GREGORIAN MASSES FOR THE DEAD

What Happens During a Gregorian Mass for the Deceased?

In many cultures, it’s considered normal to honor someone’s death even after the funeral ends. A
Gregorian Mass is a Catholic tradition dating back thousands of years. According to ancient tradition, it’s
believed that a continuous series of 30 Masses for the deceased could release them from purgatory.

*What’s the Purpose of a Gregorian Mass for the Deceased?*

*What Goes on During a Gregorian Mass for the Deceased?

*How Do You Request a* Gregorian Mass for the Deceased? **

These are offered to honor an individual soul, and they’re a way to recognize that few people go directly
to Heaven after death. Instead, many linger in purgatory between Heaven and Hell. However, this isn’t
set in stone.

As Dante wrote in his Divine Comedy, “The heavens, that their beauty not be lessened, have cast them
out, nor will deep Hell receive them—even the wicket cannot glory in them.” This means these souls
remain in the in-between—not pure enough to join God, but not deceitful enough to warrant a place in
Hell.

*What’s the purpose of a Gregorian Mass, and why is this practice still alive today?*

*What’s the Purpose of a Gregorian Mass for the Deceased?*

The Gregorian Mass is not a recent tradition. This dates back to ancient times. Founded by St. Gregory
the Great around 590 C.E., the Gregorian Mass began as a way to help a specific deceased monk on his
way to Heaven.

Thirty days after the monk’s death, another monk in St. Gregory’s monastery had a vision where he
spoke to the deceased monk. In the vision, the deceased monk spoke about how receiving the holy
communion had put him in a better place. It turned out that the vision had occurred after the
celebration of the 30th Mass after his death.

This story became a longstanding tradition in which Catholics celebrate 30 consecutive Masses after the
passing of an individual. Now called Gregorian Mass of the deceased, this is a practice used to release
souls from purgatory.

*What is purgatory?*

In Catholicism, there is a belief in both Heaven and Hell. These are where deceased souls go when they
die. However, there is an alternative option for those who don’t fit the qualifications of either:
purgatory.

Purgatory has two primary purposes. It’s a punishment for sin, and it’s also the cleansing of sin. It’s a
way to purify the soul so it’s ready to go to Heaven.

There’s often a misunderstanding that purgatory is a type of jail or harsh punishment. According to the
church, many people actually serve their purgatory while living on Earth. The Catholic Church believes
that you could be living your purgatory during life if you’re an innocent person struggling with disease,
poverty, or persecution. Unless you live an exceptionally good and holy life, you’re most likely going to
spend some time in purgatory before going to Heaven.

The Gregorian Mass for the deceased is a way to quicken this process. By engaging in Mass, it’s possible
to help the deceased soul find the path to Heaven and cleanse his or her soul after death.

In his epic poem, Inferno, Dante frequently describes purgatory. He writes that purgatory is where “the
human spirit purges himself, and climbing to Heaven makes himself worthy.” In his depiction of
purgatory, the land is an island mountain. As the inhabitants move up the mountain, they grow closer to
Heaven.

*What Goes on During a Gregorian Mass for the Deceased?*

As explained above, a Gregorian Mass takes place over a consecutive 30 days after an individual dies.
This can be held in addition to a Catholic funeral or as part of one. If the Mass is interrupted for even
one day, the entire process has to start again. However, the same priest does not need to complete
each Mass.

Though the name might imply that these Masses include chanting since St. Gregory is also associated
with Gregorian chants, this is not the case. There are actually no special traditions, rituals, or rites of
Gregorian Masses.

Unlike larger, community-wide Masses, Gregorian Masses are typically held in smaller settings. They
usually take place in monasteries, priestly homes, and seminaries. The priests who complete these
Gregorian Mass requests typically have few other pastoral commitments so they can focus on study,
prayer, and this special celebration.

During a Gregorian Mass for the deceased, the priest will pray for the soul of the deceased. Their
intentions are to clear this soul of all sins over the 30 days, freeing them to journey to Heaven for their
final stay.

*Is the family involved with the Gregorian Mass?*

Gregorian Masses are led by a qualified priest. This is something the family can participate in, but they
don’t have to. In fact, it’s usually not practical for loved ones to be a part of these practices.

First, they’re typically done in a priest’s residence or in a seminary. They aren’t usually open to the
public. Unlike larger Masses for the entire congregation, they’re intended to be small and private. If
you’d like to be involved as a family member, you’ll need to find a priest willing to accommodate this
request.

*Can anyone hold a Gregorian Mass?*

A Gregorian Mass can be held in honor of anyone, but it cannot be done by anyone. It must be led by a
priest.
Though there are no special rites or readings, this is something that should be guided by a priest to
ensure its success. While many cultures include prayers for the dead after the funeral, this is something
you can do outside of a Gregorian Mass.

*How Do You Request a Gregorian Mass for the Deceased?*

As you might expect, not all Catholic churches are equipped to fulfill requests for every Gregorian Mass.
Because these take a lot of resources to complete, they’re only usually done by specific monasteries and
seminaries across the world.

You can actually request a Gregorian Mass for a loved one online. There are many groups that focus
primarily on these types of Masses, and they deliver these services to Catholics of all backgrounds from
across the globe.

