This week, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis reminded Catholics that because this Sunday is the Feast of the Holy Family, they are obligated to attend Mass on both Saturday and Sunday this weekend. 

The Archdiocese posted on Facebook, “This year features a rare opportunity to attend Mass two days in a row to fulfill two separate holy days of obligation: Christmas Day and the Feast of the Holy Family (Dec. 25 and 26).”

Traditionally, Catholics attend Mass every Sunday, but this weekend will be different. The post went on to say, “…The prevailing view of many canon lawyers is that each obligation must be fulfilled with a separate Mass. Thus, when consecutive obligations occur on Saturday-Sunday or Sunday-Monday, the faithful must attend Mass twice to fulfill two separate obligations.  A dubium concerning the possibility of simultaneous fulfillment of obligations was answered in the negative by the Sacred Congregation for the Clergy and approved by Blessed Pope Paul VI in 1970.  Although it was not issued as a conclusive and authoritative interpretation, it did indicate the considered opinion of the Holy See and the approval of the Holy Father.”

According to Britannica, the Feast of the Holy Family is a "Roman Catholic religious festival falling on the first Sunday after Christmas. Although major feast days dedicated to each member of the Holy Family – Jesus, Mary, and Joseph – also exist, the Feast of the Holy Family commemorates their life together, and the celebration focuses on religious family life. Because of the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt, a feast for the Holy Family has been observed by the Copts from early times. In Western Christianity, however, a cult of veneration for the Holy Family as a group, rather than as individuals, did not arise until the 17th century and was not officially recognized until the feast day was formally instituted in 1921 under Pope Benedict XV."