GENEVA—St. Peter Church in Geneva will hold a special Advent Mass, Rorate coeli, in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary on Thursday morning, Dec. 15, at 6:45 a.m. The celebrant is Bishop David Malloy.

 

The Rorate Mass is a Votive Mass in honor of the Virgin Mary during the season of Advent. It has a long tradition in the Catholic Church, especially in German-speaking areas. The Rorate coeli Mass originated during the course of the Middle Ages as one of the various popular Advent devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

 

The Masses had to begin relatively early in the morning when it was still dark due to wintertime, and they were said by candlelight.

 

The Mass received its name from the first word of the entrance antiphon in Latin (English translation under headline). The text is frequently sung to plainsong at Mass and in the Divine Office during Advent where it gives expression to the longings of patriarchs and prophets, and symbolically of the Church, for the coming of the Messiah.

 

The centuries-old tradition of this Mass faded after the Second Vatican Council, but the Mass continues to be celebrated in countries around the world. 

 

In September this year, the Monks of Clear Creek Abbey in Oklahoma released a CD of the music: “Rorate Cœli: Marian Sounds of Advent from The Monks of Clear Creek,” published by Sophia Institute Press (https://www.sophiainstitute.com/products/item/rorate-cli). 

 

The early-morning Mass in Geneva on Dec. 15 will be held by candlelight and will conclude right at sunrise.

 

All are welcome.