Q:  How do you have Triduum services without any persons to baptize? A:  There’s no change to Holy Thursday or Good Friday.  For the Easter Vigil, look in the Missal at number 42. It invites you to skip to number 54. Go forward from there.

Q:  When you receive the question about number of times a lay person/deacon can receive Communion on a given day, what is your typical answer? Is it something like:  Normally once, but he/she may receive Communion again if at a different Mass and not receiving Communion out of superstitious reasons or a kind of scrupulosity? Some other circumstances: Do you think it is appropriate for a lay person /deacon who takes Holy Communion from Mass and leads a “Communion service” at a nursing home to receive Communion again prior to distributing Communion to the gathered group of people?  While he/she …

Q:  It has always been my understanding the the three celebrations – Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil – are considered one liturgy, thus the presider should be the same throughout. I was looking for rubrics or directions that would say that, but I can’t find anything. Can you please comment or point me in the right direction? A:  There’s no such rule. The liturgies really are independent. They have some logical and theological flow, but there’s no problem with using different presiders during the Triduum.  

I just wanted to thank you for the wonderful overview of the Spanish Missals in the Worship November 2015 edition. I was able to get my hands on the Mexican Missal and even an Ecuadorian one which proved invaluable serving the Latino community. A:  You are welcome.  Here is the Worship Magazine article:  “The Amen Corner: Misal Romano: A Tale of Two Translations.”  

Q:  You do not usually go to movies, but you did last week. What did you see? A:  Concussion. I had a pass. One of the questions I carry with me when I enter a cinema is, “How will the Catholic Church be portrayed in this film?” The scene at mass shows an arrangement of ministers that would never take place (priest standing at the altar with arms extended while the choir sings the gospel acclamation). But in the end, I was amazed that the Catholic Church came out looking so positive. The doctor is a sincere man of faith, …

Q:  I attended one of your workshop last year. A point you made close the end of your talk.  If I understood you correctly the oil of catechumen is not allowed on Vigil Saturday. A:  That’s correct. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (then the National Conference of Catholic Bishops) passed particular law some years ago forbidding the use of the oil of catechumens during the preparation rites on Holy Saturday and during the baptisms of the Easter Vigil.  So even though the Roman Missal tells the priest when to anoint with the oil of catechumens, the particular law …

Q:  I have a question for you regarding something you wrote in an article about the Sprinkling Rite for Pastoral Liturgy.  In it, (in the section on the Easter Vigil) you said: “After all have professed their faith, the priest sprinkles them with water. Some parishes improvise with the ritual at this point, inviting the faithful to the font to sign themselves with water.  This may strengthen the connection between the professed renewal and the renewing powers of the waters of Baptism.” Our parish has been doing this for somewhere around twenty years. Actually, what we do is have everyone …

Q:  At various times I have heard people–many quite reputable–mention that the elect should not have candles at the Vigil fire because they have not received the Light of Christ at Baptism. I find this spurious. It’s not mentioned in the RCIA  nor in the Missal.  But I may have missed some deep historical precedent. Which isn’t necessarily a good reason to do it today.  Thoughts? A:  My opinion: Pass out those candles. You’re correct that there’s nothing in the missal nor in the RCIA that forbids handing candles to the elect at the start of the Easter Vigil. Nor …

Q:  Can you provide directions in regards to the actual plumbing of a sacrarium?  How does it drain directly into the ground?  What short of pit is necessary – does the pit have a particular type of gravel/sand etc. A:  This is beyond my expertise. The liturgical documents do not describe anything about a sacrarium, other than its existence. Some municipalities have plumbing legislation over such matters. I wish I could help more.

Visit the Paul Turner YouTube Channel to watch the latest video about the baptismal themes of Priest, Prophet and King from the workshop given to the RCIA group at Prince of Peace Parish in Olathe KS.