The Mass

A term used mainly in the Roman Catholic Church for [[Holy Communion]].* The word is derived from Latin missio, “dismiss,” referring to the dismissal of catechumens before the Eucharist was celebrated. J.A. Jungmann suggested that missa came to be synonymous with “blessing” and so linked with the “consecration” of the elements. It was first used strictly for the Eucharist by Ambrose.* The Roman Catholic Mass still closes with “Ite, missa est.”