Chapter and Conventual Mass

A conventual Mass, attended by sisters and by children enrolled in the convent school.

As currently used, the terms Chapter Mass (for chapters of canons) and Conventual Mass (for most other houses of religious) refer to the Mass celebrated by and for a community of priests or for a community of priests and brothers or sisters.

Such Masses are normally concelebrated by most or all of the priests in a house in the case of a house of an order or other religious community that includes priests. The conventual Mass is therefore the daily "community Mass" for a local religious family – whether a convent, monastery or other house. It is normally linked with the Liturgy of the Hours, at which the community gathers to worship as a body: there are special norms in the rubrics for combining any one of the hours of the Divine Office with the celebration of Mass. The Mass and Office celebrated are those of the day, according to the rubrics and ordo of the order or house. The modern concept of the conventual Mass is laid out in the General Instruction of the Roman Missal. ^[1]

Historical use of the term

Before the reform of the Missale by Pope Paul VI, concelebration was not permitted, and so each priest in a monastery or other house celebrated his own Mass privately, and then participated "in choir" in a conventual Mass celebrated by one of the priests of the house.^[2]

Prior to the

canonical Hours, the official public service of God in such a church. A conventual Mass then was to be sung or said in all cathedrals and collegiate churches that had a chapter; in this case it was often called the "chapter" Mass (missa capituli), though the official books constantly used the general name "conventual" for this Mass too. A conventual (not chapter) Mass also had to be celebrated daily in churches of regulars who had the obligation of the public recitation of the office, therefore certainly in churches of monks and canons regular.^[3]

Whether

mendicant friars had this obligation is disputed. Some authors consider them to have been obliged by common canon law, others admit only whatever obligation they may have had from their special constitutions or from custom. Some extended the obligation even to churches of nuns who say the office in choir. That friars celebrated a daily conventual Mass according to the rule of monastic churches is admitted by every one (de Herdt., I, 14). A chapter Mass then was a kind of conventual Mass, and falls under the same rules.^[3]

The obligation of procuring the conventual Mass rested with the corporate body in question and so concerns its superiors (

Dean, Provost, Abbot, etc.). Normally it should be said by one of the members, but the obligation is satisfied as long as it is said by some priest who celebrates lawfully.^[3]

The conventual Mass was always, if possible, a

Rogation Monday fell within an octave (except that of the Blessed Sacrament) the office was of the octave and the Mass of the feria commemorating the octave. Except in Advent and Lent, on Ember days, Rogation days and vigils, if the office was ferial and the Sunday Mass had already been said that week, the conventual Mass could have been one of the Votive Masses in the Missal appointed for each day in the week. Except in Advent, Lent and Paschal time, on the first day of the month not prevented by a double or semi-double, the conventual Mass was a Requiem for deceased members and benefactors of the community.^[3]

On doubles, semi-doubles Sundays and during octaves, the conventual Mass was said after

Forty Hours or for the anniversary of the bishop's consecration or enthronement, etc.) it was said after None. On the Monday of each week (except in Lent and Paschal time) if the office was ferial the conventual Mass was permitted to be a Requiem. But if it were a simple or a feria with a proper Mass, or if the Sunday Mass had not been said, the collect for the dead (Fidelium) was added to that of the day instead.^[3]

These rules concerning the celebration of two or more conventual Masses applied as laws only to chapters. Regulars were not bound to celebrate more than one such Mass each day (corresponding always to the office), unless the particular constitutions of their order imposed this obligation.[3]

Notes and sources

^ USCCB – Committee on the Liturgy – Chapter IV
^ Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Chapter and Conventual Mass". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Chapter and Conventual Mass". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

[1] USCCB – Committee on the Liturgy – Chapter IV

[2] Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Chapter and Conventual Mass". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

[Catholic-3] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Chapter and Conventual Mass". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.

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