Worship News
Weekday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest
In recent years the topic of
Weekday Celebrations in t he Absence of a Priest has been raised by diocesan
Directors of Worship and during the 1998 National Meeting of the Federation of
Diocesan Liturgical Commissions. Over the past year, the Secretariat for the
Liturgy has conducted consultations with diocesan directors of Worship, pastors
and bishops which culminated in an extended discussion by the members and
consultants of the Committee on the Liturgy at its March 13, 2000, meeting in
Washington D.C. The following reflections are offered to bishops and their
advisors and may serve to assist bishops in the formulation of guidelines for
this important area of pastoral life.
Daily Mass
Any discussion of weekday
liturgical worship must begin by recalling the importance and normative
character of daily Mass in the life of every Catholic community. Pope Paul VI
recommended that priests "worthily and devoutly offer Mass each day in
order that both they and the rest of the faithful may enjoy the benefits that flow
so richly from the sacrifice of the cross."1 Pope John Paul II
echoes these words in recalling that the celebration of the Eucharist be the
"most important moment of the priest's day, the center of his life,"
and urging that "priests should be encouraged to celebrate Mass every day,
even in the absence of a congregation, since it is an act of Christ and the
Church (cf. ibid., 13; Code of Canon Law, c. 904)."2
Elsewhere, the Holy Father encourages seminarians to "take part every day
in the eucharistic celebration, in such a way that afterwards they will take up
as a rule of their priestly life this daily celebration"3
Quoting the Cure of Ars the Holy Father also exhorts, "How well a priest
does, therefore, to offer himself to God in sacrifice every morning!"4
Shifting Patterns
In recent years, the Church in
the United States of America has experienced a reduction in the number of
priests available to celebrate Mass on a daily basis in our parish communities.
Indeed, in some places, one priest is assigned as pastor of several parishes
and is barely able to provide Sunday Mass in each of these communities. In
other instances, even the Sunday Mass is not possible each week. Thus, the
ritual book Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of Priest was
developed.
Pastoral Response
In recent discussions, the Committee on the Liturgy considered several principles which it recommends to bishops in their development of diocesan norms on the question of how to address related issues. These principles are presented as a starting point for such considerations:
- Whenever possible, daily Mass should be celebrated in each parish.
- Whenever the Rite for Distributing Holy Communion Outside Mass with a Celebration of the Word is scheduled on a weekday, every effort must be undertaken to avoid any confusion between this celebration and the Mass. Indeed, such celebrations should encourage the faithful to be present at and to participate in the celebration of the Eucharist.5
- Whenever possible, the Mass schedule of nearby parishes should be available to parishioners. If a nearby parish is celebrating Mass on a given weekday, serious consideration should be given to encouraging people to participate in that Mass rather than the parish scheduling a Liturgy of the Word with Distribution of Holy Communion.
- When daily Mass is scheduled in a parish, it is usually not appropriate to schedule a Liturgy of the Word with Distribution of Holy Communion. This rite is designed for "those who are prevented from being present at the community's celebration." When necessary, the scheduling of these celebrations should never detract from "the celebration of the Eucharist [as] the center of the entire Christian life."6 Such celebrations should never be seen as an equal choice with participation at Mass.
- The proper ritual for the Liturgy of the Word with Distribution of Holy Communion is found in Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharist Outside Mass. The specialized provisions of Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest are not appropriate to weekday celebrations.
- A Liturgy of the Word with Distribution of Holy Communion should never be scheduled for the purpose of 'providing a role' for deacons or lay ministers. Likewise, choosing the option of the Funeral Liturgy outside Mass solely to provide a role for the deacon is inappropriate. It is also inappropriate to have the deacon preside at the Funeral Liturgy outside Mass when a priest is available to celebrate a Funeral Mass.
Orans or Open Hand Prayer Posture
Many Catholics are in the habit of holding their hands in the “Orans” posture during the Lord’s prayer along with the celebrant. Some do this on their own as a private devotional posture while some congregations make it a general practice for their communities.
Is this practice permissible under the current rubrics, either as a private practice or something adopted by a particular parish as a communal gesture?
No position is prescribed in the present Sacramentary for an assembly gesture during the Lord’s Prayer.
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USCCB Newsletter September 2011
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USCCB Newsletter August 2011 Click HERE
USCCB Newsletter July 2011 Click HERE
USCCB Newsletter March-April 2011 CLICK HERE
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Mass for the Vigil of the Nativity of Our Lord - Saturday, December 24, 2011 5 pm at the Co-Cathedral
Midnight Mass for the Nativity of Our Lord - Sunday, December 25, 2011 12 am at the Cathedral
Ash Wednesday Mass - February 22, 2012 12:15 pm at the Cathedral
Rite of Election
Saturday February 25, 2012 - 10:00 am and 7 pm at the Cathedral
Sunday February 26, 2012 - 2 pm at the Co-Cathedral
Chrism Mass - March 29, 2012 - 7pm
Palm Sunday Mass - April 1, 2012 at the Cathedral
Mass of the Lord's Supper - 7 pm at the Co-Cathedral
Celebration of the Lord's Passion and Death - 7 pm at the Cathedral
Celebration of the Vigil of Easter and 1st Mass for Easter - April 7, 2012 - 830 pm at the Cathedral
Priests Jubliee Dinner May 2, 2012 5 pm
Ordinations - Saturday Mary 19, 2012 - 10am at the Cathedral
Golden Wedding Anniversary Mass - May 20, 2012 - 3pm at the Cathedral
Corpus Christi Procession June 10, 2012
Adult Confirmation is June 20th 2012 at 7pm at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.