Missa Catechumenerum

Missa Catechumenerum is the name of that portion of the liturgies of the early Church at which catechumens were permitted to be present. It consisted of the Prefatory Prayer, the Hymn, the Little Entrance, the Trisagion, the Epistle and Gospel, and the Prayers after the Gospel. Before the Great Entrance, or procession of the elements to the altar, all the catechumens were obliged to leave the church, with such words of dismissal as those used in the Liturgy of St. Chrysostom: "As many as are catechumens depart; catechumens depart; as many as are catechumens depart; let none of the catechumens remain." The catechumens being still unbaptized, it was not considered fitting that they should witness the actual celebration of the holy Eucharist, though they were permitted to take part in the earlier prayers of the liturgy, and to hear the reading of the holy Scripture. See Boia, Rer. Liturg. 1:16; Bingham, Origines Ecclesiasticce, pages 10, 114, 567, 677 et sq.; Riddle, Christian Antiquities, page 192 sq.; Coleman, Ancient Christianity Exemplified, pages 110, 180, 185, 415. SEE CATECHUMENS.