Q: When a church is dedicated, candles are lighted near the places where the walls were anointed. If these candles are fixed in the walls, on what other occasions should they be lighted? The anniversary of the dedication? Every day throughout the year? A: I see no norms pertaining to the lighting of the dedication candles. During the dedication, they are lit at the time that the altar candles are lighted because of the “festive” nature of the celebration. The most logical use for these is that they are lighted for festive celebrations to enhance the lights on the altar. I …
FDLC on RCIA
Q: Did anything come out of the FDLC meeting on the RCIA last fall? Anything us “little people” should expect to see or change? A: Here’s a link to the talk I gave: http://paulturner.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/MyRCIA-web-site.pdf
Deacons and baptism
Q: Our parish has once again decided to celebrate baptisms during Sunday mass. We have 10 deacons here and at times, families will request that the deacons baptize. I’ve always wondered… 1. Is this kosher? 2. Are there parts reserved for the priest: i.e. Anointing following baptism, final blessing, etc. A: This question comes up about weddings too. I’ve consulted Frank Agnoli on this point in the past, and he says that there is no clear legislation on the matter. The closest we get is in the Book of Blessings, which states that a deacon may give blessings, “But whenever a priest …
Last week on the site
Last week the following was added to www.paulturner.org Two new blog posts including a recent update on the Deacon Postures post. The homilies for Most Holy Trinity in both English and Español: http://paulturner.org/homilies-year-b-2015/ Scores for the Royals’ pre-game activities: http://paulturner.org/pre-game-grades/
Deacon postures
Q: When there are more than two deacons at a Mass at the cathedral, what postures do they take during the eucharistic prayer? The two deacons at the altar kneel from the epiclesis to the memorial acclamation, but what about the others? Do they kneel from the Sanctus to the Amen as the people do? A: There is no legislation on this. Some dioceses have expressed a preference. Others have not. Personally, I think it’s better for deacons in pews away from the sanctuary to assume the postures of the rest of the assembly. GIRM 43 refers to what postures …
RCIA recording requirements
Q: For the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) there are three books/registers that our diocese requires parishes to maintain: the Register of Catechumens, the Book of the Elect, and a book for recording the names of baptized Christians who have been received into full communion in the Catholic Church. Our question is, is it just the name and date in each separate book? A: This is a canonical question, not a liturgical one, so my expertise is limited. I don’t see much legislation pertaining to the specifics of what should be recorded. You could consult Canon 877 §1 …
Last week on the site
Last week the following was added to www.paulturner.org Two new blog posts. A new book was added to the books page – “Whose Mass Is It?“ – http://paulturner.org/books/ The homilies for Pentecost in both English and Español: http://paulturner.org/homilies-year-b-2015/ The scores for the Royals’ pre-game activities: http://paulturner.org/pre-game-grades/
Articles are free
Q: I am interested in printing copies of your article from Catholic Practice 1997 entitled- The Death of the Last Rites. Would this be possible? A: Yes. The articles on my web site are there for the taking. There is no cost. Thanks for asking.
Who replaced Judas?
Q: In places where the Ascension is celebrated on a Thursday, the first reading on the Seventh Sunday of Easter is about the election of Matthias to replace Judas. In the New American Bible, Acts 1:23 gives the name of the other candidate as Joseph, but the Lectionary for Mass, which uses the same translation in the United States, says his name is Judas. Why is there a discrepancy? A: There are times when the vocabulary in the lectionary’s version of the NAB has been changed from the published bible, usually for some liturgical reason. For example, the Lord’s Prayer …
Last week on the site
The following was added this week to www.paulturner.org: “My Sacrifice and Yours” – a workshop for National Association of Pastoral Musicians, Scranton Chapter, on May 11. A blog post about reverencing the altar. The homily for the Memorial Mass for Lucas Turner. The homilies for Ascension Sunday in both English and Español: http://paulturner.org/homilies-year-b-2015/ The scores for the Royals’ pre-game activities for the game on May 15: http://paulturner.org/pre-game-grades/