In order to request a Gregorian Mass, you will most likely need to make a donation to the parish or
church. This can be anywhere from $100 to $300, or more depending on what you’d like to give.
However, there are some churches that conduct these Masses for charity, and they don’t request any
donations for those in need.

**You* can request for a **Gregorian** Mass from the following agencies.

online:

CNEWA: For a donation of $150, CNEW, a papal agency for humanitarian support, will complete a 30-
day Gregorian Mass for your loved one.

Our Lady of Angels: The priests and brothers of St. Vincent de Paul will hold a Gregorian Mass for a $200
donation.

Missionaries of the Holy Family: The Missionaries of the Holy Family will also take Gregorian Mass
requests for a minimum donation of $200.

Diocese of Columbus: Based in Columbus, Ohio, the Diocese of Columbus will hold a Gregorian Mass for
a donation of $300.

Another option is to speak to your current priest or congregation leaders about where to find a
Gregorian Mass near you. If you want to participate in the Gregorian Mass yourself, you’ll need to find a
local monastery or seminary to see if this would be an option.
*Release Souls from Purgatory*

In Catholicism, the afterlife is just as important as life on Earth. Though it’s commonly believed that all
souls go to either Heaven or Hell after death, this isn’t always the case. According to Catholic beliefs, the
majority of people are not ready for Heaven at their time of death. These individual souls reside in
purgatory, waiting for their souls to be fully cleansed for Heaven.

To speed up this process, humans on earth can participate in Gregorian Masses. By praying for the soul
of this individual, it’s possible to quicken the journey to Heaven. Honoring deceased loved ones doesn’t
stop at the funeral. As we see with Gregorian Masses, it’s important to honor their lives and legacy long
after they’re gone.Liturgy Q&A: Funeral Masses and Requiem Masses

Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy and sacramental
theology and director of the Sacerdos Institute at the Pontifical Regina Apostolorum university.

Q: What is the difference between a funeral Mass and a requiem Mass, if any? I once heard that the
term requiem Mass is used when the body of the deceased is not present in the church. — J.A., Warri
Diocese, Nigeria

A: The term requiem has several meanings in current use.

In the ordinary form liturgy it is practically equivalent to a funeral Mass with the presence of the body;
today it is often called “Masses of Christian Burial.”

However, it can also refer to other Masses celebrated for the deceased without the presence of the
body. This could include Masses on the third, seventh, and 30th day after the death, on annual
anniversaries, or simply Masses celebrated for the repose of the soul of the deceased on receiving news
of death.

Requiem derives from the first word of the Latin introit: “Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine (Eternal
rest grant unto them [him/her], O Lord).” The text may be inspired by a passage in an ancient work, 2
Esdras 2:34-35: “Therefore I say to you, O nations that hear and understand, ‘Await your shepherd; he
will give you everlasting rest because he who will come at the end of the age is close at hand. Be ready
for the rewards of the kingdom, because the eternal light will shine upon you for evermore.’”

This antiphon remains in the current missal as the first entrance antiphon of the Masses for the dead.

The idea of imploring rest for the dead was already present in the Old Testament (see Genesis 47:30; 1
Kings 2:10; 2 Maccabees 12:43-44). Christians believed with St. Paul that they slept in Christ (1
Corinthians 15:18).

Therefore, from the first century, Christians offered prayers for the eternal rest of those who had died.

The exact date of the adoption of this introit into the liturgy is not clear, but the fact that the
apocryphal book of Esdras was considered canonical until the time of Pope Gelasius (died 495) would
indicate an inclusion earlier than the liturgical reforms of Pope St. Gregory the Great (died 604). Its use
in funeral liturgies is also witnessed by its presence on numerous sixth-century Christian epitaphs such
as those found in Ain-Zara near Tripoli.

As mentioned above, requiem is just one of several entrance antiphons for funeral Masses in the
ordinary-form missal. This is just one change in the reform of funeral rites in general which lays less
stress on sorrow and grief and more on entrusting the deceased to God’s love, through faith in the
salvific value of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Also, the structure of the funeral Mass, except for the rites of commendation at the end, is similar to
that of other Masses.

In the extraordinary form of the Roman rite the requiem Mass differs from the regular Mass in several
ways. Some parts are omitted or varied as indicated in Title XIII of the rubrics. These include the psalm
Iudica at the start of Mass, the prayer said by the priest before reading the Gospel (or the blessing of the
deacon, if a deacon reads it), and the first of the two prayers of the priest for himself before receiving
Communion.

Other omissions include the use of incense at the introit and the Gospel, the kiss of peace, lit candles
held by acolytes when a deacon chants the Gospel, and blessings. There is no Gloria or Creed; the
Alleluia chant before the Gospel is replaced by a Tract, as in Lent; followed by the sequence Dies Irae
(“day of wrath”). The Agnus Dei is altered. Ite missa est is replaced with Requiescant in pace (May they
rest in peace) and the “Deo Gratias” response is replaced with “Amen.”

Current norms allow for funeral Masses with the presence of the body to be celebrated on most days of
the year. Although the extraordinary form would be close to this in practice, the rules involved are
relatively more complex with respect to the formulas used.

Finally, the word requiem has other applications outside of the liturgy. Musical settings of the propers
of the requiem Mass are also called requiems. Many of the world’s greatest composers, some of them
not overly religious, have attempted to put these texts to music.