BALTIMORE—The USCCB, in an unprecedented move, has declared this Sunday will not be a holy day of obligation.

The USCCB on Saturday made a surprise declaration saying that “because some people already went to Mass on Saturday for the Assumption of Mary, we have decided that it’s just too onerous to require them to go to Mass on Sunday as well. Thus, we hereby declare that attendence at this Sunday’s Mass (8/16/2026—The Twentieth Sunday of Ordinary Time) is now optional.”

While liturgists are baffled at this decision, the USCCB defended their action on Saturday in an accompanying statement which says, “It’s just too hard for some people to do the Catholic thing sometimes.”

As pointed as that statement may be, parishioners are still divided on this decision. Frances McCullough, a longtime parishioner of St. Longinus Catholic Church in Bridgeport, told The Roman Caller, “I like the decision. I can spend more time in my spice garden. I feel closer to God there anyway.” When asked whether she attended the Mass for the Assumption, she answered, “What?”.

Juan Sanchez of the same parish disagrees with McCullough. “No, I don’t feel closer to God in a spice garden. That’s why I’m going to be spending Sunday where I feel really close to God, on my couch watching the PGA Tour and soccer.”

From the same parish, Kimberly Watson feels the USCCB didn’t go far enough. “Why not just cancel all obligations to attend Sunday Mass? It just becomes an annoying thing to bring up in confession once a year. And speaking of that, maybe they should cancel the obligation to go to confession once a year while they’re at it.”

The USCCB is currently processing Watson’s suggestion and will likely vote on it during their next plenary gathering.