The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin

The Guild of All Souls

Monthly Parish Requiem Mass
The Third Saturday of the Month (unless a feast day)
in the Mercy Chapel at 12:10 PM
Check the monthly calendar here.

Begun in England in 1873, the purpose of the Guild of All Souls was to promote Catholic teaching about the Faithful Departed, promote prayer for the souls of the dead, and encourage Christian customs at burials, especially celebration of the Mass. The first American branch came into being on May 14, 1889, but our parish's involvement with the international Guild dates to well before that time. In fact, our parish branch is the oldest formally constituted in this country, in 1875, just two years after the Guild was founded in England. Our branch application listed ten members, and the first name on the list was Father Thomas McKee Brown, our founding rector.

The Saint Mary's chapter was active through Father Wells' tenure, and it formally regathered for the first time on June 17, 2023, celebrated a Low Mass of Requiem, and adjourned to Saint Joseph's Hall for lunch and a presentation from Father Sammy Wood about prayer for the dead. A faithful group of 8-10 regulars have continued to gather every third Saturday for a Requiem Mass at 12:10 PM, and we have great hopes of organizing other events and outings for our little group in the months to come.

If you are interested, we invite you to join us one third Saturday and investigate formally becoming a Guild member. The membership requirements are not onerous, and you can download a membership form from the Guild's website.