Q: Thank you for the opportunity this blog provides! Is it possible to celebrate an evening mass on Friday, March 18th, as a prelude to a St Joseph Table celebration? Is there a Vigil mass for St Joseph?
We are trying to get as much participation as possible at Friday evening events during Lent (Usually a fish fry or soup supper followed by Stations of the Cross) and be good stewards of our pastor’s and volunteers time. We don’t want to have one event Friday evening and another one Saturday morning. Very few will come to both events in that case.
What is best?
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A: I’m going to say yes, you may celebrate an anticipated Mass for St. Joseph on the evening of March 18, but I don’t know how to document it.
On the Table of Liturgical Days, Joseph’s day on March 19 ranks at #3. Sundays in Ordinary Time rank at #6.
It seems to me that because Joseph has first vespers on the evening of March 18 that you may therefore celebrate his Mass that night as well.