Q: I just stumbled on to your blog and have a question.  I’ve noticed a strong trend lately that when a person dies, while the family dutifully sees that the full Catholic funeral rites are celebrated, only the very immediate family are invited to attend and a celebration of life or prayer service is held for friends and extended family.  Is this becoming the new standard practice?   In my experience, these services are warm and reverent and most often include clergy or religious leading prayers, though unlike the wake before the funeral, tend to take place afterwards — sometimes two weeks …

In my time as a deacon, I have worked with quite a few priests.  As is normal, they each have slightly different ways they like to have things done during the Mass and I always do my best to remember and accommodate them.  A question in my own mind has come up as I am now working with a pastor who is a fairly new priest and our associate pastor who just celebrated 25 years of ordination. When we do weekend Masses, we have two extra bowls we use for our extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion to use.  One of …

Q: Thank you for your continued readiness to help and enlighten us with all things liturgical. Can you tell us why some Holy Day Masses have an actual Vigil Mass, with its own readings and propers (eg Assumption) whereas for others, any Mass held on the eve is an Anticipatory Mass, with the same readings and propers as on the day itself (eg All Saints). == A: I don’t know a specific formula to explain those Vigil Mass decisions. I just say not all holydays are created equal. Some new Vigil Masses were added to the third edition of the …

Q: We are expecting our new organ to be finished by mid-October 2025, and I was hoping to attach the Blessing of the Organ to Second Vespers on the Solemnity of All Saints.  Unfortunately, November 1 lands on a Saturday, so I am writing to inquire about the Divine Office on November 1, 2025. I feared that because the Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed lands on a Sunday that the required Office for Saturday evening would be the Office for the Dead.  However, I note in the Mundelein Psalter (which I happen to have in front of me open to page …

Q: Can a couple celebrate their wedding at a parish Mass on Saturday afternoon next August? == A: Yes. Look at OCM 34. It remains the parish Mass of a Sunday in Ordinary Time, the priest wears green vestments, you may switch out one scripture reading to take one from the wedding lectionary, and the priest gives the nuptial blessing.

Q: Thank you again for all of the guidance you give on all matters liturgical.  I appreciate not only your expertise but the kindness and sympathy of your answers. Looking forward to Sunday, February 2, 2025, I have a couple of questions.  1.)  Based on the missal, is the expectation that all masses that day begin with a blessing of candles an procession?  Whereas Palm Sunday gives three different options for the beginning of mass, I see only one option in the missal for the Presentation.2.)  As February is particularly chilly where I live, is it possible for the blessing …

Q: I recently read in a catholic book titled “The Mass” copyrighted in 1925 with an Imprimatur…. and I quote “that a priest must always have with him the altar stone in order to say Mass.  Five things he can never dispense with: namely the altar stone, water, wine, chalice and bread.”    To add context to the quote, it was followed up with stories about World War I, frontline army chaplains as well as about frontier priests on horseback ”  a Priest who has to ride across the plains to far-off missions carries all his needs in the saddle”, …

The OCF gives two dismissals for the end of the funeral Mass: OCF #176 and, in the Cremation Appendix, #437. The rubrics at 437 (“when the committal is delayed or when the body is to be cremated…” raise a number of questions: In other words, there are four possibilities, which dismissal is used when? Thanks, == A: 1. OCF 437 is used only when cremation is involved. It’s in that special section of the OCF. a. If the body is present and is to be cremated before interment, then 437 is indeed used—but not if the body is to be …

Q: One more question. Late at night, I’ll watch random YouTube searches of Masses throughout the country. I was watching the beginning of a morning Mass at a Cathedral with their bishop presiding. For the Penitential Act, he asked for the mercy of the cross etc. paused, then continued with “May almighty God have mercy on us..”. Then the cantor chanted the Kyrie and transitioned without skipping a beat into the chant of the Gloria. I checked another video to make sure it was a fluke. Same thing the previous Sunday. That’s not exactly “right” either is it?== A: Correct. …

Q: Is the Alleluia sung or said with the antiphon in the Liturgy of the Hours throughout the year except Lent, or only in Paschal time. I perused the GILH but seems I missed it. == A: The alleluia is added to the opening versicle throughout the year except during Lent (GILH 41 and other places). During Easter Time, the alleluia is added to all antiphons unless it would clash with the meaning of the antiphon (120). The English translation did not abide by this, so there are some antiphons where saying “alleluia” at the end just isn’t right, but …