Mass times near me

A typical parish Mass schedule

Every parish sets its own schedule, but American Catholic parishes follow recognizable patterns. The list below is a typical schedule, not a guarantee for any particular church — always confirm with the parish before you go.

• Saturday vigil Mass — usually between 4:00 and 5:30 PM. Counts as the Sunday Mass. Many parishes hold one vigil; larger ones may add a second around 6:00 or 7:00 PM, sometimes in Spanish.
• Sunday morning — commonly 7:30 or 8:00, 9:30 or 10:00, and 11:30 AM or noon. Larger parishes run three to five Sunday Masses; small rural parishes may have only one, sometimes shared with a neighboring parish.
• Sunday evening — 5:00 or 6:00 PM at some parishes. Common near universities and in cities, less common in small towns. See churches with evening services.
• Weekday (daily) Mass — typically 7:00 to 8:30 AM or around noon. Usually about 30 minutes, often without music. Some parishes skip one weekday (frequently Monday or Saturday morning) when the priest has a day off.
• Holy days of obligation — extra Masses, often an evening vigil plus morning, noon and evening Masses on the day. Schedules change for these days, so check the bulletin that week.

Our directory listings show service times where the parish has published them. Schedules change — summer reductions, a new pastor, a merger with a neighboring parish — so treat any listed time, including ours, as a starting point and confirm it with the parish website, bulletin or a quick phone call.

How to find Mass times near you, step by step

1. Find the parishes closest to you. Use the location finder above or browse Catholic churches by state and city. In most American towns there are several parishes within a short drive, and their schedules are often staggered.
2. Check the parish website or online bulletin. Nearly every parish posts its weekend and weekday Mass schedule on the home page, along with the current weekly bulletin (usually a PDF). The bulletin is the most up-to-date source — it lists changes for holidays, funerals and special events.
3. Call the parish office for anything unusual. If it is a holiday week, a summer weekend or a weekday, a phone call removes the guesswork. Parish offices are usually staffed on weekday business hours; outside those hours the voicemail greeting often states the Mass times.
4. Use your diocese.Every diocese has a website with a parish directory. If one parish's times do not suit you, the diocesan directory is the fastest way to find the next one over.
5. Arrive 10 to 15 minutes early at an unfamiliar church. Parking can be tight before a full Sunday Mass, and it gives you time to find a seat.

The Saturday vigil Mass

The Saturday evening vigil is the single most useful thing to know when looking for Mass times. In Catholic practice the liturgical celebration of Sunday begins on Saturday evening, so a vigil Mass celebrated on Saturday evening is a Sunday Mass — it fulfills the Sunday obligation and uses the Sunday readings. It is a complete Mass, not a shortened version. If you will be traveling or working on Sunday, the vigil is usually the easiest solution. See also churches open on Saturday.

Mass today: weekday and daily Mass

If you are searching for “Mass times today” on a weekday, you are looking for daily Mass. A few things to know:

• It is short. Daily Mass usually runs about 30 minutes, with a brief homily or none.
• It may be in a chapel. Many parishes celebrate weekday Mass in a smaller chapel rather than the main church — look for signs or ask at the office.
• Downtown parishes are your friend. City-center churches and cathedrals often schedule a noon or 12:10 PM Mass for office workers, and some offer several Masses a day.
• Hospitals, universities and shrines frequently have chapels with daily Mass open to the public.

Evening Mass near me

If morning does not work, look for a Saturday vigil, a Sunday evening Mass (commonly 5:00 or 6:00 PM, especially at college and city parishes), or a weekday evening Mass, which some parishes offer once or twice a week around 5:30 or 6:30 PM. Larger parishes and cathedrals are the most likely to have a late Sunday option.

Spanish Mass and Masses in other languages

Thousands of American parishes celebrate at least one Mass in Spanish every weekend — often a Saturday evening or a Sunday midday or afternoon Mass. Parishes serving Vietnamese, Filipino, Korean, Polish, Portuguese and other communities also schedule Masses in those languages. The parish website or bulletin will list the language for each Mass. For Spanish-language congregations, see our guide to Spanish-speaking churches near you.

Eastern Catholic churches — Byzantine (Ruthenian and Ukrainian), Maronite, Melkite, Chaldean and others — are in full communion with Rome, and attending their Divine Liturgy fulfills the Sunday obligation for Latin-rite Catholics. Their schedules are typically a single Sunday morning Liturgy, sometimes with a Saturday evening service.

Holy days of obligation in the United States

On holy days of obligation, Catholics are expected to attend Mass just as on a Sunday, and parishes add extra Masses. In most U.S. dioceses these are:

• Mary, Mother of God — January 1
• The Ascension — 40 days after Easter (most U.S. dioceses transfer it to the following Sunday)
• The Assumption — August 15
• All Saints' Day — November 1
• The Immaculate Conception — December 8
• Christmas — December 25

In the United States, when January 1, August 15 or November 1 falls on a Saturday or Monday, the obligation to attend is lifted, though Masses are still celebrated. The Immaculate Conception and Christmas always remain days of obligation.

Christmas, Easter and Ash Wednesday Mass times

These are the busiest days of the Catholic year, and the regular schedule does not apply:

• Christmas. Parishes typically hold a Christmas Eve afternoon or early-evening Mass (often aimed at families with children and extremely crowded), one or more later Christmas Eve Masses, sometimes a Mass at midnight, and Christmas Day morning Masses. Arrive very early for the family Mass. See Christmas church services.
• Holy Week and Easter. Holy Thursday evening Mass, the Good Friday afternoon or evening liturgy (not a Mass), the Easter Vigil after dark on Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday Masses. See Easter church services.
• Ash Wednesday. Not a holy day of obligation, but one of the most attended days of the year. Parishes hold several Masses and often brief services for the distribution of ashes. See Ash Wednesday services.

Holiday schedules are usually announced in the bulletin two to four weeks ahead.

If you are not Catholic, or have been away a while

Anyone is welcome to attend Mass. You can sit, stand and kneel with the congregation as you are comfortable, and there is no expectation that you participate in everything. Catholics ask that only Catholics who are prepared receive Communion; visitors who are not receiving are welcome to remain in the pew or to come forward with arms crossed over the chest to receive a blessing. Read more in What is Communion? and Catholic vs. Protestant.

If you have been away from the Church for some time and want to return to the sacraments, many Catholics go to confession first — most parishes hear confessions on Saturday afternoon before the vigil Mass. You may also find quiet time for prayer at an adoration chapel.

Frequently asked questions