Q: We have a person in RCIA who was baptized a Catholic but confirmed in the Lutheran Church. Do we use the Rite of Reception of Validly Baptized Christians into the Full Communion of the Catholic Church for him? A: No, his baptism is a Catholic baptism. If he wishes to be confirmed in the Catholic Church, the bishop is the ordinary minister. But the bishop may give the pastor permission to confirm him at the Easter Vigil or at some other time. If the person or the bishop wishes to have the bishop do the confirmation, you may proceed …
Marriage question
Q: My daughter recently got married. I wanted the priest to process in just like a Sunday mass. The wedding coordinator was adamant that it was not correct. Can you explain what the a wedding entrance should look like and liturgically why. We also had the brides godparents and confirmation sponsor bring up the gifts . I wanted her to split the bread into two Ciborias but she wanted to have one carry the chalice up at the offertory. Our priest of course said no, I’d like to explain to her why it was not correct. Thank you. A: Congratulations …
Adult baptism at Easter
Q: I am currently completing RCIA at my parish but will be out of the country over Easter. Is there another parish that can perform the rites other than during the Easter vigil? A: Adult baptisms may take place on other dates. RCIA 34/2 says that the bishop may decide whether and when the entire rite may be celebrated outside the usual times. RCIA 27 explains that they may celebrated as far as possible on a Sunday, using the appropriate ritual mass from the missal. So your catechumen has two options – baptism on another day, not Easter. Or baptism …
Passion Gospels
Q: I’m not sure if this has been asked but I was wondering for the Passion Gospels on Palm Sunday and Good Friday, the Narrator part at my parish has always been proclaimed by a Deacon. Now that one of our deacon’s has retired, we only have one Deacon who only speak Spanish so our English masses never see a deacon. For the Passion Gospels coming up, can the narrator part of the gospel be proclaimed by a lector or lay minister if there is no Deacon present? There’s also the beginning part that says, “The Passion of our Lord according …
Marriage blessing outside of mass
Q: A couple getting married in another State are hoping to have a “renewal of their promises” in here later this summer, for those family and friends who couldn’t join them for their actual wedding. They were specific that this renewal would happen in a “non-church” location. Someone suggested looking at the outline of the blessing we do for married couples, in The Order for Celebrating Matrimony, to see if this would suit their needs. (I’m leery of simulating a sacrament if this is what they’ve envisioned) However, now that I look at it, the text only provides a blessing …
Sequence of sacraments of initiation
Q: I have a woman who just moved here with her son from Mexico. As you know, in Mexico they make their confirmation before the first communion. She has presented a letter to me from their pastor that the child is prepared to receive both sacraments. What should be done? Do I ask to confirm him with the to be baptized at the Easter Vigil? Thank you for your thoughts. A: Probably so. You need the permission of your bishop to do this because the child was baptized Catholic as an infant. I think if you explain the case to …
Stations on Good Friday
Q: On the evening of Good Friday, my parish performs a “Live Stations of the Cross.” However, instead of ending with the traditional 14th Station (Jesus lying in the tomb), we end with the Resurrection. Is this liturgically-correct, and should it be done? A: There is no one official version of the Stations of the Cross. The fourteen stations are traditional, but even Pope John Paul II changed a few of them to make a more biblically-based series of stations. I think there’s no harm in ending with the resurrection. I understand your concern that this is Good Fridaynight, and …
Presentation of the Lord’s Prayer
Q: Have a very quick and presumably easy question, if the Presentation of the Lord’s Prayer is outside of Mass, can a deacon lead the ritual? As far as I can tell, there is not a provision for a deacon to preside for this celebration, but given our priest shortage etc. is it possible? I feel like I should know the answer to this, but I am not thinking of the right document (besides the Rite itself) that leads me to the conclusion that a deacon could preside for this ritual. Perhaps it is somewhere in the Rite and I’m …
Monstrance
Q: The Vatican’s Circular Letter on Holy Week states that the monstrance cannot be used for reposition after the mass of the Lord’s Supper on Holy Thursday. What is the “why” it cannot be used. I’m having trouble with some colleagues saying that it’s adoration, and therefore we should use the monstrance. That’s what students are used to, and we should meet them where they are at, blah, blah, blah. Thanks! A: The liturgical documents do not explain why, but I think the simplest answer is that the symbols pertain to mass, not to eucharistic worship outside of mass. The …
Short and long lectionary readings
Q: Why does the lectionary offer shorter and longer versions of the Sunday readings? This question especially has come up given the Cycle A gospels for the Third, Fourth and Fifth Sundays of Lent, which as you know, are such powerful and rich stories. By practice, we always use the longer version of a reading whenever the option is given. But I’m curious, how it came to be this way versus no option, just read what is provided. A: Here’s paragraph 80 from the introduction to the Lectionary for Mass. As you’ll see, at the time of the lectionary …