You Are Invited: The Chrism Mass 2026
On the morning of Holy Thursday, the Chrism Mass (or Mass of the Oils) is celebrated in cathedrals throughout the world. In some dioceses, however, this Mass is celebrated earlier in Holy Week to allow priests and people who travel long distances to return to their parishes in time for the Mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday evening. Ours will be on Tuesday 31 March.
When I was studying in Rome, as a young priest, I experienced the Chrism Mass in St Peter’s Basilica on Holy Thursday morning. It was a magnificent sight: priests from every corner of the world processing together in groups of four up the main aisle of that vast basilica. In 1992 I was seated between a priest from France and another from Colombia who advised us to ignore the ushers and follow him to a better vantage point if we wished to see the Holy Father clearly. He was right!
During my years in Melbourne, the Chrism Mass was usually celebrated on the Tuesday morning of Holy Week in St Patrick’s Cathedral. Hundreds of priests would fill a large portion of the nave.
At first glance, the Chrism Mass can appear to be primarily a gathering for priests. Yet the celebration belongs to the whole Church. After the homily, the priests renew the promises they made on the day of their ordination. They pledge once again to grow closer to the Lord Jesus, to carry out their sacred ministry with love, to be faithful teachers of the Gospel and stewards of the mysteries of God. They promise to seek the salvation of souls and not their own advantage.
The people who are present then take part in a beautiful moment of prayer. They are invited by the bishop to pray for their priests, that the Lord may keep them faithful as ministers of Christ the High Priest. The people also pray for their bishop, that he may remain faithful to the apostolic office entrusted to him. The bishop then prays for the priests and people together:
“May the Lord keep us all in his charity and lead all of us, shepherds and flock, to eternal life.”
During the Chrism Mass, the Oil of the Sick and the Oil of Catechumens are blessed, and the Sacred Chrism is solemnly consecrated. The ritual allows these blessings to take place at different moments during the Mass, but it also permits the entire rite to be celebrated together after the Liturgy of the Word. This is how Pope John Paul II celebrated the blessing of the Oils in Rome, and it is the form we will follow in 2026.
The prayers used during the blessings remind us that these oils are destined for the blessing and strengthening of God’s people. Through them the Church accompanies those preparing for baptism, those seeking healing in the Sacrament of the Sick, and those who are being strengthened in faith.
The Sacred Chrism has a special significance. Mixed with fragrant balsam, its aroma fills the cathedral. During the consecration the bishop breathes upon the oil in a sign recalling the breath of the Holy Spirit. While only a bishop can consecrate the Chrism, the concelebrating priests extend their hands during the prayer, just as they do at the Eucharist. This Chrism will be used throughout the year in baptisms, confirmations, and ordinations; and during the dedication of churches and altars.
The Holy Oils are taken from the Cathedral to every corner of the diocese where they are used to bless and consecrate God’s people in parishes, hospitals, aged care facilities, and individual homes.
The Chrism Mass is therefore far more than a ceremony. It is a powerful gathering of the entire local Church at the beginning of Holy Week—a moment of encouragement, renewal, and unity for priests and people alike.
I warmly invite you to join us for the Chrism Mass (Mass of the Oils) in St Mary’s Cathedral, Hobart, on Tuesday 31 March 2026 at 6pm.
Every blessing,
Archbishop Tony Ireland