Singing at the Entrance and the Recessional
Date: February 12, 2023
Author: Fr. Edward McNamara, LC
Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy and sacramental theology and director of the Sacerdos Institute at the Pontifical Regina Apostolorum university.
Question: I attend a parish where every Mass begins with a sung antiphon of two or three verses and then is immediately followed by a full entrance hymn; the recessional is done the same way: a sung antiphon followed by a recessional hymn. This seems repetitive to me, as in we should have either the antiphon or the hymn. Is this proper? -- V.S., Mobile, Alabama
Answer: The official U.S. translation of the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) says the following about the entrance antiphon:
“The Entrance
“47. When the people are gathered, and as the Priest enters with the Deacon and ministers, the Entrance Chant begins. Its purpose is to open the celebration, foster the unity of those who have been gathered, introduce their thoughts to the mystery of the liturgical time or festivity, and accompany the procession of the Priest and ministers.
“48. This chant is sung alternately by the choir and the people or similarly by a cantor and the people, or entirely by the people, or by the choir alone. In the Dioceses of the United States of America, there are four options for the Entrance Chant: (1) the antiphon from the Missal or the antiphon with its Psalm from the Graduale Romanum, as set to music there or in another setting; (2) the antiphon and Psalm of the Graduale Simplex for the liturgical time; (3) a chant from another collection of Psalms and antiphons, approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop, including Psalms arranged in responsorial or metrical forms; (4) another liturgical chant that is suited to the sacred action, the day, or the time of year, similarly approved by the Conference of Bishops or the Diocesan Bishop. If there is no singing at the Entrance, the antiphon given in the Missal is recited either by the faithful, or by some of them, or by a reader; otherwise, it is recited by the Priest himself, who may even adapt it as an introductory explanation (cf. no. 31).”
With respect to the conclusion of Mass the GIRM says:
“90. To the Concluding Rites belong the following:
“a) brief announcements, should they be necessary;
“b) the Priest’s Greeting and Blessing, which on certain days and occasions is expanded and expressed by the Prayer over the People or another more solemn formula;
“c) the Dismissal of the people by the Deacon or the Priest, so that each may go back to doing good works, praising and blessing God;
“d) the kissing of the altar by the Priest and the Deacon, followed by a profound bow to the altar by the Priest, the Deacon, and the other ministers.”
The above norms are also noted in the guidelines established by the U.S. bishops’ conference in its document “Sing to the Lord.” Regarding hymns in general it states:
“115d. Hymns
“A hymn is sung at each Office of the Liturgy of the Hours, which is the original place for strophic hymnody in the Liturgy. At Mass, in addition to the Gloria and a small number of strophic hymns in the Roman Missal and Graduale Romanum, congregational hymns of a particular nation or group that have been judged appropriate by the competent authorities mentioned in the GIRM, nos. 48, 74, and 87, may be admitted to the Sacred Liturgy. Church legislation today permits as an option the use of vernacular hymns at the Entrance, Preparation of the Gifts, Communion, and Recessional. Because these popular hymns are fulfilling a properly liturgical role, it is especially important that they be appropriate to the liturgical action. In accord with an uninterrupted history of nearly five centuries, nothing prevents the use of some congregational hymns coming from other Christian traditions, provided that their texts are in conformity with Catholic teaching and they are appropriate to the Catholic Liturgy.”
With respect to the entrance hymn it says the following:
“The Entrance Chant or Song
“142. After the entire liturgical assembly has been gathered, an Entrance chant or song is sung as the procession with the priest, deacon, and ministers enters the church. ‘The purpose of this chant is to open the celebration, foster the unity of those who have been gathered, introduce their thoughts to the mystery of the liturgical season or festivity, and accompany the procession of the priest and ministers.’
“143. Care must be taken in the treatment of the texts of psalms, hymns, and songs in the Liturgy. Verses and stanzas should not be omitted arbitrarily in ways that risk distorting their content. While not all musical pieces require that all verses or stanzas be sung, verses should be omitted only if the text to be sung forms a coherent whole.
“144. The text and music for the Entrance song may be drawn from a number of sources.
“a. The singing of an antiphon and psalm during the entrance procession has been a long standing tradition in the Roman Liturgy. Antiphons and psalms may be drawn from the official liturgical books—the Graduale Romanum, or the Graduale Simplex—or from other collections of antiphons and psalms.
“b. Other hymns and songs may also be sung at the Entrance, providing that they are in keeping with the purpose of the Entrance chant or song. The texts of antiphons, psalms, hymns, and songs for the Liturgy must have been approved either by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops or by the local diocesan bishop.”
With respect to the recessional:
“199. Although it is not necessary to sing a recessional hymn, when it is a custom, all may join in a hymn or song after the dismissal. When a closing song is used, the procession of ministers should be arranged in such a way that it finishes during the final stanza. At times, e.g., if there has been a song after Communion, it may be appropriate to choose an option other than congregational song for the recessional. Other options include a choral or instrumental piece or, particularly during Lent, silence.”
From the above documents we can derive some conclusions regarding our reader’s questions.
The norms present the diverse modes of entrance songs as alternative options. Normally only one would be chosen.
There may be an occasional solemnity where the entrance procession, coupled with incensing of the altar, may take longer than usual, and in such cases I do not believe that the use of two hymns would be against the norms.
That said, however, the overall rule is that the singing accompanies the entrance procession and this ends when the principal celebrant reaches the chair. Hence, hymns and antiphons should conclude shortly thereafter. It is sufficient to conclude the strophe that is being sung with no need to conclude the entire hymn.
As we have seen, the official documents say almost nothing about the recessional, which is always optional.
While it is a praiseworthy custom to await the conclusion of this recessional hymn, given that the celebration has already ended, the faithful can leave once the exit procession has concluded.
Therefore, in most cases, it is wise that the final hymn, when used, be relatively brief.
There may be some parishes with a longstanding tradition of congregational singing after Mass, and these traditions can be maintained if this helps the spiritual life of the faithful.
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