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Definition

Solemn Mass is the term traditionally used in America for the form of the Tridentine Mass celebrated a priest with a deacon and a subdeacon. The roles of the latter two are often supplied by two priests. In the rest of the English-speaking world, the term used for this is High Mass. In Latin, the term corresponding to English High Mass is Missa solemnis. Accordingly, Solemn Mass, a literal translation of the Latin term, is used for it by those in the United States who apply the term High Mass instead to the Missa Cantata. A pre-Vatican II altar with reredosThe altar is preceded by three steps, as was most common for a churchs main altar, though some main altars, such as that in Saint Peters in the Vatican, had (and have) much more than three. ... Deacon is a role in the Christian Church which is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. ... Subdeacon is a title used in various branches of Christianity. ... In the United States of America the term High Mass refers to what in Great Britain & Ireland, as well as in many traditional-minded Anglo-Catholic parishes in the U.S.A., is called Sung Mass or Misa Cantata. ... Latin was the language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... In the United States of America the term High Mass refers to what in Great Britain & Ireland, as well as in many traditional-minded Anglo-Catholic parishes in the U.S.A., is called Sung Mass or Misa Cantata. ...

The terminology has, unfortunately, cause great confusion in recent years and it would help to alleviate confusion if the Americans would simply adopt the usage of the other English-speaking countries. However, the fact remains that the terms Solemn Mass and High Mass have been used in the United States for much of the Twentieth Century by a great majority of parish churches (this can been seen in almost every church leaflet or history book from before 1970) and currently by a great number of parishes in the United States offering the Latin Mass. Perhaps the source of confusion is the Ceremonial for the Use of the Catholic Churches in the United States of America (commonly called the Baltimore Ceremonial) published upon the request of the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore. Page 67, line 2, has the heading, "MANNER OF CELEBRATING HIGH MASS WITHOUT DEACON OR SUB-DEACON." The book frequently uses the terms Missa Cantata and High Mass interchangably. Thus for the remainder of this article we shall use the American terms Solemn Mass and High Mass, to mean the terms High Mass and Missa Cantata in their British usage. In the United States of America the term High Mass refers to what in Great Britain & Ireland, as well as in many traditional-minded Anglo-Catholic parishes in the U.S.A., is called Sung Mass or Misa Cantata. ... The term Latin Mass has several meanings: The traditional Latin Rite Mass of the Roman Catholic Church, generally known as the Tridentine Mass, promulgated by the Council of Trent and subsequently revised on various occasions, culminating in the Roman Missal of 1962. ... In the United States of America the term High Mass refers to what in Great Britain & Ireland, as well as in many traditional-minded Anglo-Catholic parishes in the U.S.A., is called Sung Mass or Misa Cantata. ... In the United States of America the term High Mass refers to what in Great Britain & Ireland, as well as in many traditional-minded Anglo-Catholic parishes in the U.S.A., is called Sung Mass or Misa Cantata. ...

The following article will deal with the structure and ceremonies of Solemn Mass. For other articles on the Mass, see: Mass, Eucharist, Eucharistic theology, Tridentine Mass, Novus Ordo Missae. Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) presiding at the 2005 Easter Vigil Mass in place of Pope John Paul II. Mass is the term used of the celebration of the Eucharist in the Latin rites of the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Church. ... The Eucharist is the rite that Christians perform in fulfillment of Jesus instruction, recorded in the New Testament, to do in memory of him what he did at his Last Supper. ... Eucharistic theology treats doctrines of the Holy Eucharist. ... A pre-Vatican II altar with reredosThe altar is preceded by three steps, as was most common for a churchs main altar, though some main altars, such as that in Saint Peters in the Vatican, had (and have) much more than three. ... Then-Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) presiding over the 2005 Easter Vigil Mass at St. ...

Vestments

For a complete description, see the article entitled Vestments of the Mass.

