The Seasons According to the Liturgical Calendar:

Advent:
The Season of Advent occurs from evening prayer of the Sunday falling on or closest to the November 30 (The First Sunday of Advent) and ends before evening prayer of Christmas Eve. There are 4 Sundays of Advent. Advent has a twofold character: as a season to prepare for Christmas when Christ's first coming to us is remembered; as a season when that remembrance directs the mind and heart to await Christ's Second Coming at the end of time. Advent is thus a period for devout and joyful expectation. At Holy Name, a Parish Reconciliation Service is held two weeks before Christmas after the Saturday 5:30 pm Mass, in preparation for Christmas.

Christmas:
The Season of Christmas begins from the evening prayer of Christmas, (celebrated on the evening of December 24, the beginning of the liturgical day of December 25 - Birth of the Lord) to Baptism of the Lord (Sunday after the Solemnity of the Epiphany). Next to the yearly celebration of the paschal mystery, the Church holds most sacred the memorial of Christ's birth and early manifestations. This is the purpose of the Christmas season. At Holy Name Christmas Eve begins with Mass at KU Spencer Chapel at 4:45 pm, followed by the Holy Name Children's Mass at 6:00 pm and ends with the Holy Name 10:00 pm Mass. Christmas Day Mass is at 10:00 am at KU Spencer Chapel and at 11:00 am at Holy Name Church. If January 1, the Solemnity of Mary is a Holy Day of Obligation (which it isn't in 2011), the Mass schedule would follow the Holy Day Mass schedule.

Ordinary Time I:
Ordinary Time begins from the Monday following the Baptism of the Lord to the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. The Sundays in Ordinary Time are numbered consecutively from the Baptism of the Lord. The Sundays of this season do not celebrate a specific aspect of the mystery of Christ. Instead they are devoted to the mystery of Christ in all its aspects. Ordinary Time continues after the season of Easter.

Lent:
Lent begins from Ash Wednesday until the Mass of the Lord's Supper on the evening of Holy Thursday. There are 6 Sundays of Lent. Lent is a preparation for the celebration of Easter. The Lenten liturgy disposes both catechumens and the faithful to celebrate the Paschal Mystery: catechumens, through the several stages of Christian initiation; the faithful, through reminders of their own baptism and through penitential practices. At Holy Name Ash Wednesday Masses are at 8:30 am and 6:30 pm. On Fridays during Lent there is Communion Service at 6:45 pm followed by Stations of the Cross at 7:00. The Holy Name Knights of Columbus hold Fish and No-Meat Mexican dinners on the Fridays of Lent from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

Triduum:
Easter Triduum begins with the Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday, reaches its high point in the Easter Vigil and concludes on Easter Sunday. Christ redeemed us all and gave perfect glory to God principally through His Paschal Mystery: dying He destroyed our death and rising He restored our life. Therefore the Easter Triduum of the Passion and Resurrection of Christ is the culmination of the entire liturgical year. The solemnity of Easter has the kind of pre-eminence in the year that Sunday has in the week. At Holy Name, Holy Thursday Mass is at 7:00 pm. Good Friday Services are at 4:45 pm (KU) and 7:00 pm at Holy Name Church. Easter Vigil Mass is at 7:00 pm at Holy Name Church (no KU Mass). Easter Sunday Masses are at 8:30 am, 10:00 am (KU) and 11:00 am.

Easter Season:
The Easter season begins with celebration of the Easter Vigil on Easter Sunday and concludes 50 days later with Pentecost Sunday. The fifty days from Easter Sunday to Pentecost are celebrated in joyful exultation as one feast day, or better as one 'great Sunday.' These are above all others the days for the singing of the Alleluia.

Ordinary Time II:
Ordinary Time occurs from the Monday following Pentecost Sunday until the Saturday before the 1st Sunday of Advent. The last Sunday is the Solemnity of Christ the King which is Sunday 34 in Ordinary Time. The preceding Sundays are calculated to end with Sunday 34. The Sundays of this season do not celebrate a specific aspect of the mystery of Christ. Instead they are devoted to the mystery of Christ in all its aspects. Special Masses during this period of time at Holy Name Church include the 4:30 pm Saturday evening Mass of the weekend of the Ice Cream Social in June (instead of the 5:30 pm Mass) and the Thanksgiving Day Mass in November where parishioners are asked to bring non-perishable food items to the Altar during Offertory to stock the emergency food pantry at the parish office.

Holy Days of Obligation for 2011:

All Sundays
The Ascension of the Lord, June 2
All Saints, November 1
The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, December 8
The Nativity of the Lord, December 25

Penitential Rules:

Abstinence: Days of abstinence are Ash Wednesday and all Fridays in Lent. All Catholics 14 years of age and older. No meat.

Fasting: Days of fasting are Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. All Catholics from the ages of 18 to 59. One full meal and two lighter meals allowed.

Penance: All Fridays and all days of Lent are times of penance.

Eucharistic Fast: Absention from food and drink (water and medicines excepted) for one hour before receiving Communion; does not oblige the elderly and ill and those attending them.