Click the PDF below for a detailed Liturgical Calendar for February - March 2024

February 2024

• If religious sisters and brothers are present at the Mass, a special blessing may be given to them after the homily or after the Prayer after Communion.
• Prayer of the Faithful or Mass Intention to include religious sisters and brothers.
• Sample Prayers of the Faithful available HERE.
• Prayer for Consecrated Persons, Click Here. 

• It is customary to celebrate Saint Blaise Feast with a blessing of throats. The blessing may be found in the Book of Blessings, "Order for the Blessing of Throats on the Feast of Saint Blaise", Chapter 51. 
• The candles to be used for the blessing of throats are blessed during Mass at the Presentation of the Lord, February 2. 

• San Fernando and San Gabriel Regions at 3:00 PM
• San Pedro and Our Lady of the Angels Regions at 6:00 PM
• Santa Barbara Region celebrating at the following parishes: 
  • Our Lady of the Assumption, Ventura @ 2:30 pm
  • La Purisima Catholic Church@ 5:00 pm. 
  • Santa Barbara Region Parishes need to fill out the survey to select the location they will be attending. Survey is available in the "RCIA Updates" section below. For more details, please call the Santa Barbara Regional Office. 
• ** Please take note ** In the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the Rite of Election is transferred to this Sunday, February 4, 2024, due to Religious Education Congress.

• Ritual Masses (i.e., Celebration of Matrimony) are not permitted. 
• Funeral Masses are permitted. 
• Begins with the Sign of the Cross & Greeting (The Lord be with you, Let us pray, and the Collect).
  
• NO Penitential Rite (I Confess..., Lord, have mercy...) 
• Alleluia is omitted. Use proper Lenten Gospel Acclamation.
• Blessing and Distribution of Ashes takes place after homily.
• Gloria and Creed are omitted.
• Universal Prayer is said.
• The Mass is proper. 
• Preface III or IV is appropriate for use today.
• Book of Blessings provide instructions for blessing of ashes, Ch. 52. nos. 1656-1678
• Ordinary minister for the blessing of the ashes is a priest or deacon.

• ** Please take note ** In the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the Rite of Election is transferred to Sunday, February 4, 2024, due to Religious Education Congress.

• Prayers are proper and found in the Proper of Saints
• Gloria is sung or said.
• Creed is not said. 
• Use Preface 1 of the Apostles
• Solemn Blessing #16 may be used.

• San Fernando and San Gabriel Regions at 3:00 PM
• San Pedro and Our Lady of the Angels Regions at 6:00 PM
• In the Santa Barbara Region, the Rite of the Call to Continuing Conversion for Candidates is celebrated at the Parish. For more information, please call the Santa Barbara Regional Office.

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March 2024

• Please include the following in the Prayers of the Faithful:
• For Archbishop Jose Gomez, that he may lead us to a more faithful living of the Gospel, we pray to the Lord.

• On this Sunday, the First Scrutiny may be celebrated for the catechumens preparing for the Sacraments of Christian Initiation at the Easter Vigil (see RCIA, nos. 150-156.)
• If the scrutiny is celebrated, it takes place after the homily. 
• The readings for the particular Mass at which the scrutiny is celebrated uses the Cycle A readings: the Samaritan woman (RCIA, 146). 
• If the 3rd Sunday of Lent is celebrated without the scrutiny, then the readings are taken from Year B.

• The color violet or rose is used. 
• Instrumental music is permitted.
• The altar may be decorated with flowers.
• The Second Scrutiny may be celebrated.
• The readings are taken from Year A (31): the Man Born Blind. 
• If the 4th Sunday of Lent is celebrated, then the readings are taken from Year B.

• The Third Scrutiny may be celebrated.
• The readings are taken from Year A (34): the Raising of Lazarus. 
• If the 5th Sunday of Lent is celebrated, then the readings are taken from Year B.
• The practice of covering crosses and images throughout the church may be observed. Crosses are covered until Good Friday, but images remain covered until the beginning of the Easter Vigil

• Vestments Color: White
• The Mass is proper (including the Preface: "The Mission of St. Joseph").
• Gloria is sung or said.
• Lenten Gospel Acclamation is still used. 
• Creed is recited.
• Order for the Blessing of St. Joseph's Table. See Book of Blessings, nos. 1679-1700.
• Today also commemorates the 11th Anniversary of the Beginning of the Petrine Ministry of His Holiness, Pope Francis.

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Holy Week 2024

• Ritual Masses are prohibited this week and weddings outside Mass are discouraged. 
• On Good Friday and Holy Saturday, the sacraments are not celebrated. 
• Funeral Masses are permitted on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of Holy Week.  

• The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord is usually celebrated on March 25; however Holy Week takes precedence. Solemnities still have great importance in the life of the Church, so instead of omitting it on March 25, it is transferred to the Monday of the Second Sunday of Easter, April 8.

• The Chrism Mass will be celebrated on Monday of Holy Week at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels at 7:00 PM. No other services should be scheduled on this evening in the Archdiocese. 
• Each parish is required to identify one individual who will be responsible for picking up the newly blessed and consecrated oils following the Chrism Mass 
• Please contact the Cathedral Parish Office directly for more information on the Holy Oil Distribution (213) 680-5200.

• The first eight days of the Easter Season make up the octave of Easter and are celebrated as solemnities of the Lord (Ceremonial of Bishops, 373). 
• The Gloria is to be sung or recited during the octave of Easter. 
• The Sequence is optional during the days of the octave (GIRM, 64). 
• The double Alleluia is added to the dismissal formulary during the octave of Easter (Easter Vigil, 69).