Kathy, the confusion may relate to differences between the post 1970 calendar and the 1962 calendar.

For the Mass of Paul VI, All Souls is celebrated on Sunday, November 2. In this case, your rubrical task is to figure out whether or not a Gloria should be sung. Pro: It's Sunday Mass in Ordinary Time, so there should be a Gloria. Con: It's All Souls, and the Requiem shouldn't include the Gloria. Good luck. I recall considerable confusion about this the last time All Souls fell on Sunday--I'm not sure about the final word.

For the Mass of John XXIII, Requiem Masses are, as a rule, not celebrated on Sunday, so All Souls is moved to Monday, November 3. Sunday, November 2 is the appropriate Sunday after Pentecost, with Gloria ;-).

No Gloria in the United States per the Ordo.

NO Gloria even for the ordinary rite.

Hey, so the Mass on Saturday evening, is that gonna be an All Saints Day Mass, or an All Souls Day Mass?

I'm going to take the easy way out. I will say, "Monsignor, what would you like me to do on Nov. 2?"

Ok, so why is it the feast of All Souls? Is their something in writing about when this happens, cuz for the Office, 2nd Vespers on Saturday evening is for All Saints.

CharlesW,

If you are up for it, check out this.

Note: I tried to upload a PDF file, but the forum tells me that PDF files should have a .rar extension. What's up with that?

CharlesW, go to CPDL and check out my transcription of Esquivel's In paradisum

In the Gregorian Missal at pg. 670, the instruction for All Souls says,

The first mass formulary is the only sung mass on this day.

Could someone give me the quick explanation of what this means? I understand that the chants come from the Masses for the Dead, but what exactly is the "first mass formulary"?

(I'm wanting to avoid using the music suggestions from the GIA Quarterly, and make this closer to a true All Souls Mass).

Gavin,

Jerusalem, My Happy Home and I Know That My Redeemer Lives might be especially apt.

When I planned the Diocesan All Suuls Day Mass, this is what I used:

I Heard the Voice of Jesus

Attende Domine (penitential, supplication for the souls in purgatory)

Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence

Salve Regina (this hymn is sung at funerals for priests, from what I understand)

I have also used Alleluia, Sing to Jesus ("where the souls of all the sinless sweep across the crystal sea") and "We Have Been Told" (one of the few Haas songs I like and do not find theologically deficient).

There's a Wideness in God's Mercy is possible. I'm considering Our Father, We Have Wandered (Worship III).

Gavin asked:

Speaking of which, for those who can't use the propers, what are the best hymn options for a requiem Mass from a typical (or even decent) Catholic hymnal?

Well, there is the Tietze metrical introit in the WLP collection of introit hymns. Likewise, I believe Lynn Trapp has something for funerals with ST. COLUMBA published by GIA.

I myself have also done a metrical introit hymn for funerals. Nothing fancy, but it simplifies things not to have to worry about copyright for it. I also did one for Easter season funerals...which most folks seem to have neglected to do. We sing both to ST. COLUMBA.

I also wrote an SATB a cappella setting of the funeral offertory that actually has never been sung. It’ll receive its “premiere” this year when my parish’s choir sings it for All Souls.

And, if I can stretch the bit of shameless self-promotion a bit further, I have also written responsorial translations of the various communions prescribed in the Graduale Romanum for funerals. The “Lux æterna” communion is one of the few in that collection (I’ve got them all done--110+ antiphons translated to English and set to responsorial form.) that has seen multiple uses, and it seems to work well. It’s also one of the few where the “advantage” of using it rather than another song is immediately apparent; what better words to sing for communion at a funeral than “May eternal light shine on them, O Lord, with all your saints forever, for you are rich in mercy”?

jatucker: yes, sing the Dies Irae

Lawrence: that's not permitted according to the rubrics, not that those matter

O'Connor: We need to adhere to the rite and not mix forms

jatucker: it is not mixing forms so much as permitting gravitational pull.

Lawrence: the pull is fine so long as it is in one direction

O'Connor: I'm telling you, this is dangerous

jatucker: some danger! We've done it a hundred times and the world hasn't ended. Besides, the 1970 Missal said all propers apart from two are permitted

Lawrence: all propers that are printed are permitted, not that the print matters

etc.

In light of Summorum Pontificum, I would be inclined to delineate Ordinary and Extraordinary Forms as sharply as possible by following their respective rubrics to the letter. Which in the case of the Requiem Mass is about as painful as it gets. The modern Graduale Romanum makes no provision for the traditional Sequence (Dies Irae), and stipulates a (very non-traditional) Alleluia with its verse. There it is, I'm sorry to say.

Of course, the Dies Irae used quasi-liturgically, at Offertory or Communion, could conceivably fall under the heading of "other suitable songs". But interpolating Sequences (as Sequences) that are not in the rubrics is as non-rubrically maverick as any modern innovation (with the exception of clowns, perhaps), and not the healthiest expression of "mutual enrichment" (to satisfy ones own sensus liturgicus). If you really, really want to sing the Sequence (as a Sequence) on November 2, request a Mass in the Extraordinary Form. (In which case, you'll be singing it on November 3, which is when the Feast is celebrated according to the traditional calendar.)

(And, while you're at it, might as well request a second Extraordinary Form Mass for Sunday, the 25th after Pentecost.)

And have a happy weekend.

(Other painful encounters with the modern rubrics include: For an Ordinary Form funeral Mass, the blessing of the casket preempts the penitential rite; thus, the Kyrie is not sung. Requiem Introit without its Kyrie? Unthinkable, I know. But that's what the rubrics say, at least in the American version of the Sacramentary.)

R.Rice

Could it legitimately be done as a prelude?

Might I add (at the risk of bringing up this whole stupid debate again) that even most people who know what a sequence is wouldn't know that/if it's forbidden for OF Requiems. So I wouldn't be concerned about any pious old ladies fainting at the sound of the Illegitimate Sequence.

On November 2nd, 2008, the New York Catholic Chorale and Schola (www.nycchorale.org) will assist at the All Soul's Day Mass at historic St. Mary's Church in Albany New York. We will be offering Faure's Requiem in a latin novus ordo liturgy, so the mechanics of the operation are a bit daunting. My current sense of the project are as follows:

1. Introit and Kyrie per Faure.
2. No Gloria!
3. Gradual/Alleluia/Tract per Graduale Romanum, to wit: Requiem aeternam (II), De Profundis (VII), Absolve (VIII).
4. Credo per Graduale Romanum, to wit: Credo III.
5. Offertory per Faure.
6. Sanctus per Faure followed immediately by Benedictus recto tono (Faure did not set the Benedictus!).
7. Split Bendictus recto tono following proclamation of "mysterimum fide...mortem tuam....." OR the Pie Jesu Faure did compose for the post-consecration.
8. Agnus Dei per Faure.
9. Communion per Graduale Romanum, to wit: Lux Aeterna VIII.

My big questions are--What is the best strategy for steps #6 and #7, above??? And, even if we squeeze in the Pie Jesu after the consecration, what do we do with Faure's Libera Me and In Paradisum??? Remember, this is a Latin Novus Ordo liturgy, but, in any case, we don't want to short-change Faure!!

Any help from the experts would be greatly appreciated.

--Illuminandus in Albania, Nova Eboraci--

One can always check the "Ordo" generally found in every sacristy. They are published every year to answer questions just such as this. It will always tell you whether there is a "gloria" or not as well as what feast is celebrated on what day, what color vestment is worn, etc. I have even seen them for sale in good religious book stores if the sacristy copy can't be found. My parish always gives me a copy every year so that I may properly prepare for the year.