Why is it called the "Mass"?

From the Latin dismissal: Ite, missa est — "Go, you are sent." The whole liturgy takes its name from the moment of being sent out to live what has been received. The Mass is not just attended; it is launched.

When can I leave the church after Mass?

After the dismissal. The assembly should not leave during the Concluding Rites or before the priest and ministers have processed out. The exception is genuine emergency — pastoral charity assumes the rest.

What is the Final Commendation at a funeral?

The formal "farewell" of the Church to the deceased, prayed before the body is taken from the church. It includes a song of farewell, the sprinkling of the casket with holy water, and a prayer commending the soul to God's mercy.

The Concluding Rites — The Catholic Mass Explained

After Communion, the Mass concludes with brief but important rites. The priest offers a final Prayer After Communion that gives thanks for the gift just received. Any necessary announcements are made. Then comes the final blessing — most often the simple Trinitarian blessing ("May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit"), but on solemnities and special occasions an expanded solemn blessing or a prayer over the people is used instead.

The Mass closes with the dismissal — and this dismissal is more significant than its brevity might suggest. The English word "Mass" itself comes from the Latin dismissal: Ite, missa est ("Go, you are sent" or "Go, the Mass is ended"). The Mass is not just an event we attend; it is a sending. We have heard the Word, we have received the Body of Christ, and now we are sent out to live what we have been given. The Catechism is direct: the dismissal is "an exhortation that the connection between the Mass celebrated and the Christian life be made clear."

The current Roman Missal offers four forms of the dismissal, all with a missionary edge:

- "Go forth, the Mass is ended." - "Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord." - "Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life." - "Go in peace."

The assembly responds with "Thanks be to God" — not just thanks for the dismissal but thanks for the entire Mass that is being completed in this sending.

For Catholic weddings and funerals, the Concluding Rites often include additional ritual moments. Weddings may include a final blessing of the new spouses, the signing of the marriage register, and the recessional. Funerals include the Final Commendation — the formal "farewell" of the Church to the deceased — before the body is taken to the cemetery for the Rite of Committal.

The Concluding Rites

What is happening here

Frequently asked questions