In the sacristy, before vesting, all three sacred ministers (priest celebrant, deacon, and subdeacon) wash their hands. The subdeacon and deacon arrive a bit earlier than the celebrant so that they may be vested and ready to help the celebrant when he arrives in the sacristy. While the deacon and sub-deacon vest, the first and second acolytes, respectively, help them. All the while, the sacred ministers recite certain prayers while they place on each new piece of clothing. First, the amice (a rectangular cloth of linen with long strings for tying) is kissed (if it is embroidered with a cross) and then placed on top of the head briefly while reciting one of the prayers during vesting. Then it is tied around the shoulders on top of the cassock (or on top of the habit, if any of the sacred ministers belongs to a religious order with one). Next the alb (a long linen tunic with sleeves) is put on. The cincture (a long cloth cord)is then tied around the waist. The subdeacon then completes his vesting by placing the maniple (an embroidered piece of fabric, folded in half, with a cross in the middle) on his left arm (provided there is no Asperges or other extra-liturgical ceremony before Mass begins) and securing it either with pins or with the elastic inside and then the tunicle (an embroidered tunic with sleeves) over all. The deacon places his stole (a long narrow embroidered piece of cloth, similar to the maniple but of greater length) over the right shoulder and binds it in place, at his left hip, with the cinture. He then places on the maniple and his dalmatic (similar to the tunicle). The priest celebrant does the same except that he crosses his stole in front of him at the waist, binding it with the cinture. After the maniple he puts on the chasuble (similar to the tunicle, but without sleeves and usually with an embroidered cross or image on the back), or a cope (a long, heavy embroidered cape), if there is to be some extra-liturgical function before Mass. A sacristy is a room for keeping vestments (such as the cassock and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels and church treasures. ... In Tolkiens Middle-earth, the river Celebrant was a stream rising in the eastern Misty Mountains near the exit from Moria. ... A sacristy is a room for keeping vestments (such as the cassock and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels and church treasures. ... In some Christian churches, an acolyte is one who wishes to attain clergyhood. ... A religious order is an organization of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with religious devotion. ...

The servers of the Mass (Master of Ceremonies, acolytes, thurifer, torch-bearers) and the clergy sitting in the liturgical choir stalls are vested in cassock (the long black robe with buttons, usually seen on priests and altar servers) and surplice (a flowing white tunic with sleeves) or cotta (a shorter version of the surplice). The higher clergy (anyone ordained to the sub-deaconate or above) also wear the biretta (a four-cornered hat with a pom-pom on top in the center and three fins on top around the edges) while sitting. Members of religious orders in habit have on a surplice over the habit. If it is part of their "choir dress", they also use the biretta. If not, then they use their hood in the same fashion as one uses a biretta. In the Roman Catholic church a thurible is a metal censer, suspended from chains, in which incense is burned during Solemn Mass, Benediction, Vespers and funeral services. ...

Music

The typical music of Solemn Mass is Gregorian chant, however, a wide variety of musical settings to the Ordinary of the Mass have been composed over the last six hundred years and any of them may be used in stead. There are also several musical settings for the minor propers of the Mass on various feast days or for certain votive Masses. An example would be William Byrd's setting of the minor propers for the Lady Mass in Advent. Gregorian chant is also known as plainchant or plainsong and is a form of monophonic, unaccompanied singing, which was developed in the Catholic church, mainly during the period 800-1000. ... The five parts (texts) of the the Roman Catholic Mass, which do not vary except by omission on certain occasions are known as the Ordinary of the Mass. ... William Byrd William Byrd (1540? – July 4, 1623) was one of the most celebrated English composers in the Renaissance. ... Advent (from the Latin Adventus, sc. ...

Despite the ban imposed by Pope St. Pius X on almost all sacred music composed after the Renaissance, nowadays there seems to be wide-spread toleration for a variety of musical settings for the Ordinary of the Mass. It is now not so rare to see a choir and chamber orchestra performing a Mozart Mass setting. The five parts (texts) of the the Roman Catholic Mass, which do not vary except by omission on certain occasions are known as the Ordinary of the Mass. ...

The music of the Mass is typically performed by a choir made up of lay men and women (though in churches run by religious orders it is often made up of their members.) The choir is traditionally placed in the front of the church, either in front of or behind the altar. However, with the appearance of elaborate musical settings of the Ordinary of the Mass it became necessary to employ lay singers, and with this innovation, the choir moved first from the front of the church up to galleries on the sides of the church and then finally to to a loft in the back. This in turn allowed musical instruments, besides the organ, to be employed in the music. The five parts (texts) of the the Roman Catholic Mass, which do not vary except by omission on certain occasions are known as the Ordinary of the Mass. ...

The entirety of Solemn Mass is sung. It is considered by Catholics to be a continuous song in praise of God for sending His own son to redeem us. It is also a "re-enactment" of the Holy Sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross for mankind. One may also describe Solemn Mass as, "an opera of praise to God, with God as the sole member of the audience." God is the term used to denote the Supreme Being ascribed by monotheistic religions to be the creator, ruler and/or the sum total of, existence. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

Structure

The ceremonies begin when the Master of Ceremonies rings the bell. The porter opens the sacristy door and the servers and ministers leave the sacristy and enter the church in the following manner: first the thurifer carrying his thurible and boat (or the aspersorium is the Asperges is to be had); next come the acolytes carrying their candles (the custom in Northern European and English-speaking countries is to have a crucifer holding a processional cross walking between the acolytes); the Master of Ceremonies comes next, finally the three sacred ministers single file in order of precedence (or on either side of the celebrant if he is wearing the cope for some exrta-liturgical ceremony before the Mass, such as the Asperges. The deacon and sub-deacon should be holding the ends of the cope.)

