A question from someone with a Church of Ireland background: what does the term "vigil" mean — and is it another name for a service?
The Church Counts a Liturgical Day from Sunset, Not Midnight
This follows ancient Jewish tradition. Because of this, the Sunday celebration begins on Saturday evening. So when a person attends Mass after a certain time on Saturday (usually 4:00 p.m. or later), this is liturgically celebrating Sunday—even though the civil calendar still says Saturday.
The Saturday Evening Mass Is an "Anticipated" Sunday Mass
The Church calls it an anticipated Mass, though people commonly call it the 'Saturday Vigil Mass'. It fulfils the Sunday obligation to attend Mass because
- It uses Sunday prayers
- It uses Sunday readings
- It celebrates Sunday liturgically
Church Law (Canon Law) confirms this (Canon 1248 §1): attending Mass "on the evening of the preceding day" satisfies the obligation.
In the strict sense, the Saturday Evening Mass is not a 'true' vigil
Strict vigil liturgies (like the Easter Vigil or Pentecost Vigil) have their own special prayers and structure; whereas, the Saturday evening Mass is not a special liturgy, does not have separate Vigil Readings (except for certain Solemnities) and is, in effect, an early Sunday Mass. So the term 'Vigil Mass' is commonly used, but technically it is an anticipated Sunday Mass, not a separate vigil liturgy.
Strict vigil liturgies (like the Easter Vigil or Pentecost Vigil) have their own special prayers and structure; whereas, the Saturday evening Mass is not a special liturgy, does not have separate Vigil Readings (except for certain Solemnities) and is, in effect, an early Sunday Mass. So the term 'Vigil Mass' is commonly used, but technically it is an anticipated Sunday Mass, not a separate vigil liturgy.
The practice of the Saturday Evening Mass developed to help Catholics who:
- Work Sundays
- Have family or care duties
- Need flexibility
It also reflects the longstanding spiritual significance of beginning a feast with evening prayer and worship.
In relation to Services, while Mass is most commonly celebrated in Catholic churches, other Services include:
- The celebration of Sacraments
- Liturgy of the Hours (Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer etc), but only some parishes will celebrate these publicly, and then usually at certain times of the year and on weekdays
- Eucharistic Devotions, such as Benediction, Eucharistic Adoration Services
- Liturgy of the Word in the absence of Clergy - which is celebrated in some parishes
- Other Services, often seasonal, such as public Rosary, Stations of the Cross
Always Welcome
Everyone is welcome at our churches — whether you attend regularly or are simply exploring faith.
Everyone is welcome at our churches — whether you attend regularly or are simply exploring faith.