When an Obligation is Not Obligatory

Ascension Thursday has passed, and I went to Mass. Why? It's a Holy Day of Obligation, that's why. But wait, you say...didn't the diocese say it was OK to move the Solemnity of the Ascension to Sunday?

First, of all, the diocese can't move solemnities around. HOWEVER, in 1998 the United States Council of Catholic Bishops approved a proposal that would allow individual ecclesiastical provinces to transfer the feast day. They sent the request to  the Congregation for Divine Worship and Sacraments for final approval.

Our ecclesiastic province is Illinois - the dioceses of Belleville, Springfield, Peoria, Rockford,  Chicago, and Joliet. Where is Acension Thursday still Ascension Thursday? Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, and the state of Nebraska.

The thing is that it is not just the moving of the day, but the entire liturgy moves with it. So at St. Joseph's yesterday we did the liturgy for the Holy Day of Obligation - and will probably use the liturgy for the 7th Sunday of Easter on June 1st. If Father Uriel does use the 7th Sunday liturgy, does  that mean those who did not attend Mass on Thursday will not complete their obligation for the Solemnity of the Ascension?