• Asperges (only on Sundays at the principal Mass of the day.) This ceremony of sprinkling the congregation with lustral water is performed by the celebrant with the assistance of the other sacred ministers. After blessing the altar, himself, and the sacred ministers and servers, the celebrant then proceeds through the nave of the church to bless the congregation. All the while the choir, or a cantor, is singing the text from Psalm 50, verse 9 (all Biblical references from here on are from the Douay-Rheims Bible) "Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed: thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow." After the sacred ministers have returned to the altar a few verses and responses are sung between the celebrant and everyone else. The sacred ministers then go to the sedilia (the bench or seats where the sacred ministers sit during parts of the Mass) to put on their maniples and to help the celebrant change from cope to chasuble.

• Prayers at the Foot of the Altar. These prayers are said by the sacred ministers standing on the floor at the bottom of the steps leading up to the High Altar. They are also said to each other, kneeling, by the acolytes and those servers sitting in the liturgical choir. If the acolytes are close enough, they may say them with the sacred ministers. These prayers consist primarily of Psalm 42 with the verses said alternately between the celebrant and the other sacred ministers. While these prayers are being said, the musical choir is singing the text of the Introit. After the prayers are finished, all rise. The sacred ministers ascend the steps to the altar to cense it.

• Introit. This text of the Mass varies daily. It usually consists of Scriptural or religious text, followed by a Psalm verse, followed by the Doxology. Then the Scriptural or religious text is repeated. This is usually being sung while the sacred ministers are saying the Prayers at the Foor of the Altar mentioned above and while they incense the altar. After Prayers at the Foot of the Altar, the sacred ministers ascend the steps to the altar, the thurifer brings his thurible, or censer, and a 'boat' of incense. The celebrant places incense into the thurible, blesses it and then proceeds to cense the altar, accompanied by the other ministers. After he is finished, he hands the thurible to the deacon and the deacon censes him. The thurible is then given back to the thurifer , who departs to the sacristy till he is needed again. The sacred ministers then form a "semi-circle" (really a line) on the altar steps--the celebrant on the top platform (called a footpace), the deacon on a middle step, and the sub-deacon on the bottom step. The Master of Ceremonies then helps the celebrant find his place in the Missal. The priest makes the sign of the cross and recites the Introit in a low voice to himself, all bowing with him when he recites the Doxology. All the while the Introit and Kyrie Eleison are being sung by the musical choir.

• Kyrie Eleison. When the celebrant has finished reciting the Introit, he then recites the Kyrie Eleison alternately with the Master of Ceremonies (the other sacred ministers may join in with the M.C.) After this is finished the sacred ministers either form a straight line, remaining on their respective steps, until the Kyrie is near finished or they bow to the cross and descend the steps to sit at the sedilia if the musical setting for the Kyrie is particularly long.

• Gloria in Excelsis. Toward the end of the Kyrie, the sacred ministers walk (still satying)in a line to the center of the altar. If they have been sitting all rise, save the celebrant, until his biretta has been collected by the deacon. The three sacred ministers genuflect at the foot of the altar steps, then ascend and form a line. (The deacon and sub-deacon usually lift the ends of the celebrant's alb whenever they ascend the steps together, and place their closest hand under his elbows when they descend together. The celebrant intones (i.e. sings) the first few words of the Gloria, after which the choir sings the rest and the deacon and sub-deacon ascend the steps to stand at either side of the celebrant while he says the remainder of the Gloria in a low voice. when they are finished they remain in this position until the singing is near done, or if it is a long musical setting, they may go down and sit (first genuflecting) as mentioned above at the Kyrie.

• Collect (sometimes called the Oration).
• Epistle
• Gradual
• Alleluia (or Tract)
• Gospel
• Sermon (optional)
• Credo
• Offertory
• Secret
• Preface
• Sanctus & Benedictus
• Canon of the Mass
• Paternoster
• The Pax
• Agnus Dei
• Distribution of Holy Communion
• Ablutions
• Communion
• Post-Communion Collect
• Dismissal
• Blessing
• Last Gospel

Full descriptions of the elements of a Gothic floorplan are found at the entry Cathedral diagram. ... The word Cantor can mean more than one thing: Cantor is another name for a Hazzan, a member of the Jewish clergy Cantor is the title of a member of a student society who is the main singer at a cantus Famous people named Cantor include: Eddie Cantor, singer & entertainer... The Douai Bible, also known as the Rheims-Douai Bible or Douay-Rheims Bible, was a Roman Catholic translation of the Holy Bible from the Latin Vulgate into English. ... A doxology is a short hymn of praise to God in various Christian worship services, often added to the end of canticles, psalms, and hymns. ... A doxology is a short hymn of praise to God in various Christian worship services, often added to the end of canticles, psalms, and hymns. ...

Variations on High Mass