Why a Catafalque

On All Souls Day this year our magnificent choir sang the Durufle Requiem and it was truly transcendent. I had hoped to enjoy the service from my favorite pew, which was the Zabriskie pew back in their day. I did have a few moments of mystic sweet communion with those saintly souls before I was summoned to fill in as acolyte for SrT who had to work late, but the acolyte chair nearest the credence is my second favorite spot in the church, so I could hardly complain.

This year we restored the practice of saying the Prayers of Preparation at the altar during the introit and the sacred ministers also wore birettas. We have a stunning set of black vestments which made their first appearance at All Souls in 1920. The frontal had to be taped up a bit, but it looked pretty good for 85 years of service. And of course we changed all the candles to unbleached beeswax and put up our so-called catafalque.

The Absolution at the Catafalque is a rather curious coda to the All Souls Requiem, which one former rector referred to as the "so-called Absolution at the Catafalque". He evidently had some issues with absolving all souls of their sins in this way. One could also say the "so-called catafalque" since ours is just a coffin shaped wooden top resting on chairs, covered with a pall. But nonetheless it serves to focus our prayers for the departed and even give a sense of closure to those deaths which have occurred most recently.

After the choir had sung the Libera me and the catafalque had been aspersed and censed, the Celebrant intoned: Absolve, O Lord we pray thee, the souls of thy servants and handmaidens from every bond of sin, that though they be dead unto the world, yet they may live unto thee: and that whatsoever sins they may have committed through the frailty of the flesh in their earthly life may be done away by the pardon of thy most merciful loving-kindness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then the heavenly In Paradisum ended the service and the tower bell tolled 33 times for all the faithful departed.

Rest eternal grant unto them, O Lord: and let light perpetual shine upon them.