What are Gregorian Masses?
Gregorian masses are a series of 30 consecutive masses offered for the soul of our deceased. The custom of this series of masses dates from St. Gregory the Great, the Pope from 590-604. This pope popularized the practice after retelling, in his Dialogues, the story of Justus, a monk who died at St. Andrew’s convent in Rome, for whom St. Gregory offered masses for thirty consecutive days. After the thirtieth mass, Justus appeared to his fellow (living) monks to announce that he had been delivered from Purgatory. Following these events, the Church has always had a great appreciation to this precious spiritual practice.
Frecuently Asked Questions
No, they are exclusively said for the soul of the departed. If you have another intention fill out this form.
The masses should be said only for one soul, particularly for those that have just died.
Gregorian masses are dedicated to the sole intention of the deceased soul for thirty consecutive days during which the priest cannot apply any mass stipend for any other intention during this time. That is why a donation is requested: to help support a priest and his good work. This allows the priest to sustain himself in an honest way.
Your offer will be used to support catholic missionary priests that will pray for your intentions. They will be mainly delivered to places with particular difficulties such as poverty, persecution of their faith, missionary projects, etc. You then become partners of these missions and spiritually benefit from their good works.
If you are interested to offer a Gregorian Mass, please fill out the Gregorian Masses Request Form and submit your donation using the form below.
Do not be disheartened. To offer a mass for our departed is one of the most precious Work of Mercy; therefore, even if you are not able to make a contribution please submit the name of the person using this form. This will be included in the common intention of prayer by our community.
Ask For Gregorian Masses
Complete the following form to request that 30 masses be celebrated for the soul of a deceased person. Once you press send, you will be redirected to a Paypal page to make the payment of the financial contribution.
What are Gregorian Masses, and is it true that they cannot be cut?
Question:
What exactly are Gregorian Masses, is it true that they cannot be cut, or else they lose their intended effect?
Answer:
Dear:
Explains the ‘Nuevo Derecho Parroquial’, by Manzanares, Mostaza y Santos (Ed. BAC, Madrid, pag. 254-255) that ‘it is called “Gregorian Masses” the series of Masses that must be said for a deceased person for thirty days without interruption. Its origin is linked to an episode narrated by St. Gregory the Great in Dialogues IV, 55 (PL 77, 420-421), by which the saint probably only wanted to teach the doctrine of the suffrages applied to the deceased; ‘but the naive medieval mentality put the accent on the uninterrupted succession of masses, a belief that St. Antoninus of Florence tried to readjust, simply affirming that, if the 30 masses are said in succession, the souls in purgatory receive their fruits sooner’.
The Church maintains this practice, which is deeply rooted in the people, in a sense of suffrage for the deceased. However, according to the declaration of the Gregorian Tricentenary (24-2-1967), the Church has relaxed the obligation of uninterrupted celebration. If, because of an unforeseen impediment (e.g. illness) or for another reasonable cause (e.g. celebration of a funeral or marriage Mass), a priest should have to interrupt the thirty-day service, ‘he maintains by disposition of the Church the fruits of suffrages attributed to him by the practice of the Church and the piety of the faithful up to the present moment, but on condition that he completes the celebration of the thirty Masses as soon as possible’ (EV 2/966)’.
A ‘Gregorian Mass’ is generally understood to be a series of 30 Masses in succession.
P. Miguel A. Fuentes, IVE