What is a Mass of Translation?

[Kielbasi]

Maybe I missed something somewhere along the line in my catechesis, but what is it?

Here it is in context from the P-G today:

RICE
MONSIGNOR CHARLES OWEN
On Sunday, November 13, 2005, beloved son of the late Michael & Anna Rice; brother of the late Monsignor Patrick W. Rice; cousin of Eleanor Halloran & her children Rita Gray, Robert Halloran & the late Richard Halloran of Pittsburgh, as well as many other relatives in Pittsburgh, New York & Ireland. Dear friend of Gerrie, Frank & Kevin Mullooly. Friends will be received at JOHN A. FREYVOGEL SONS, INC., 4900 Center Ave. at Devonshire Street Wednesday 2-6 pm. After visitation Monsignor Rice will be transferred to St. Anne Church, 400 Hoodridge Drive, Pgh., PA 15234 (Castle Shannon) followed by Mass of Translation at 7 pm. Visitation will continue at St. Anne Church on Thursday 9 am - 9 pm. Funeral Friday, Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by The Most Reverend Donald W. Wuerl, S.T.D., Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh at 10 am. Remembrances in memory of Monsignor Rice may be made to St. Anne School Endowment Fund, 400 Hoodridge Drive, Pgh., PA 15234.

 

[msproule]

I have never heard of such a thing.

It may be used to describe the Mass that occurs after his body has been translated, or moved, from the funeral home to the church. Perhaps, the word “translation” refers to the status of his soul, moving from one “location” to another. I do not think there is any official “Mass of Translation” but I could be wrong.

Surely, somebody can explain…

 

[Gottle_of_Geer]

msproule:

I have never heard of such a thing.

It may be used to describe the Mass that occurs after his body has been translated, or moved, from the funeral home to the church. Perhaps, the word “translation” refers to the status of his soul, moving from one “location” to another. I do not think there is any official “Mass of Translation” but I could be wrong.

Surely, somebody can explain…

That is almost entirely right - except that the *translatio *is the transference of the body of the deceased (not of the soul); the Mass of translation is the Mass offered on that occasion for the deceased - just as you suggested.​

“Translation” is the English form of the Latin noun translatio - which is formed from the preposition trans (= across) + the past participle of the verb* fero* (= I carry); which is latum; *translatum *becomes a noun form by losing the final /-um\ and taking /-io\ instead - so you end up with trans+lat+io.

The word in English was formed when theological English was often little more than Latin in an English dress - which is how one got terms like “porrection of the instruments” So the translatio of a bishop, or of the body of a Saint, is the transference of a bishop from one see to another, and of a Saint’s relics from one place of burial to another. ##