May |Transfer of remains of [[Saint Dominic]] |[[Dominican Order]] (where 8 August is not a solemnity) |- |26 June |Saint [[Josemaría Escrivá]] |prelature of [[Opus Dei]] |- |3 July |Saint [[Thomas the Apostle]] |India and [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Church]] (holy day of obligation in some Middle Eastern countries) |- |5 July |[[Saints Cyril and Methodius]] |Slovakia, Czech Republic |- |11 July |Saint [[Benedict of Nursia]] |[[Order of Saint Benedict]] |- |16 July |[[Our Lady of Mount Carmel]] |[[Carmelites]], [[Discalced Carmelites]], Bolivia, and Chile |- |20 July |Saint [[Elijah]] the Prophet |[[Carmelites]] (not discalced) |- |20 July |Saint [[Andrew Kim Taegon]] the Priest and Martyr |[[South Korea]] |- |25 July |Saint [[James, son of Zebedee]], the Apostle (Santiago el Mayor) |Spain (holy day of obligation) |- |29 July |King Saint [[Olaf II of Norway]] |Norway |- |8 August |Saint [[Mary MacKillop]] of the Cross |Australia |- |8 August |[[Saint Dominic]] |[[Dominican Order]] (where 24 May is not a solemnity) |- |11 August |Saint [[Clare of Assisi]] |[[Poor Clares]] and some other Franciscans |- |20 August |King Saint [[Stephen I of Hungary]] |Hungary |- |26 August |[[Black Madonna of Częstochowa]] |Poland |- |28 August |Saint [[Augustine of Hippo]] |[[Augustinians]] |- |30 August |Saint [[Rose of Lima]] |Peru |- |4 September (?) |Our Lady of Consolation |[[Augustinians]] |- |8 September |[[Nativity of Mary]] |Lithuania and [[Syro-Malankara Catholic Church]] (holy day of obligation in some Middle Eastern countries) |- |15 September |[[Our Lady of Sorrows]] |Slovakia |- |28 September |Saint [[Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia]] |Czech Republic |- |4 October |Saint [[Francis of Assisi]] |[[Franciscan]] |- |12 October |[[Our Lady of Aparecida]] |Brazil |- |15 October |[[Teresa of Ávila]] |[[Discalced Carmelites]] |- |3 November |Saint [[Martin de Porres]] |Peru |- |16 November |[[Our Lady of the Gate of Dawn]] (Mother of Mercy) |Lithuania |- |19 November |[[Our Lady of Providence]] |Puerto Rico |- |30 November |[[Andrew the Apostle]] |Russia and Scotland |- |3 December |Saint [[Francis Xavier]] |India |- |12 December |[[Our Lady of Guadalupe]] |Mexico (holy day of obligation) |- |14 December |Saint [[John of the Cross]] |[[Discalced Carmelites]] |} ==Observance== Even if it is a weekday, if the day is a Solemnity, then the Gloria is said, as well as the [[Nicene Creed|Creed]] at Mass, and there are two [[lection|scriptural readings]], not one, before the [[Gospel (liturgy)|Gospel]]. Also, there will sometimes be processional and recessional hymns, and use of incense. Some but not all solemnities are also [[holy day of obligation|holy days of obligation]], on which, as on Sundays, Catholics are required to attend [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]] and to avoid work and business that hinder divine worship or suitable relaxation of mind and body.<ref>[http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P4N.HTM Code of Canon Law, canon 1247]</ref> All holy days of obligation have the rank of solemnity at least at local level, though not necessarily holding that rank in the General Roman Calendar. With the exception of the solemnities of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Annunciation of the Lord and the Birth of John the Baptist, all the solemnities inscribed in the General Roman Calendar are mentioned as holy days of obligation in [http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P4N.HTM canon 1246] of the Code of Canon Law, but are not necessarily all observed in a particular country. When a solemnity falls on a Friday, the obligation to [[Fasting and Abstinence in the Roman Catholic Church|abstain]] from meat or some other food as determined by the episcopal conference does not apply.<ref>[http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG1104/__P4O.HTM Code of Canon Law, canon 1251]</ref> == See also == * [[Liturgical year]] * [[Holy day of obligation]] * [[Octave (liturgical)]] * [[Great Feasts of the Orthodox Church]] * [[Afterfeast]] * [[Ranking of liturgical days in the Roman Rite]] == References == <references/> ==External links== * [http://www.universalis.com/-500/calendar.htm#0 Universalis] Liturgical calendar of the [[Roman Rite]] with the texts of the [[Liturgy of the Hours]] and of the readings at Mass. * [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14133a.htm "Solemnity"] article from ''[[The Catholic Encyclopedia]]'' (1912) [[Category:Catholic holy days]]'