Returning Catholics FAQs: Holy Days of Obligation

On Mondays, I answer questions frequently asked by those considering a return to the Catholic Church. How do I know this stuff? I was away for more than 30 years myself, and am the co-author of When They Come Home: Ways to Welcome Returning Catholics , a book for pastors and parish leaders interested in this ministry.

What’s up with holy days of obligation? Why are there so many, and what do I have to do?

Just as we are bound to attend Mass on Sundays (or Saturday evenings), so we are obligated t...