On Thursday, November 1st, at 7:30pm the choir and clergy of St. John’s will be offering a opportunity to worship according to the style of a Medieval Requiem Mass for All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day.
These two church holidays developed in the Western Church in the Middle Ages as a way of commemorating all the saints, both known and unknown, as well as remembering the departed. The traditional Mass of Requiem was a chance to commemorate and hold our departed loved ones in prayer and to embrace our human experiences of grief and loss knowing that God is with us through it all. This is why the liturgical colors of the Requiem Mass are black or deep purple, to signify mourning and penitence, as opposed to celebratory white of the modern memorial services.
This service will be led by the clergy and choir of St. Johnʹs, who will chant the ancient prayers for the dead. The prayers will be sung to Gregorian chant, the oldest music of the church and the names of the departed will be chanted at the offertory. This service will include a Holy Eucharist Rite I (traditional language) and all are welcome to participate. If you would like to submit names to be read, please complete an online form or contact our parish office. On All-Saints’ Sunday, November 4th, we will be celebrating Christ’s victory over death by wearing the joyful white vestments and baptizing a new member into the communion of saints